What to do if there is a lack of oxygen in the house, the air is saturated with unpleasant odors, and the surfaces in the rooms are covered with condensate? Probably the reason for this is the insufficient level of ventilation of the housing. To eliminate these negative factors, the installation of supply air ventilation units allows.
What is supply ventilation?
Forced or forced ventilation is the name given to devices by which air is exchanged in rooms by forcing flows by fans. The work of the latter creates areas of excess pressure, the presence of which contributes to the displacement of exhaust air.
During the operation of the supply ventilation unit, the flows of the working air medium enter the room in several ways. Pass through networked air ducts or penetrate through street entry points. The most efficient supply ventilation scheme is a combination of elements of forced and natural exhaust systems.
Types
BDepending on the scale of action, compact air handling units are divided into systems of general and local action. Consider the features of each of the presented solutions.
Local ventilation does not provide air exchange in all rooms, but only in a separate part of the facility. Most often, such solutions are resorted to when it is necessary to clean the space in production workshops, where there is a high concentration of harmful substances.
In turn, a common supply ventilation unit allows you to organize the supply of fresh air simultaneously to all rooms, without dividing them into serving local zones.
Design
The main structural elements of air handling units include the following:
- Fan - ensures the movement of specified volumes of air into the premises.
- Filter - cleans the space from dust, carcinogens.
- Silencer - allows you to reduce the overall noise level during operation of the system.
- Heater heater - heats the air distributed by the fan in winter.
- Return valve - prevents the outflow of fresh, purified and heated air from the premises when forced ventilation is turned off.
Features of choice
The determining criteria when choosing a ventilation unit for a supply plan are the maximum possible pressure in the system and the air pressure that the unit is capable of delivering. The electric supply unit should also be selected taking into accountoperating temperature range, dimensions of the indoor unit. All necessary parameters are calculated at the design stage.
Characteristics of the air handling unit
What are the characteristics of the air handling unit? It differs in the following parameters:
- Air consumption - the volume of the working medium that the system is capable of pumping for an hour (measured in m3/hour).
- Head - the level of air duct resistance that the unit must overcome at a given air flow.
- Parameters and source of coolant. A heater or hot water flowing through pipes can act as a means responsible for heating the air space.
- Source of cold supply. Here, the characteristics of a chiller (refrigerator) or a freon circuit come to the fore.
- Autonomy level - parameters that the installation is able to support in automatic mode.
Helpful tips
The installation of air handling units in the form of a monoblock for general ventilation of premises needs a serious approach. Therefore, attention should be paid to some important points here. So, hot water that comes from central heating cannot be used to increase the temperature of the ventilated air. As practice shows, attempts to implement such a plan do not give positive results. Ventilation inefficiently heats the air in conductive ducts withthe onset of frost. Combining systems negatively affects the performance of heating.
If the installation of air handling units involves the installation of a refrigeration section, in this case, the air ducts of the forced air supply system are covered with heat-insulating materials. For these purposes, almost any common means with a thickness of at least 40 mm is suitable.
In case of supplementing the installation with a water heater, a double protection against freezing is required. It is advisable to install a thermostat behind the heater and a sensor for measuring the temperature of the coolant.
After the installation of air handling units, it is recommended to carry out their periodic inspection and maintenance. Most of the failures that occur in the operation of such units are the result of untimely cleaning of filters, balancing fans, checking the condition of electrical components and the efficiency of fans.
When planning the scale of the air handling unit, it is extremely important to organize the correct movement of air flows. Fresh, purified air from the street should first of all enter the living rooms (living room, bedroom, children's room), and then move into the corridor and go into the exhaust grilles in the kitchen and bathrooms. The development of a well-thought-out scheme by specialists during the installation of the supply unit eliminates the spread of polluted air and unpleasant odors throughout the premises.
Inlet unit - price
Currently, the cost of domestic ventilationunits of compulsory action ranges from 1500 to 3000 rubles. To this amount, it is worth adding the installation of the system by professional craftsmen, which often costs 50% of the amount paid for the air handling unit. Self-installation of the ventilation valve allows you to save money. Let's figure out how to cope with this task.
Preparation for installation
Before installing inlet valves, you should make sure that the ventilation system of the building is functioning properly. To do this, just open the windows, and then bring a piece of thin paper to the ventilation vents. If the ventilation is working properly, the latter will be drawn into the shaft. It is unacceptable to use matches or a lit candle for these purposes, since if combustible gases are present in the air ducts, a fire hazard situation is likely. If the piece is weakly attracted to the ventilation hole, care must be taken to clean the air passages.
Installation of fresh air ventilation
Currently, compact supply systems of local action have become widespread. Such units are easy to install and have proven to be a reliable, energy-saving means for ventilation of individual rooms.
Local installations are really small. However, despite their small size, such systems provide a noticeable influx of heated or cooled, purified air into the room. Inside the compactThe box hides a fan for supplying air from the street, a cleaning filter and automation that controls the operation of devices.
To install a local air handling unit, the following sequence of actions is performed:
- The installation site is being selected. As practice shows, the installation of such systems looks the most rational in rooms where there is a large crowd of people.
- First, the appropriate markup is created, after which a hole is punched in the wall.
- Inlet ventilation is installed on the facade surface close to the window or balcony, as high as possible directly under the ceiling.
- After the opening is completed, telescopic air ducts are installed. Protective caps are put on the outside of the walls.
- Finally, the entire system assembly is installed.
As you can see, the installation of a domestic air handling unit is not difficult. The main task is to break through a fairly solid load-bearing wall. To do this, you will have to find the necessary equipment, tools, as well as personal protective equipment.
If you plan to carry out work in a high-rise building, and there is no way to reach the installation site from the outside through windows or a balcony, it is better to involve specialists in the implementation of the task.
