Blogs - Zephyr Ventilation

Simple Ways to Extract Hot Air from Buildings

18 September 2019/in Blog /by Zephyr Ventilation

Hot air, when trapped indoors, can lead to condensation, which in turn creates a suitable environment for mould and household pests to thrive. A concentration of hot air indoors can also cause overheating and put too much pressure on indoor cooling systems or make them ineffective altogether.

Air ventilation systems in Australia, are incomplete without the addition of a proper method extracting the warm air and keeping it out. If your air ventilation system failed to include one or you want an upgrade to the one you have, read on to find some simple methods of heat extraction.

1. Use the Wind Direction and Your Windows

A useful – and the cheapest – method of heat extraction and cooling is to watch out for the direction of the wind and open your windows accordingly. When you find the direction, the wind is moving in, open the windows on that side to let the air in and the windows on the other side to let out the air. If you find that the air inside is stagnant, you can use a box fan (or larger) to aid air circulation.

Pro Tip: If you have a two-storey house, only open the downstairs windows to let the air in and the upstairs windows on the opposite side.

2. Use Exhaust Fans

When there’s a heatwave, an exhaust fan is a good way to draw the hot air out and keep it out. You can turn your large fans into exhaust fans by facing them towards the windows on the upper floors. This will induce the hot air to rise and expel it while your open doors and windows or your cooling system do their work.

3. Keep the Hot Air Out

Extracting the hot air is a good strategy, but an even better one is not to let the warm air in at all. When you leave in the morning, shut your doors and windows tightly and close your blinds. Your house has cooled overnight, so at some point during the day, the air indoors is going to be cooler than the one outdoors. You want to keep the hot air out, and that is what these measures would achieve. When you get in, you will return to a cool house; then you can open the doors and windows to let in some fresh air.

4. Use a Ventilation System

Vents are a good way to draw out hot air while cooling the room. The placement of vents in strategic positions around the house aids the natural flow of air in and out of the house. For an extra kick, you can install a whole-house fan. The fan would suck in cool air from outside while pushing the hot air up and out the vents.

During the summer, proper heat extraction can be the difference between extreme heat both outdoors and indoors and a cool house to save you from the harsh weather. Remember, your job would be a lot easier if you take measures to keep the hot air outside from the onset. For more information or some professional help, speak to one of our experts.

4 Roof Ventilation Techniques for Your Home

16 September 2019/in Blog /by Zephyr Ventilation

Roof Ventilation can involve venting the roof deck alone or the entire attic. Roof Ventilation is essential for several different reasons depending on the climate. In colder climates, it is useful to keep the roof temperature cold and stave off ice dams from melting snow, and to expel cold air that rises from the living space. Where the climate is warm, the purpose is to expel hot air from the roof and reduce the strain on the building’s cooling system.

Further, roof ventilation helps to prevent the musty smell that is often found in attics and roof damage caused by poor ventilation – which can void your asphalt shingle’s manufacturer warranty. So, how can you ventilate your roof and attic space? Read on to find out.

There are several options available for proper roof ventilation, some effective options are:

1. Ridge Vents

Ridge vents are installed at the ridgeline (the peak of a sloped roof) to let out humid or hot air from the attic of a building. They are typically installed in shingled residential buildings. Before installing a ridge vent, cut out a 1-inch wide strip of your roof decking on both sides of the ridge to allow for proper airflow.

2. Gable Vents

Gable vents are typically installed in the gable ends (triangles found at the front and back – and sometimes sides –) of a building. Gable vents, placed at both ends of the attic, help to expel hot or moist air in the attic and bring in fresh air. Gable vents are usually louvred and push air out of the attic while preventing moisture from snow or rain from coming into the attic.

3. Soffit Vents

A soffit vent is a vent installed in the underside of building eaves that draws fresh air into the attic. Before installing a soffit vent, you should ensure that there is a point of entry and exit for airflow. Without proper cross-ventilation, you run the risk of trapping air inside, which defeats the purpose of installing a roofing ventilation system. Soffit vents aid convective airflow towards the ridge vent. For soffit vents to be effective, it is advisable that you install insulation baffles as well to prevent attic insulation from impeding airflow from the soffit vents to the ridge vents.

4. Attic Fans

Another useful technique of roof ventilation is attic fans. You can install fans and vents which will draw out the air from the attic space and expel it outdoors. The fans help to remove moist or warm air from the attic without letting in moisture from outside. They can be controlled by a thermostat which will activate them when it detects heat build-up in the attic or by a switch. For a greener option, you can install solar-powered fans to save energy.

Ventilation is essential in all aspects of the home. Where it concerns the roof, proper ventilation increases the life expectancy of the roof, your comfort, and the effectiveness of your heating and cooling systems. Speak to our experts today if you need professional help.

3 Tips for Buying and Installing Bathroom Ventilation Fans

11 September 2019/in Blog /by Zephyr Ventilation

Wetness and excess moisture in your bathroom aren’t going to dry themselves out magically. The perfect equipment for drying your bathroom is a ventilation fan, and it’s a tool every home should have.

Having a ventilation fan in your bathroom helps you to get rid of all the moisture and humid air that accumulates as a result of your routine activities in your bathroom. The moisture build-up in your bathroom damages the building materials and may become a breeding ground for mould, mildew and, other fungi.

For convenience and as a smart maintenance practice, you should install a ventilation fan in your bathroom and other parts of your house that may need them. Now, there are several things you have to consider when buying or installing a bathroom ventilation fan. They are;

1. Size of Your Bathroom

Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM) is the standardised way of calculating the airflow capacity of bathroom ventilation fans. This unit measures the speed which dry air from the outside replaces humid air in the bathroom.

Bigger bathrooms will require ventilation fans with higher CFM and smaller bathrooms will alternatively require a lower CFM. A quick method to know the CFM value of the fan you should be using is by multiplying the volume of your bathroom by 0.13.

Another way to see the kind of ventilation fan your bathroom needs is to take into consideration the amount of water that runs in it. Sometimes, Bathroom Ventilation in Australia is not just about the size of the bathroom but the facilities you use matters too.

2. Position of the Ventilation Fan

The location of the ventilation fan will determine whether it gives you the best results or worsens your ventilation problems. In most bathrooms, gaseous moisture usually rises towards the roof, and so, it will be the best option to fix it onto the ceiling. Otherwise, find the best location to place the fan, so it gets in contact with moisture and sucks it away.

3. Installation

After you must have decided what size, capacity, design or efficiency of bathroom ventilation fan you want, the next step is to have it installed in your home. You have to ensure that the fan vents are outdoors, in the open space and not in a hidden corner within the house.

Fix ventilation fans appropriately wherever you think is ideal. However, if the installation of a ventilation fan is not a job you can handle, you may need to call a professional.

The rules surrounding the installation and maintenance of Bathroom Ventilation In Australia might be different from elsewhere. Reach out to our seasoned team of ventilation experts. They’ve got loads of experience on the job and can answer your questions.

4 Practical Ways to Improve Home Ventilation

9 September 2019/in Blog /by Zephyr Ventilation

Air circulation and ventilation are essential for ensuring the robust functionality of your home. Air ventilation has to do with removing stale and moist air from your home interior and then replacing it with clean and fresh air from the exterior.

Maintaining adequate ventilation comes with many benefits, here are some you should know:

To prevent the accumulation of excess levels of humidity that can result in condensation, mould and consequently lead to the development of health problems
To get rid of cooking smells
To provide air for your fuel-burning appliances, like wood burners and the likes.
In certain instances, to get rid of allergens and other irritants, like tobacco smoke, and so on.

If you want to reap the health benefits of breathing clean indoor air at home, it is crucial that you take steps to improve the air circulation & ventilation in your home. Thanks to this guide on 4 practical ways to improve your home ventilation, you’ll find that replacing bad air with good, fresh air in your house is quite easy.

Open Your Doors & Windows

Open the room windows in your home to allow for cross airflow. Allowing cross-ventilation is the most straightforward step to take if you want to improve the air circulation in your home.

With the cross air inflow, not only will your body feel cooler, but you can also dispel hot air from the house. Why is this so? Because you are pushing stale air out and getting it replaced with clean air, thus removing allergens, pollutants, and excess moisture.

Have a Home Ventilation System Installed

You might want to go the technological route by calling a professional to install a home ventilation system for you. A home ventilation system that is both well-designed and properly installed will prove beneficial for you and your family, irrespective of the weather.

It can equally help you replace the stale air in your home with fresh, dry air for creating a healthier environment for your household.

Consider Cleaning the Air

The majority of heating and cooling systems do not eliminate moisture in the air completely. So to help reduce mould potential, use a whole-home or single-room dehumidifier.

Ensure you have your air filter changed at least 4 times a year, and more frequently if you notice your house has air quality issues. Ensure to clean your carpets regularly using a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filtered vacuum.

Do Some Overnight Ventilation

Leave your windows slightly open overnight. Doing so is one of the practical ways of improving ventilation in your home.

Overnight ventilation allows the reduction of excess moisture as well as mould growth, especially during summer. However, you need to be circumspect when adopting this measure during winter because too much heat could escape.

These are 4 practical methods you can use to improve air ventilation in your house. When you notice any signs showing that your home does not have enough ventilation, these tips will help you. Call our experts today for professional help.

The importance of subfloor ventilation in Melbourne

31 May 2019/in Blog /by wsadmin

Zephyr Ventilation are your ventilation experts and are here to explain the importance of having good ventilation and air quality within your house. First of all, people these days are very prone to illness whether by influenza or simply by living with bacteria or any other microbes such as mould.

What are some of the reasons we could have poor air quality within our homes?

People can produce high humidity simply by giving off body heat while you sleep or breathe. This high humidity will provide condensation to the surfaces within the property which in turn is also a food source for mould growth.
Due to the type of houses built in Melbourne & Sydney there might be a subfloor area under your house that has insufficient airflow which means any bacteria or mould spores can potentially rise up through the floor and contaminate the livable area of the house. One of the reasons mould develops in the subfloor area is due to ground seepage that flows through the ground. This is a food source for mould growth that will always develop unless you can stop the ground seepage. One way to do this is to dig a rubble drain around the perimeter of the house to capture the ground water before if can get in under the house.
The occupants may not be able to ventilate properly due to weather conditions.
Missing exhaust fans or exhaust fans not connected or ducted to the outside of the property

What system can be installed in the subfloor area under your house?

Zephyr Ventilation can supply and install a mechanical subfloor ventilation system which consists of generally a 200mm in-line fan that is connected with flexi duct to strategically placed ducts to two things. One of the benefits of this system is to create better air flow under the house which will assist in drying out the subfloor area under the house and the other benefit is to suck out any airborne contaminants that could potentially rise up through the floor and contaminate the house. When Zephyr Ventilation installs your subfloor ventilation system it will be set up to run on a timer so the owner or tenant doesn’t have to turn it on or off. When installing these ventilation systems they can be set up to place the subfloor area under negative, neutral or positive pressure.

Don’t hesitate to contact Zephyr Ventilation to book in your ventilation assessment and quote for your new subfloor ventilation system.