Whether you live in an apartment or own one, it’s important to understand how the ventilation system in your building works. It can help you keep your air clean and healthy.
A common issue in many apartment buildings is unwanted odors moving from one unit to another. This can happen because of activities such as cooking and showering.
1. Exhaust Vents
Unlike houses, apartments have to be constructed with the building codes in mind. As such, it is essential to follow these requirements and avoid any penalties. For instance, if your bathroom vents don’t lead to the roof or external wall then you might get flagged by the authorities and have to bear all the costs of rectifying it.
Apartments typically have centralized ventilation systems that work in 3 ways: mechanical ventilation, hybrid ventilation and natural ventilation. These systems use ducts that bring fresh air in from outside and exhaust stale indoor air.
Mechanical ventilation is the most common type of apartment ventilation and works by pulling stale air out from one unit and letting fresh air come in through other units. It also recycles stale air that might be circulating around the apartment.
Another form of ventilation is natural ventilation, which involves opening windows and doors. This is not recommended because it does not create enough ventilation in the building and can also cause odors to be transferred between apartments.
In contrast, a hybrid system combines the best features of both natural and mechanical ventilation by allowing fresh air in through an inlet and directing it to a supply fan before dispersing it throughout the building. In addition, this approach also helps reduce the stack effect.
Alternatively, you can choose to install an individual riser for each apartment and compartmentalize ventilation. This ventilation layout is more expensive than a centralized system, but it offers great control over ventilation. It also helps to prevent issues with the stack effect that might arise when a single injection system serves the air intake needs of multiple dwelling units.
Regardless of the way your apartment is ventilated, it’s important to be aware of how it works. By understanding how your ventilation system works, you can identify problems and take steps to correct them. As such, it’s important to do some research and educate yourself about ventilation before making a move. Moreover, it is crucial to understand the underlying reasons why bad odors can occur in apartments. This will enable you to make an informed decision before buying an apartment.
2. Fresh Air Vents
Apartments are more challenging to keep air fresh than single-family homes. Because they have fewer windows and vents, the quality of the air in an apartment can be affected by a variety of factors.
Poor ventilation can also cause humid air, pollutants and allergens to be trapped inside. This can make apartments uncomfortable to live in and unhealthy for tenants.
Some apartment buildings install a combination of exhaust and fresh air vents. This strategy is often used to improve indoor air quality and reduce the occurrence of allergies.
Using balanced ventilation can be more expensive than using exhaust only vents, but it can also improve the quality of air in an apartment building.
However, balanced ventilation has some challenges that might be worth considering before making the investment.
The most common problem with balanced ventilation is that it pulls stale air out of a room and then recycles it into another part of the same building, which can negatively impact the quality of air in an apartment.
This is especially true in corridor spaces, which are frequently used to transfer smells between apartments. For example, cooking, showering and smoking can send strong curry or pot smoke into the home of an occupant in a different apartment.
To fix this, balanced ventilation strategies can include installing a decentralized filter unit in each apartment. These can be wall or ceiling mounted and are designed to capture odors, dust, pollen and mold.
In addition to the filter unit, ventilation systems in multi-family buildings must be designed properly. In general, this means that the vents must be tight enough to hold negative pressure and not allow air to flow through cracks in the exterior envelope or into the corridor.
Depending on the location of the vents and the building’s design, the balance between fresh and exhaust air can be difficult to achieve. For example, in some buildings, exhaust only vents are installed in bathrooms and kitchens while fresh air is brought into other rooms through openings in doors or windows.
If this is the case, you may want to consider installing fresh air vents in bedrooms and living rooms, which are usually the areas of the home where the air is the cleanest. You can also consider installing an exhaust fan in the kitchen or bathroom to remove humidity and odors.
3. Ductwork
If you have an apartment with ductwork, it is important to know where the vents go in order to avoid leakage and potential odor issues. Air ducts are a great way to circulate air throughout the space, but they can trap pollutants such as mold and dust that may be harmful for your health.
Ductwork can be made of various materials, but most are fabricated using galvanized steel. This metal prevents rusting and helps avoid paint costs. The ductwork is then typically lined with faced fiberglass blankets (duct liner) or wrapped externally with fiberglass insulation blankets (duct wrap).
Most apartment ventilation systems include a centralized air conditioning unit and a series of air handling units for each individual apartment. These air handlers can be used to heat or cool the apartments and then distribute the conditioned air throughout the complex.
These air handling units also can have their ductwork connected to the central HVAC system to help control temperature and ventilation throughout the building. If your apartment has this type of ductwork, it is important to make sure that all of the air handling units are properly sized and that there are not any kinks or leaks in the ductwork.
Another common problem with ductwork is odors, especially from cooking and smoking. Fortunately, there are many solutions to the problem.
One option is to use an air purifier, which can remove odors and pollutants from the air inside your apartment. This can be helpful for residents who have allergies and breathing difficulties, as it can help improve their indoor air quality.
You can also choose to have your ducts sealed, which will help keep out odors and other contaminants. Sealing your ducts can also help reduce energy costs, hot and cold spots, rattling sounds, and other problems.
Some people also like to install fans in their apartments that can help circulate the air and propel fresh air into the rooms. This is especially useful if you have small windows or walls in your apartment, as it can propel fresh air into those areas while circulating the air from your HVAC system throughout the entire apartment.
4. Fans
In most buildings, a single ventilation system serves all apartment units. This is often referred to as “central ventilation.” The ventilation system typically includes a number of fans on the roof that exhaust air from bathrooms and kitchens into a common shaft or ducts serving each apartment unit below it.
This centralized venting system is particularly effective in drawing out moisture and odors from bathroom areas, which are notorious for causing poor quality indoor air. As such, it is crucial to ensure that your apartment bathroom has adequate ventilation for proper odor removal and humidity control.
Ideally, the bathroom vents in your apartment will lead to either the roof or an outside wall, but this is not always possible due to building codes. The vents should also be connected to a damper that prevents air from one apartment from entering the next.
A fan is an inexpensive and efficient way to help you ventilate your apartment. Its primary function is to blow out the warm air from your room and replace it with cooler, fresher air.
However, there are some downsides to using a fan in your apartment. For instance, it won’t cool you as much as an air conditioner. Additionally, it won’t eliminate dust or pollen that may be present in the air.
Therefore, it is important to keep your vents clean and well-maintained. You should change your filters every 3-6 months to keep dirt, pollen, and other allergens from entering your home.
Another potential problem with fans in apartments is that smoke can travel from one apartment to the next if they are connected through the same vents. This can occur if the ventilation system is not fire separated or if it has not been cleaned recently.
In this case, it’s important to ensure that your bathroom has a good fan and a damper that blocks the incoming air from other apartments. This will reduce the risk of transferring bad smells, such as pot smoke or strong curry.
It’s also a good idea to avoid using large furniture and other items near air vents. This can clog the vents and cause them to work less efficiently. Keeping your doors open to maximize airflow can also help to improve air circulation in your home.