(Also called the neutral pressure point or the zero pressure point.)Cold air will generally sneak in (infiltrate) at the bottom of the house and warm air will leak out (exfiltrate) at the top of the house. This is called the "stack effect" caused by the rising effect of warm air. In between ...
Warm moist air leaking out of the house through the walls and ceilings is the major cause of condensation and water damage to the structure of the house. In the worst of cases it can cause paint to peel off the outside of the house, start mould growing in the walls, decrease the insulating v...
If there are larger holes in the top of the house than in the bottom of the house, the neutral plane will be raised.I guarantee that if the roof of your house were removed (still blocking the snow with a giant umbrella) there would be no condensation problems in the walls. (This solution is no...
The best household ventilation system is a constant operation fan powered balanced air-change system -- a central system that sucks stale air out an exhaust duct and blows an almost equal amount of fresh air into the house through an intake duct. These systems will usually require a heater o...
Stale, humid air must be exhausted from the house, both to allow for fresh air and to maintain a high neutral plane. For this reason we need a planned-hole-high-in-the-house, but the air going out must come into the house from somewhere. If you carefully seal all the leaks in the house to m...
Yes -- if the cold-air input is uncontrolled. In fact, uncontrolled cold-air drafts are the reason for dryness in older houses. Damper control of the cold-air intake (not the hot-air exhaust) will allow you to maintain whatever level of humidity you want.If your furnace combustion air is provid...
Yes. If your house is well sealed the bathroom will create too much humidity, and an exhaust fan will get rid of the tremendous moisture produced by a shower quickly, before it spreads through the house. This excess load function of the exhaust fan will work even if the bathroom exhaust ducting...
Clothes dryers should vent outdoors.However, clothes dryers do make excellent humidifiers and if you really want a ton of water vapour in the laundry room you could very well vent yours indoors.Special lint traps and by-pass valves exist to aid you in venting a clothes dryer indoors in the win...
There is no simple answer to this one. Let's narrow the field and talk only about exhaust fans that do not use things like the air-to-air heat exchangers for heat recuperation.Government literature from the Prairie provinces do not recommend them if they must be installed in the attic (the st...
A balanced air-change system is a fan operated system that forces out stale air through exhaust ducts and forces in an equal amount of fresh air through controlled intake ducts. The difference between this and a central exhaust system is that the input air is under active control and balance...
