Ventilation: Essential for comfortable living

• Advice to leave ventilation grilles open as much as possible.
• Are the grilles clean?
• In 40 percent of (mostly older) houses with natural ventilation , ventilation grilles are missing . In that case, clean air must enter through (hung) windows or cracks and crevices.
• It is advisable to install ventilation grilles at the same time as replacing glazing or window frames.
• Ventilation grilles should be installed in every living area (e.g. every bedroom, living room, etc.).
• Ventilating your home is always important! Read our blog!
• Maintenance of ventilation grilles is often forgotten, read our blog about this too.

Most older houses don't have a mechanical ventilation system. For healthy, clean air, residents rely on grilles, flap windows, cracks, and crevices. Natural ventilation is a method of ventilating a building that doesn't use forced or mechanical ventilation. Both air supply and exhaust occur naturally. Examples of natural ventilation include air vents, self-regulating ventilation grilles, mop grilles in exterior walls, cracks, and so on.

• Provide extra ventilation while cooking and showering
• Air in the house must be able to flow through a space under doors or possibly through grilles in interior walls or doors.
• In houses with NV, there is an exhaust duct from the kitchen and bathroom, through the roof or facade to the outside to extract air.
• Natural draught then causes air to escape from these damp spaces to the outside.
• Ventilation without heat loss is impossible, but important for health.

Central exhaust ventilation using mechanical ventilation units (MV-boxes). The ventilation system can usually be controlled manually. For this purpose, one or more three-position switches are present in the home. When you are home, set the switch to 2, and when you leave, set it to 1. Setting 3 is intended for additional ventilation during showering and/or cooking. Air ducts are installed in the house for supply and exhaust. Extractor valves are located in the ceiling or wall at various locations throughout the house.

• This ensures that you have sufficient clean air throughout the house.
• The air is extracted from the various rooms and discharged outside via the MV box.
• Fresh air enters naturally through ventilation grilles, usually located above the windows.

The system in the home uses plastic (or metal) valves, which may seem easy to clean yourself, but it's not advisable. The valves regulate the airflow in the ducts. Have your ventilation valves and ducts cleaned periodically by a professional. This way, you can be sure that the valve settings are checked and, if necessary, professionally adjusted. Cleaning the valves yourself is, of course, possible as long as you don't turn or change the internals (the dials) or fixed settings.

A mechanical exhaust system extracts air from the home using a special fan. Air ducts are connected to the fan, which extract air through exhaust valves (usually in the ceiling). The amount of air extracted can be controlled with a switch (usually located in the kitchen).

• Mechanical ventilation removes polluted air.
• Mechanical ventilation does not supply fresh air.
• Ventilation grilles open, so important with an MV system
• At MV often central control in the kitchen
• Newer MV boxes can be controlled remotely
• Contamination of channels and valves
• Adjusting valves

Balanced ventilation ensures sufficient fresh air. Air is extracted and supplied mechanically. A balanced ventilation system consists of a ventilation unit, usually located in the attic. Air ducts are installed throughout the house for supply and exhaust. Exhaust and inlet valves are located in the ceiling or wall at various points throughout the house.