What to do if the hood in the bathroom and toilet does not work well: causes of the problem and methods for solving it

Theoretical information about ventilation

What is ventilation in an apartment? This is an engineering structure that serves to remove exhaust air from all rooms in the house. In apartments, two types of ventilation are mainly used:

1. natural;
2. Forced.

In order for each of them to perform its functions, the apartment must be equipped with supply and exhaust channels. Through them, air will flow in and out.

But it is desirable to know in more detail each of the ways to organize the ventilation of a room.

natural ventilation

air movement

This is the most common type of ventilation used by builders around the world. It is easy to operate, easy to maintain and durable. For the operation of such a system, it is only necessary to take care of the supply and exhaust ducts, since the air will be set in motion due to the difference in temperature and pressure in the apartment and on the street.

Based on the characteristics of natural ventilation, it can be concluded that its work is highly dependent on external factors such as weather, wind direction and season (temperature).

It is because of the instability of work that many are switching to more controlled ventilation - mechanical.

Forced ventilation

This option to provide an apartment with ventilation differs from the previous one in that here not only the laws of physics will be responsible for the inflow and outflow of air, but also additional equipment that can significantly improve the ventilation process. In apartments, two types of mechanical ventilation are mainly used:

• supply;
• Exhaust.

Mechanical exhaust

The first often also includes air conditioning, which has made it quite popular in our time. Exhaust ventilation is installed in the two most polluted areas of the apartment - in the kitchen and bathroom. In the first room, a local exhaust is used above the stove, and in the bathroom, a general one, which allows not only to quickly cope with a large amount of steam and unpleasant odors, but also to improve the ventilation of the entire apartment.

Causes of ventilation problems and how to identify them

To understand where our intervention is required, you must first identify the cause of the malfunction of the ventilation system.

The reasons:

1. Double-glazed windows have been installed in your apartment;
2. Clogged exhaust duct;
3. The air does not reach the vents in the bathroom and in the kitchen.

Now let's move on to how to determine the place that requires intervention. To do this, you need a thin sheet of paper, which is quite enough for living conditions. The whole test consists in bringing the leaf to the outlet in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Sticking of the paper to the exhaust opening is taken as a positive result, i.e. thrust.

Checking ventilation

But the location of the problem is determined based on the conditions of the test.

The exhaust duct is checked with open windows in the rooms, the supply duct with closed ones. The ability of air to move from room to room is tested with the interior doors closed.

In this simple way, you can determine the place that you need to pay attention to.

Causes of violation of air exchange

Trash. The most obvious and commonplace reason for poor performance of the hood is a blockage in the ventilation duct. In this case, you should remove the grate and inspect the channel. If the blockage is within reach, it can be removed manually or with a vacuum cleaner. If the blockage is located too far, then in no case should you try to remove it yourself, since apartment owners are prohibited from doing this.

Where should I go if there is a blockage in the ventilation duct? Such problems should be dealt with by the management company that owns the house. It is necessary to notify the company's employees who, with the help of a load lowered into the mine, will break through the channel to the apartment itself.

There are a lot of reasons for a clogged mine: it can be an abandoned bottle, a dead cat, a brick, etc.If it is not possible to remove debris with the help of a load, then experts will lower a camera on a long cord into the ventilation duct and determine the reason for the lack of ventilation.

In some cases, when the detected blockage cannot be removed in any way, it is necessary to disassemble the mine at the level where the garbage is located. Such work can only be carried out by employees of management companies, and all residents should know where to go if there are serious blockages in the mine.

Unauthorized repair. Sometimes tenants, making repairs, block the ventilation of their neighbors. Although this, in most cases, is not done on purpose, out of ignorance, the law provides for penalties for illegal redevelopment.

Plastic windows. In some cases, residents suffering from unpleasant odors that do not disappear in any way cannot determine the cause of their occurrence.

If there are no blockages in the ventilation shaft, and the neighbors did not make any repairs, then you should pay attention to the number of deaf plastic windows in the apartment. They close so tightly that they do not allow air to circulate from the window to the vent. That is why, when installing plastic windows, it is necessary to provide at least one opening window for each room and regularly ventilate the rooms.

That is why, when installing plastic windows, it is necessary to provide at least one opening window for each room and regularly ventilate the rooms.

Breakdown prevention

Remember to clean the filters regularly to remove accumulated grease.

Timely prevention of breakdowns will help to avoid possible malfunctions. First of all, do not violate equipment installation rules.

The height of the hood above the stove should not be less than 60 cm. The recommended height is 65-70 cm.

The diameter of the duct is selected taking into account the power of the electric motor of the device. During installation, bends of the pipe at an angle of less than 90° should be avoided.

It is necessary to clean the filters supplied with the device in a timely manner. Turn on the appliance in advance before the start of the stove and turn it off 10-15 minutes later, after cooking is completed.

Do not turn on the hood over burning burners if the fire under the appliance is open. Periodically check the electric motor for contamination.

Compliance with these simple rules will ensure the correct operation of the device.

Why does the ventilation in the apartment work in the opposite direction?

1. Room tightness. Normal air circulation may be disturbed due to the inability to get air into the apartment from other sources. The reason for this is modern plastic windows, which, unlike wooden options, do not let air flow through.

Hot air rises through the pipe, and cold air takes the vacant place. In a sealed room, a reduced pressure can be created, due to which a backdraft effect occurs. Good draft in the pipe will only be a reason to delay the effect. To correct the situation, it will be necessary to install additional ventilation and supply valves.

1. The calculations of the cross section of the channel were carried out incorrectly.The ventilation system operates in a more intensive mode when compared to the chimney. Rapid heating entails a faster movement of air through the pipe.
2. The chimney is located in the "wind shadow". The reverse draft effect appears when the pipe is located in a place where the movement of air is blocked by the building structure.
3. Staircase designed with errors. The ladder is essentially a large pipe, which can cause incorrect air direction. Spiral and curved types of stairs can reduce the impact on ventilation.

Clogged ducts are one of the causes of improper ventilation.

Verification methods

Unpleasant odors, drafts, mold and fungus appear when there are problems with the ventilation. In order to verify the cause of problems, you need to know how to check the system. To do this, a window is opened in any room, after which a sheet of paper must be attached to each ventilation grill.

The ventilation works properly if the paper is attracted to the grate. If the sheet does not move, then the system is not functioning. Ventilation is not working properly if paper is thrown away from the grate due to backdraft. In this case, all the dirt and odors do not leave the apartment, but enter it from the hole.

Troubleshooting

What to do for elimination of reverse thrust:

1. Passage cleaning. To do this, you will need to heed the ventilation grill and remove the accumulated debris with a broom or vacuum cleaner. If construction debris has entered the mine, then the cleaning procedure can only be carried out by specialists.
2. Install plastic windows with valves or install them additionally.

3. The toilet and bathroom can be equipped with special fans or deflectors mounted on

   extraction hole. At the same time, it is necessary to carefully approach the process of choosing a suitable model, which will be influenced by the type of system.

4. If air flows into the room only with strong gusts of wind, then it is necessary to install protection or check flap valves at the mouth of the mine.
5. Cleaning the ventilation duct from ice and snow.
6. If the ventilation system is installed incorrectly, then to correct the shortcomings, it will be necessary to carry out the dismantling process.
7. If the apartment is equipped with cold pipes or the resulting heating is not enough to heat the room, then the problem must be eliminated. During the heating season, the temperature should not fall below 18 degrees Celsius.

The use of any of the methods to fix the problem will require consultation with a specialist. The most extensive work needs to be carried out if the reason why the system does not work is an error in the planning or construction of the system.

The toilet does not flush well: what to do?

Having determined the cause of the breakdown, in most cases you can fix it yourself. It is clear that the design of the bowl cannot be fixed in any way. In this situation, it remains either to put up with the problem that the toilet does not flush well, or to replace it.

If the reason that the toilet does not flush well is a clogged drain, the water from the tank will drain without pressure. The cause of blockage can be limescale or various impurities in the discharged water. The easiest way to eliminate it is to pour chemicals into the tank for the intended purpose, carefully reading the instructions and strictly following the instructions.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the Repair of a toilet cistern with a button: how to fix it yourself, video

But chemicals lead to accelerated wear of the rubber parts of the plumbing structure. There is a more gentle method: pour several packs of citric acid overnight, leaving about a liter of water in the tank.

If the enamel is damaged, the restoration of the toilet bowl is quite possible. The bowl can be puttied and covered with a new layer of enamel. But before that, it is worth considering the need for such a repair. The restoration of the bowl is not durable enough. Regardless of how and who restores it, the best solution to this problem is to replace the damaged toilet with a new one.

If there is not the required amount of water in the tank, the first thing to do is to find the cause of its shortage. The problem may be in the valve. In this case, it is necessary to adjust or clean it.

If water does not enter the tank at all, then a set of measures must be taken to eliminate the malfunction. So, be sure to clean the wiring to the toilet. It is better to carry out this procedure with two people, as this is a process of medium complexity. Then clean the tank using the methods described above and check the health of the constituent components. Even if they are not the cause of such a breakdown, they can move with a sharp supply of water.

Causes of ventilation failure

A large number of factors can be attributed to the causes of the malfunction. The main thing to understand is that when it blows from the ventilation system in the apartment, this is not the same thing if the same effect appeared in a private house. That is, malfunctions in two buildings can be different, because the violation of draft in them has different causes.

For example, in an apartment, most often this happens due to the installation of a fan or an exhaust hood in the kitchen, which begins to press through its channel, and the air inside, moving to the riser with pressure, does not have time to go up with the whole mass. That is, it partially enters the adjacent channel of the toilet or bathroom. It is in these rooms that the opposite effect is formed. The same happens in the opposite direction if the kitchen fan is turned off and the toilet is turned on. This also happens with neighboring apartments located one above the other.

This suggests that it is impossible to mindlessly install additional exhaust devices without calculating their power. And the more powerful the fan, the stronger the reverse draft of the ventilation system in the apartment of a multi-storey building.

For this reason, this cannot happen in a private house, because at the design stage today they are trying to distribute ventilation ducts to all rooms separately. That is, the kitchen has its own riser, the toilet and bathroom have their own. But sometimes there is another problem in the house. Most often, risers are combined into one or two common channels inside the attic, and then one or two pipes are led out through the roofing. And here horizontal sections appear in the ventilation system. The main task of the designer is to use as little of this type of duct as possible, and to minimize the angle of inclination of the horizontal sections (the decrease should be minimal). That is, the steeper this section, the better the upward movement of air.

And three more reasons:

1. Lack of thermal insulation. Cold air in winter enters the air ducts, where it freezes, turning into ice. This usually occurs at the mouth of the canal. The consequences are a reduction in cross section.
2. The absence of an umbrella (visor), which can lead to rain and reduce traction. This disrupts air circulation.
3. The ventilation in the house is littered.

So, in order to remove reverse thrust, you must first understand why it appears.

Extraction - to be or not to be

Exhaust equipment is installed in almost every apartment or private house. Especially the installation is carried out in the kitchen. It is used during cooking. But how could this be related to the reverse thrust problem? Owners of apartments or private houses can observe the following. When the hood is turned on, air begins to blow through the vent in the toilet or kitchen. And the presence of a mechanical hood can contribute to this.

The reason may be the use of a heavy duty hood. After all, many people want her to draw out every steam and smell when cooking. However, as practice shows, this is not always justified. A working hood simply pulls all the air out of the room. Just for this reason, a reverse draft is formed in the ventilation duct. Windows, doors and other structures do not allow air to pass through. He has nowhere to go, so a reverse draft is formed in the ventilation.

That is, the problem boils down to the fact that there is a clear lack of fresh air. Worst of all, the reverse draft of ventilation in the apartment can provoke the appearance of smells in your house from the neighboring apartment and floor. Is it possible to somehow correct the current situation?

Solving this problem is very simple. You just need to open the door or window while the hood is running. In this case, the operation of the ventilation system of a private house or apartment will work correctly.

After all, it is important that air circulation is carried out.And it is very easy to check the health of the system.

You can simply attach a piece of paper to the ventilation duct. If it sticks, then everything is fine in your case.

Perhaps "guilty" plastic windows

Forced ventilation is shown in rooms with plastic windows.

During construction, apartment buildings are equipped with a natural supply and exhaust ventilation system (exhaust air masses exit through special openings in the sanitary room and in the kitchen). This is provided for by SNiP 2.08.01-89 "Residential buildings". He must enter the living quarters through windows, vents, doors, natural cracks. But, modern civil engineering provides for the installation of metal-plastic windows in apartments. They are sealed and do not allow air to freely enter the apartment, which contradicts the natural ventilation device.

The reason why the exhaust air blows from the ventilation is metal-plastic windows and doors with a seal. How does this process take place? Kitchen hoods during operation are able to absorb not only fumes and smells of food, they “pull” air from the entire apartment. This leads to reverse draft in the ventilation duct. That is, fresh air from the street does not enter due to the sealing of the room, and uncleaned air masses from the ventilation take its place.

How to clean the ventilation in the apartment with your own hands

We turn to the main question of the article, which has always been relevant, and today many owners of city apartments ask it: how to clean the ventilation in an apartment with your own hands. As mentioned above, if the management companies fulfilled their duties exactly, then there would be no need to clean the ventilation on their own.But things are such that no one wants to deal with your apartments except yourself. Therefore, all activities will have to be carried out without a specialist.

Although it should be noted that cleaning the horizontal channel is an ineffective operation, because without cleaning the vertical riser, these are just cosmetic measures. But even they can increase air draft a little. So what needs to be done:

• the ventilation grill is removed, which must be washed with household detergent, because grease and oil deposits with clean or soapy water are unlikely to go away;
• the web is removed with a broom or a rag, try to do this by completely putting them into the channel;
• arm yourself with a spatula and scrape dirt deposits from the walls of the channel, in no case do not use chemicals, they will not help here;
• take a long wire and shove it as far as possible, that is, in this way the arm lengthens, additionally tie a brush to it;
• after that, you need to put the hose from the vacuum cleaner into the channel and turn on the latter to remove the accumulated and collected debris.

There are no other options to clean the ventilation duct from your apartment. Of course, if you do not invite specialists armed with special equipment. When carrying out these works, it is necessary to be careful

Caution in this matter is in the first place, because inside the ventilation passages there may be wasp nests, dwellings of lizards and other small rodents

Functional purpose of ventilation

The air that we breathe in the apartment only seems to be clean.In fact, it absorbs all the smells coming from the kitchen, carbon monoxide from the stove. Particles of dust, villi from clothes, carpets, pet hair get into it.

Harmful microorganisms and bacteria accumulate in the air, which contribute to the development of serious diseases, moisture and steam coming from the bathroom cause the formation of fungus and captivity. All this negatively affects the microclimate of the room, contributes to the appearance of lung diseases, allergies and other ailments.

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The ventilation system is designed to collect and remove air clogged with dust, toxic compounds, harmful microorganisms, fats, carbon dioxide and other substances that reduce performance and affect the general physical condition

The condition of ventilation openings, ducts and equipment must be regularly monitored, because. they tend to get dirty

According to the principle of operation, ventilation systems are divided into natural, mechanical and mixed. In mechanical and mixed varieties, air exchange is more intense, they have to be cleaned more often

Ventilation ducts and openings are most often cleaned mechanically using a hard ruff on a long handle.

Cleaned channels and ventilation holes will ensure the outflow of polluted air in the required volume and the influx of fresh air mass in its place

At enterprises with actively operating ventilation, which removes highly polluted air, they often resort to purging channels because of their length and the difficulty of eliminating traffic jams.

Mixed and mechanical varieties of ventilation systems require regular cleaning of filters and related components

If in the room, in addition to the ventilation system, an air conditioner is operating that draws air from the street, it is also necessary to clean its channels at the frequency specified by the manufacturer

Ventilation system device

Checking the function of the vent

Control of the operation of the supply and exhaust system

Ventilation duct cleaning method

The result of cleaning the ventilation

Purging the ventilation shaft at the enterprise

Cleaning the filters of ventilation equipment

Cassette air conditioner cleaning

Ventilation, which performs several important functions, helps to avoid negative health consequences:

• ensures the supply of clean air to the apartment,
• allows you to remove odors, dust, bacteria, carbon monoxide and other harmful components from the room;
• regulates the humidity level.

Ventilation is one of the vital engineering communications of an apartment building. The State Commission will never accept an object in which the ventilation system is missing or defective.

With insufficient air circulation and poorly functioning ventilation, mold and fungus can form on the walls of the room.

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Ventilation options

When repairing a system, you need to understand how it works and how it works. Distinguish between natural and forced ventilation.

Features of natural air exchange

All old buildings are equipped with natural exhaust ventilation systems. Air flows in them move, obeying the laws of physics.They enter through vents, slots in windows and doors, move along exhaust ducts connected to the common route and exit through holes in the pipe on the roof of the building.

Natural ventilation is inexpensive and easy to maintain as there is no mechanical equipment. But there are also significant drawbacks - it reacts to weather changes, does not work well in the summer and does not make it possible to control air exchange.

The movement of air flows in natural ventilation occurs due to gravitational forces: temperature difference, air column pressure, wind. To enhance the outflow at the outlet of the pipes, deflectors are installed that improve circulation

Principles of operation of forced ventilation

In modern construction, heat-saving technologies are used that provide for complete tightness of housing. Such conditions provide comfortable living, but prevent the natural flow of air into the room.

Therefore, new houses are equipped with forced or mixed ventilation. Here, the movement of flows is carried out mechanically using a fan. The supply pipe is located at the bottom of the building, and air ducts connected to a common route are bred from it through the apartments.

Ventilation consists of a set of devices that contribute to the removal of air over considerable distances:

1. Ventilation channels. Flexible and rigid pipelines made of plastic, galvanized sheet or aluminum foil, combined into one network with tees, bends and adapters. Provide air supply to isolated rooms.
2. Fans. Axial and centrifugal devices with a paddle wheel. Serve and remove the gaseous mass, creating the desired pressure in the system.
3. Air intake grill.Passes external air streams, protects the equipment from precipitation and foreign objects.
4. Air valve. Prevents outside air from entering the room when the system is off.
5. Filters. Protect the ventilated space and equipment from dust, debris, insects.

The forced system is not affected by temperature fluctuations and pressure in the chimney. Its efficiency depends only on the performance and power of the fan.

The ventilation system, organized forcibly, constantly replaces the exhaust air, and, if necessary, warms it up

However, it is worth considering that such a device consumes a lot of electricity and needs regular maintenance. In the event of a breakdown, the repair of forced ventilation systems can cost a pretty penny.

The schemes of ventilation systems used in the arrangement of apartment buildings are described in detail in the following article, the contents of which we recommend that you familiarize yourself with.