What to do if the ventilation in the apartment and house does not work? Overview of possible causes and solutions

Where to go if the hood does not work

First of all, the question arises of where to turn when the hood in the apartment does not work. Regardless of the reason, you need to contact the organization that controls this apartment building and is responsible for providing utilities. This is a housing office, a management company or an HOA.

You need to write a statement about idle or poorly functioning ventilation in the apartment. Here they describe the essence of the problem, ask to understand, resolve the issue and punish the perpetrators.

After accepting the appeal, an expert comes to the apartment, checks the operation of the ventilation and draws up an act in the presence of two neighbors, and in the near future the employees of the managing organization or the HOA should fix the problem.

Employees of the public service after the check must make decisions. Violations are eliminated within 45 days from the date of issuance of this decision. If it's a blockage, the utilities must clean the ventilation passages.

If neighbors became the cause of non-working ventilation, they must eliminate errors in the installation of engineering networks. With the design features of the house, a household exhaust fan is installed.

If the managing organization does not respond to the application, you can complain to a higher authority. Write a complaint to the State Housing Inspectorate, Rospotrebnadzor or the Prosecutor's Office. You can send an application to three authorities at once.

Evidence must be attached to the complaint. This is an act on checking the operation of ventilation, a copy of the contract with the management company and directly the application that you sent to the organization. Therefore, when filing a complaint with the company, HOA or Housing Office, be sure to make a copy.

In addition, the response of the organization and the decision, if these documents are available, are attached to the complaint. You can attach photos and videos of a non-working hood, mold or fungus.

By the way, a collective complaint works more efficiently, so it’s better to write a statement together with your neighbors if several residents in an apartment building have a ventilation problem. For more information on how to complain about the housing office, HOA or other similar organization, read the article “Where to write complaint against the manager company."

Failures in the operation of ventilation systems: causes

When installing the air conditioner, consider the location of the ventilation duct

In practice, violations of natural air exchange occur. The ventilation system works in reverse order, i.e. there is a reverse draft of ventilation in the apartment. In this case, instead of clean air, smells from neighboring apartments, smoke, dust from the street enter the room. Such troubles can happen for one or more reasons.

• Incorrect positioning of the ventilation pipe facing the roof of the house in relation to the wind rose. It is located in the wind shadow zone. Air circulation is disturbed.
• The ventilation ducts are clogged with a large volume of vapors, cold air, which interferes with the natural circulation of the air flow.
• Constant drafts in large areas that are not zoned by compartments.
• Untimely maintenance of ventilation systems, removal of soot.
• Cluttering of channels with debris, branches, bird nests, ice and snow.
• The operation of forced air exchange devices: compressor, air conditioner, extractor hood, fan. Artificially created flows disrupt the natural movement of fresh and exhaust air.
• In multi-apartment buildings, unauthorized redevelopment in one apartment can lead to the failure of all ventilation ducts.
• One of the reasons why reverse ventilation occurs can be changes in the atmosphere, fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, or a change in wind direction.
• Difficult aeration (natural ventilation) plastic windows and sealed doors. The influx of cold air and the removal of warm air are inhibited according to the laws of physics.
• There is no forced ventilation in the apartments of the houses.Air movement occurs through leaks in the structure (slots, holes, etc.). Natural draft will only remove air from the apartment.

You can understand on a physical level what reverse ventilation is by feeling a draft or cold in a heated room when cool air is blowing from the vent. Often, a household hood over the stove disrupts the natural process of air exchange. Higher power increases the required air exchange rate.

In the bathroom, a reverse draft is created in the ventilation of the apartment building, because. with tightly closed door and window openings, air is forcibly sucked out from the only source of intake - ventilation. You can avoid back draft in the bathroom with the hood running if you open the door or window slightly, ensuring free circulation.

Causes of malfunctions in the ventilation system and tips for their elimination

The problem with air ducts is the scourge of all old houses. The main problem of such apartments is the narrow channels leading to the only air riser for the entire entrance. Such a system is designed for the natural flow of air through wooden windows, doors and other gaps that we so carefully eliminate during the repair process.

Therefore, the reasons for improper ventilation can be: 1. Sealed double-glazed windows - block the possibility for air circulation, which was well provided by old wooden windows. The first signs of a problem are the accumulation of condensate on the glass, the appearance of wet spots and mold stains on frames and slopes.

Solution: monitor the humidity level in the room.To do this, you can purchase a hygrometer and, if necessary, turn on an air conditioner or a moisture absorber (the normal humidity level for residential premises is within 40-50%). Regular cross-ventilation and installation of a special valve on the double-glazed windows for air microcirculation will also help.

By the way, you also need to ventilate properly. Than keeping a window wide open in one of the rooms for a long time, it is much more effective to open all windows, interior doors and balconies for 5-10 minutes and arrange through ventilation. This method is especially relevant in winter - the air in the apartment is quickly and completely renewed, and the room does not have time to cool down.

2. Temperature difference - according to the laws of physics, natural ventilation works most efficiently when the air outside is cooler than indoors. In winter, warm air easily enters through cracks and vents, but in summer there can be problems with circulation. That is why mold in the bathroom most often appears when it is warm and humid outside.

The solution to the problem: install a fan on the grate in the toilet, in the kitchen and in the bathroom and, again, ventilate more often. The ideal option is to install integrated supply and exhaust ventilation, but such a project requires a large-scale reconstruction in an apartment located in an old house (in most new buildings such a system is already provided).

3. Low air duct capacity - this can be not only a banal blockage due to accumulations of debris, but also blocking the channel during redevelopment or connecting powerful systems for forced air removal in other apartments.The natural ventilation system is designed for an air volume of no more than 90 m3 / h, which is 10 times less than what comes in when one hood is working. That is, while forced ventilation is turned on in one apartment, air will not be removed through the ventilation duct in other rooms connected to the same riser.

Solution to the problem: independent intervention in the ventilation system of the house is not allowed for any redevelopment, therefore, the neighbor who started the repair should eliminate the violation. You can "join" the flow of other people's forced ventilation systems only by installing your own hood or fans.

Common house reasons for the appearance of external traction and the fight against them

Signs of the impact of such factors are considered the appearance of reverse thrust or a significant deterioration in normal in several apartments of a multi-storey building, the ventilation of which is tied to the same channels. Most often, problems are associated with the following reasons:

• The ventilation duct needs to be cleaned. During operation, impurities entering the apartment air, from soot to grease, settle on its walls. As a result of a decrease in the cross section, the ventilation duct is not able to pass the entire flow, a backwater is created, and part of the air is discharged along the path of least resistance - into the apartment of the upper neighbor, and not outside the roof.
• A common reason is the effect of wind on an improperly designed head of the ventilation duct when exiting to the roof. Blowing into the channel, wind flows create turbulences in the upper part, which increase the aerodynamic resistance of the network. As a result, the air again follows the path of least resistance, causing reverse thrust.The reason lies in the insufficient height of the head or its incorrect location on the roof. The problem is solved by building up a pipe or installing a deflector.
• The reason is related to the increasing popularity of apartment renovation with redevelopment. As a result of such a stir, ventilation niches and ducts in which channels are laid often suffer. With the destruction of these structures, all air ducts are simply muffled and sealed. As a result, in the presence of draft, all the air that was previously discharged to the roof will flow into the apartment closest to the place of destruction, that is, to the neighbor below.
• A similar effect is also caused by the connection of powerful exhaust hoods to the general house ventilation networks by residents from apartments, which are also located on the underlying floors. Old ventilation ducts are not designed for such an air flow, which becomes the penetration of part of it into the neighbors' apartments. It is possible to solve all problems with reverse draft caused by the actions of other residents only after eliminating the causes - restore the ventilation duct, remove the powerful hood. In extreme cases, installing a grate with a check valve at the outlet from the ventilation duct will help a little.

It is important to remember that self-cleaning of common house ventilation ducts is not allowed, this problem is solved only through the management company. In some cases, reverse thrust is associated with global problems

If the design is incorrect, the flows may be redistributed in the apartment hood due to the access flight of stairs, the elevator shaft or the garbage chute, the smoke exhaust system. But fixing such problems on your own will no longer work, this is a rather complicated technical task that requires serious calculations.

In some cases, reverse thrust is associated with global problems. If the design is incorrect, the flows may be redistributed in the apartment hood due to the access flight of stairs, the elevator shaft or the garbage chute, the smoke exhaust system. But it will not work out on your own to eliminate such problems, this is a rather complicated technical task that requires serious calculations.

Why is there ventilation in an apartment building?

The lack of a normally working air exchange in rooms in which people are constantly present not only causes inconvenience, but also carries potential harm to health. The stagnant air in the housing provokes the development of allergic reactions, as well as various respiratory diseases. If the room is not ventilated, then high humidity is maintained in it, which adversely affects furniture and decorative finishes.

Read a selection of articles about ventilation maintenance in MKD

• Maintenance of systems (elements of systems) of smoke removal and smoke ventilation in MKD
• Is it necessary to hire a specialized organization to maintain ventilation in an MKD
• Obtaining a license to perform work in relation to the ventilation and smoke removal system in the MKD

The simplest criterion for assessing how ventilation works in an MKD is tracking the spread of odors from the kitchen. If, with the window open, they are carried throughout the apartment, then there are serious problems with air exchange. Often, residents of the upper floors experience inconvenience due to poorly functioning ventilation, because there is not enough draft in their apartments due to the proximity of the end of the channel.

Kinds

There are two main principles of operation of ventilation systems in apartment buildings: natural and forced. Regardless of the type used, it is easy to design and create it yourself, moreover, in a number of particular situations, it may be necessary to use a combined technique.

Natural

The essence of the implementation of air circulation in the apartment in a natural way is reduced to the independent entry and exit of air from the room. This process is carried out due to the difference in temperature marks between the fresh, just received air, and the already exhausted one.

Almost all residential buildings of multi-apartment type are equipped with a system of ventilation shafts, the main task of which is to ensure the exit of exhaust air from the premises to the outside.

Grilles leading to these channels are usually located in the kitchen and bathroom. Their end is on the roof of the building. In this case, each apartment is equipped with a separate air duct, which is connected to a common duct system.

The process of natural air circulation is carried out as follows: cold streams, which have more weight than hot ones, enter the room, thereby forcing warm volumes to rise up to the ventilation grilles. Due to such a simple procedure, natural ventilation of the room is carried out.

Forced

Additional forced ventilation works through specialized mechanisms. It is used when the natural ventilation of the room is not enough to provide comfortable conditions for human life. There are three main types of forced ventilation systems:

• supply air - works by providing additional fresh air flows, which brings the temperature difference to an indicator sufficient to displace the exhaust masses into the ventilation duct system;
• exhaust - works by increasing the outflow of exhaust air masses;
• complex - the two types described above are used together.

All the forced-type ventilation systems described above can be designed by yourself, for this it is enough to have minimal theoretical knowledge and basic skills in working with tools.

It is important that before installing a forced ventilation system, you need to make sure that the duct system is stable and, if necessary, clean them. The beginning of the installation of the forced system is the installation of supply devices

In most cases, this is enough.

Ventilation system: types and principle of operation

Combined ventilation system

Well-functioning ventilation in a house or apartment creates comfortable conditions for its inhabitants

After all, it is very important what kind of air we breathe - filled with freshness or amber from fried cutlets. When the system is functioning normally, no one notices its work. When the glass on the windows fogs up, the smells of food do not disappear, there is stale air in the rooms, and what is even worse blows from the hood into the apartment with the windows closed, it becomes clear that there is no ventilation

When the glass on the windows fogs up, the smells of food do not disappear, there is stale air in the rooms, and what is even worse blows from the hood into the apartment with the windows closed, it becomes clear that there is no ventilation.

Three types of ventilation are used in construction:

1. Natural ventilation.The principle of its operation is the natural movement of air. Due to the different temperature and pressure of the atmosphere indoors and outdoors, air enters the house through windows, doors, existing gaps. Flowing smoothly throughout the house - it leaves through the vents in the bathroom, in the kitchen. Such a flow of air masses occurs when nothing prevents them.
2. mechanical ventilation. Her work takes place with the use of ventilation equipment. Under its influence, fresh air enters the apartment or house, and the exhaust is forced out.
3. mixed ventilation. This is the most common system, when air is supplied naturally and removed using an exhaust unit.

For their proper operation, supply and exhaust ventilation ducts are required. Without such a foundation, the system does not exist.

Some recommendations for normalizing the operation of the hood

In most cases, the organization of the intake of fresh air leads to the normal operation of the exhaust ventilation of the apartment. Then the connection of the environment with the living quarters along the route will be restored: the air supply device - the space of the apartment - the exhaust pipe, and due to the pressure of cold and denser air from the street, a stable air exchange will occur.

When installing fans, you should choose their performance correctly, without using the principle “the more the better”. And again, one cannot do without an influx, its amount must correspond to the performance of the fan to ensure the air balance in the apartment.In this case, it is best to use units complete with a check valve.

When ventilation blows into the apartment due to strong gusts of wind, it is necessary to take measures to protect the mouth of the mine, and if this is not possible, then install in the openings ventilation grilles with flaps valves.

Preventive measures

What needs to be done to prevent backlash.

1. Maintain the ventilation system in good condition.
2. Do not install fans and extractors in ventilation ducts. Use a recirculation hood or take its outflow outside the room to the street: through a wall or window glass.
3. Install baffles or rotary turbines at the end of the riser.
4. Organize the flow of air into the premises by any means.
5. Install interior doors that block the movement of air between rooms. Strong drafts are also causes of backflow.
6. In winter, clean the ventilation system from snow and ice.
7. Perform periodic ventilation checks.

To create comfortable conditions, a sufficient supply of fresh air is necessary. If the air exchange system does not function properly, back draft may occur in the ventilation of a private house, which adversely affects its microclimate.

In this case, it is necessary to understand and eliminate the reasons for the change in the direction of flow. Let's look at the causes of reverse draft in the ventilation system of the house and how to eliminate them.

Apartment ventilation - checking, troubleshooting

To check the thrust, strips of paper 20 ... 30 mm wide and 200 mm long are cut. We hold such a strip at a distance of 50 ... 70 mm from the ventilation grate.The strip should deflect until it touches the grid, but not be drawn into it. In this case, the level of traction is considered normal.

If the strip does not deviate enough, we identify the cause of the decrease in thrust. A window should be opened. If there is draft, then the ventilation shaft is working. Otherwise, the mine requires cleaning.

If there is a desire to check the draft by deflecting the burning flame of a match or candle, it is not necessary to follow it. This is dangerous. Accumulations of gas are possible in the ventilation shaft, then the results of the flame draft test will be catastrophic. Despite the low probability, such a danger cannot be neglected.

Natural ventilation of an apartment with an organized exhaust has the following important advantages:

• continuous operation;
• security, including small gas leaks;
• lack of electricity consumption;
• high reliability;
• durability;
• virtually no operating costs.

However, with all the advantages, the natural ventilation system in the apartment has significant disadvantages:

• dependence on weather conditions;
• the need for a sufficient height of the ventilation shaft, about five meters;
• decrease in efficiency on the last floors of the building;
• a noticeable decrease in air exchange during heat, thaw;
• the need for periodic cleaning by specialists.

By what signs can you understand that there are problems in the ventilation?

A good home microclimate should be cherished, and if discomfort is felt, appropriate measures should be taken.How to understand that ventilation is not working in the apartment, what to do in such a situation? Turning to the opinion of specialists professionally involved in air exchange issues, we list the most typical signs of the existence of problems with apartment ventilation:

• In the rooms and the kitchen there is a stuffy and stuffy air;
• Drying clothes in the apartment is slower than usual;
• The air becomes humid, dampness is felt when breathing, things in the rooms also become damp;
• It is not possible to ventilate the room with high quality, even by opening the window wide open;
• In the kitchen, bathroom, pockets of fungus and mold are found;
• Extraneous odors from residents of other floors enter the apartment through the hood;
• Window panes sweat regularly;
• The smells of the toilet and kitchen cooking may not disappear from the apartment for hours.

But even if your apartment has a full set of symptoms indicating the presence of ventilation problems, do not rush to conclusions. Similar signs appear in the apartment after the installation of plastic windows or tape glazing of the balcony. By completely blocking the inflow, eurowindows lead to stagnation in the air, provoking the appearance of odors and dampness.