Your guide to better indoor air
While good ventilation is important, it has never been more important than it is today. As energy prices have increased at an alarming rate, many homeowners have focused on sealing their homes - especially during the winter months.
This has led to homeowners increasingly choosing alternatives such as extra insulation and triple-glazed windows. Unfortunately, these measures also mean that the natural draught tends to deteriorate. When it comes down to it, natural draught houses are best suited in combination with oil boilers, walls and poorly sealed windows.
If you are thinking about replacing your natural gas, we recommend that you contact an expert to identify the best solution for your home. We would like to take this opportunity to recommend our free consultation service, which you can book.
If you instead wish to do it on your own, in this guide we will explain everything you need to know and then some!
How to install ventilation in a self-contained house – Step by step
The following ventilation and installation guide focuses on the most important part of the project, namely planning. To avoid pitfalls and costly mistakes, we will share below a number of points that we consider important before you get started in earnest!
1. Plan based on the needs of the house
Start with the needs of the house. Where does the air often stagnate? Which rooms do you feel need better air circulation? By identifying problem areas, you can get the installation right from the start. At the same time, you also reduce the risk of manual labor and extra work.
2. Choose the right type of solution
Thermostatically controlled fresh air vents are usually sufficient for self-contained houses . These are usually installed in walls, preferably 0.5 meters from the nearest heat source and not directly above windows. For larger houses, you can consider a mechanical exhaust system that actively sucks out air.
We would like you to supplement your wet areas with constantly running exhaust fans as we can never get more air into the house than is taken out of the house in one flow and the exhaust air flow reduces the risk of mold forming in the wet area.
There are different types of fresh air valves. If you choose a thermostatically controlled fresh air valve for wall mounting, you usually need 1 / room. If you choose window valves instead, more valves are required to get the same inflow of fresh air, which can contribute to experiencing a cold snap.
3. Place the valves in the correct location
Once you have decided which solution to choose, it is time to get started with the project in earnest. It is common practice to start with ventilation placement in bedrooms and living rooms - although not a requirement. However, the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's recommendation is 1 fresh air vent per 25 to 30 square meters of house surface. The reason for this is simply that the need for fresh air is greatest in these spaces.
4. Drill holes and mount
Drilling holes is easy with the right tools. Therefore, you first need to find out what type of material you are going to drill into. When it comes to houses in Sweden, you will most often drill into concrete, stone, plaster or wood.
Avoid stress and focus on assembling carefully with a steady hand in a calm environment. Last but not least, don't forget to seal any gaps to avoid unwanted air leaks.
Use tools of the correct diameter for the product you are going to install. Airmove has its own range with the correct dimensions available in the webshop.
5. Optimize airflow between rooms
To create an even airflow, you can choose to install door vents in doors. This helps air move freely throughout the house, while minimizing the risk of stagnant air in certain rooms. Air cannot travel through a closed door.
Can you install ventilation yourself?
Ventilation is not just a matter of airflow, but also of proper placement combined with ongoing maintenance. Incorrect installation often results in a worse effect than expected. Similarly, poor maintenance leads to more dirt and dust.
You don't need any prior knowledge to install a fresh air valve. However, if you are considering investing in a significantly more advanced system such as mechanical exhaust air, you will need to hire an expert.
Here is a simple table of different systems for natural ventilation, and their respective levels of difficulty :
|
Type |
Difficulty level (1-5) |
Description |
|
Thermostatically controlled fresh air valve |
1 |
Easy to install, valve heads for fresh air intake. |
|
Complete thermostatically controlled fresh air valve |
2 |
Simple system with holes in the walls for airflow. |
|
Roof vents |
3 |
Requires drilling into ceiling/through joists for installation. |
|
Ventilation tower |
4 |
Requires a tower or chimney to create natural draft. |
Installing ventilation in a self-contained house: Cost of different systems
The price for installation may vary depending on the system and scope. To give you an idea of the price, we have compiled an overview of different solutions in the table below:
|
Type of installation |
Cost (SEK) |
|
Fresh air valve |
600 – 1000 per unit |
|
Mechanical exhaust system |
12,000 – 20,000 |
|
Complete FTX system |
50,000 – 90,000 |
Ensuring good indoor air quality can be extremely costly. With a well-functioning system, you can reduce the risk of moisture damage and create a better indoor climate for everyone!
Advantages and disadvantages of natural ventilation
|
Benefits ● Budget-friendly and efficient installation. ● Does not require much maintenance. ● Quiet in operation and barely noticeable. ● Does not need to be connected to a power distribution board. ● Works even when the power goes out. |
Disadvantages ● Difficult to regulate flow with passive valves ● Requires a larger amount of heat. ● Risk of higher energy consumption ● Requires large channels. ● Lacks capacity to recover heat. |
Although ventilation in self-contained buildings has many positive aspects, it also comes with a number of disadvantages that you need to be aware of. Below we have created a table that outlines the most common:
Effect of good ventilation – A graphic illustration
The diagram below shows the effect that ventilation can provide when installed correctly in a self-contained house. As you can see, both temperature and humidity have improved significantly after installation.
The curves illustrate how humidity is stabilized while the temperature is kept even. This in turn contributes to a cleaner and, above all, healthier indoor climate for both you and everyone else in the household!
Do I have to consider anything special when installing ventilation?
When you decide to install ventilation in your house, you need to reflect on a number of points before you get started, namely:
- Existing Pipework : Before you roll up your sleeves, you need to check to see if there is already existing pipework to install. This is especially true if you have recently purchased an older home. If you are lucky, the previous owner may have already laid the pipework but not yet completed the project. Don’t forget to check the diameter of the pipes before purchasing valves or heads.
- Attic space : Does your house have an attic space where you can squat? This is ideal for running ducts, placing fans and units without disturbing others in the household. This also helps to preserve the house's interior charm, something that many homeowners find important.
- Allergy sufferers : If you or someone else in the household has allergies or asthma, it is important to adapt the ventilation accordingly. This is achieved by using special filters designed for these types of allergies, Airmove has pollen filters as accessories.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install ventilation in a self-contained house?
The cost varies depending on the type of solution you choose. For example, if you choose to install self-regulating thermostatically controlled fresh air valves yourself, you can expect a cost of up to SEK 800 for each valve. If you instead choose a complete FTX system, it can cost up to SEK 80,000 (after root).
How long does it take to install ventilation in a self-contained house?
The time required is based on the choice of ventilation system, the size of the house, who will do it
the job etc. For the cheapest variant with valves that you install yourself, you can expect an installation time of approximately 90 minutes / valve.
For more complex FTX systems, the whole thing can take up to a week of work.
How difficult is it to install ventilation in a self-contained house yourself?
When it comes to "DIY ventilation & installation", it is an advantage if you have experience of similar work. However, this is not a requirement because you can install ventilation yourself even if you are a beginner. On our Youtube channel there are informative instructional videos.
