Installation
Ventilation & Air Quality
Changing the air in a space to control temperature and remove moisture, odours, smoke, heat, dust and airborne bacteria. One of the most important factors in indoor air quality.
Balanced air is the one worth having
There are two kinds of common ventilation system in New Zealand, and the most energy-efficient and effective is termed balanced air. It has two fans, one intake and one exhaust, can be connected to a ducted air conditioning system, and works day and night, every day of the year.
Balanced-air systems are now price-comparable with positive ventilation systems, and worth serious consideration for energy savings and climate control in Auckland’s muggy climate. The Mitsubishi Lossnay range is the energy-recovery system we most often specify, including where a project is working towards Green Star compliance.
We are an independent ventilation business with a great deal of experience in commercial and residential ventilation design, so the recommendation you get is about your building rather than about what we happen to sell. Talk to us about which system suits.
Mechanical and forced ventilation
Mechanical ventilation controls indoor air quality by diluting or replacing air. Excess humidity, odours and contaminants are dealt with by bringing in outside air. In a humid climate, removing the moisture from that incoming air takes energy, which is exactly what an energy-recovery system is for.
Kitchens and bathrooms typically need mechanical extract to control odours and humidity. Design comes down to two things: flow rate, which is a function of fan speed and vent size, and noise. Where ducting crosses unheated space such as a roof void it needs insulating, or it will condense inside the duct.
Commercial extract
Commercial kitchen hoods, bathroom and toilet extract, fume and dust control. The City Works Depot job is the pattern: individual stall fans that were not shifting odours, replaced with a single central ducted system, balanced with dampers at each spigot, and driven by sensors so the fan only runs when someone is there.
Why it matters
What ventilation actually fixes
Excess moisture
Showers, cooking and people produce around 10 to 12 litres of water a day in a household of two adults and two children. Too much moisture leads to condensation and the growth of mould, mildew and dust mites that can cause or aggravate allergic reactions and lung problems such as asthma. It also rots window sills, peels paint and shortens the life of furnishings.
Airborne chemicals and contaminants
A ventilation system reduces airborne chemicals such as those found in tobacco smoke, common household cleaners, and formaldehyde from furniture, carpet and building materials. It also reduces dust, dust mites, pet dander and pollen, which can trigger asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions.
Combustion by-products
Potentially dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide can be produced by fuel-burning heating equipment such as unflued gas heaters. Without ventilation, these by-products stay in the air.
Power bills
A drier building requires less energy to heat than a damp one. A balanced-air system reclaims energy from the stale air being extracted and transfers it to the incoming fresh air, so less heating or cooling is needed to hold a comfortable temperature.
Condensation
Tired of mopping up crying windows? Ventilation reduces condensation, which gives back both your time and your view.
Security and noise
A ventilation system runs day and night with fresh, filtered air without opening doors or windows, which means better security and less noise from the neighbourhood.