The Best Home Ventilation Systems for Australian Homes

Energy bills only going one way – up. With increasing prices, it makes sense to explore every option that could take the sting out of these monthly costs. Home energy usage accounts for a substantial portion of the bill, with winter heating and summer cooling the main culprits; this seems like an obvious place to start.

Electric heaters and air conditioners are not especially energy efficient, especially if they are used extensively. So, what alternatives are out there? Ventilating your home more efficiently is one option. Combining a vent with the technology of a roof mounted fan can provide a viable and more cost-effective option over the long term. This is known as a home ventilation system.
 

How do home ventilation systems work?

Home ventilation systems are based on the simple concept of using the store of solar energy in your roof space to either cool or warm your home. A variable speed fan is at the heart of the system, mounted at the highest point in your roof which draws in and filters fresh external air. In winter the fan would transfer the warm air in the roof cavity into the home, while in summer it would transfer fresh air from outside into the home.

Besides the fan the other major element involved is the ducting in your roof cavity. The ducting directs the filtered air to areas in your home. A control panel is fitted in a convenient location with a temperature control that allows you to set the desired ambient temperature in your home. Once installed, there is very little maintenance required besides changing the low cost medical-grade filters.

There are a number of home ventilation systems in the home.

Roof ventilation

Hot air rises. During summer, you’ll find that the roof space in your home will quickly become the hottest area of the house. With hot air overhead, you’ll be relying on your air conditioner to keep the home cool. Thankfully, roof vent installation is a simple solution to this problem. A series of ducts and vents will help quell the hot air from the roof cavity. The most common home ventilation system used here is a balanced system, where separate fans are responsible for inlet and exhaust airflow.

Under floor ventilation

Mould thrives in damp environments with limited air flow. For a structure with inadequate home ventilation systems, this space is under the house. Under house ventilation will help to extract damp air and prevent it from flowing upwards into the living areas. Home ventilation systems in this location actually pull in air from the outside which acts as a drying process, preventing moisture being trapped in the space.

Bathroom and kitchen ventilation

A common strategy to implement ventilation in the bathroom is with exhaust-only mechanical ventilation. This is done with the installation of a number of small exhaust fans that can run either continuously or intermittently. As the name suggests, they pull stale and moist air directly from these spaces to outside of the home. These are a relatively low-cost home ventilation systems to install. 

An alternate option to remove hot, moist air in the bathroom or kitchen is through passive stack ventilation. Instead of using mechanical ventilation, this system relies on ducts and stack vents having been built into the structure of the roof. Chimneys are a good example of stack ventilation. If you’re building a new home, it’s worth consulting a ventilation expert to consider implementing these passive ventilation routes in your home.

Heat recovery ventilation

Heat recovery ventilation is a system that may also be referred to as balanced ventilation with heat recovery. This system is the combination of two fans situated next to each other: one bringing fresh air into the home and the other exhausting stale air from the home. As they are in such close proximity, there is an air-to-air exchange which preconditions the new air coming into the home. This is a good option for homes in a colder climate.

Benefits of home ventilation systems

Once installed, home ventilation systems have a range of benefits:

• Improving air quality and removing odours by constantly introducing and circulating purified air into your home.
• Preventing damp, mould and condensation build up, which can lead to serious health issues.
• Heating and cooling your home using the fan to remove or introduce warm or cool air, depending on the season.
• Reducing the likelihood of allergies by preventing allergens from entering the home.
• Reducing your reliance on your existing heating and cooling systems and helping to save on your energy bills.

Installing home ventilation systems

A registered electrician does need to install the wiring, control panel and fan and will issue a Certificate of Compliance upon completion.

Contact a ventilation expert to receive a quote and inspect your home.