Home Ventilation: Resources, Guides & FAQ
Whether you own your home or rent, ventilation is one of the most important systems in your home. Air quality is vital to the health of your home and everyone inside it. You could also argue ventilation carries as much importance as clean, running water.
Venting systems move stale, moist or hot air from inside your home to the outside. Whether it’s the bathroom or over the stove, if the air isn’t moved out, it could turn nasty, unhygienic and toxic.
This article will help make choosing a venting product easier, giving you a general overview and idea of how powerful your fan needs to be.
Venting products (such as range hoods, bathroom fans and whole house fans) work by moving air from a room. The common denominator in any venting application is CFM, an acronym for “cubic feet per minute.” This measurement quantifies the rate of air flowing through any vent. This figure is also important since it determines what size your ventilation fans will be, as well as its CFM rating. Venting products will list their CFM ratings to make finding the correct one for your needs easier.
The point of any venting product is to achieve a recommended ACH (air changes per hour), where 1 ACH means all the air in a space has been circulated in one hour's time. The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) recommends the following ACH values for these rooms:
| Bathrooms - 8 ACH | Kitchen - 15 ACH | Other Rooms - 6 ACH |
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Determining the CFM of a room considers certain factors, and is fairly easy and logical. You’ll first need to determine the cubic feet measurement of the room, then consider what fixtures and appliances will be installed, and finally consult recommendations for how much air needs to circulate the specific room, as listed in this guide. Also, it’s always prudent to consult a contractor if you have any questions.
Start here for more information about picking the right bath fan and range hood for your home.
· Bathroom Exhaust Fan CFM Guide
· Bathroom Exhaust Fan Guide
· Considerations for Range Hoods
· Range Hood Guide
· Range Hood Install Tips