Proper ventilation is vital to the health of your family, as it prevents mould and pollutants from building up. Modern systems are very effective in circulating air without causing excessive heat loss. Nonetheless, energy costs money and anything you can do to reduce the amount of heat that escapes from your home will be a benefit. Here are some things you can do to avoid losing heat through your ventilation system.

Close the door

This a very simple way of keeping the heat in your home. You will need to keep the fan running when you are using the shower or bath, as otherwise the water vapour will condense on the walls where it can become a breeding ground for mould. If you keep the door open, however, the air will be drawn in from the rest of the house and the heat will then be extracted along with the moisture. Make sure the door is closed when you run the fan, and you will not waste any more heat than necessary.

Use a moisture sensor

The next thing you can do is choose an extractor fan that is fitted with a moisture sensor. This is especially useful in bathrooms and kitchens. Ordinary extractor fans remove the moist air from the room and replace it with dryer air, which reduces the risk of condensation. The downside is that they will keep working for long after they are needed, which will increase the amount of heat that is lost (as well as the amount of energy needed to power them). A moisture sensor will shut off the fan when it is no longer needed so that the warm but dry air is not removed from the house.

Use a heat recovery system

Finally, consider using a ventilation system that uses heat recovery. This type of system passes the extracted air through a heat exchanger before expelling it from the home. The heat exchanger can then capture the heat before it leaves the house and recirculate it indoors. This type of system is very efficient and can save the vast majority of the energy that escapes. They can be installed in a single room such as a bathroom, which will be much less complicated than a whole-house system.

You should never try to cut back on ventilation to save energy, and the amount of heat loss should always be low anyway. For more advice on using ventilation in an energy-efficient way, just talk to your installer. For more information on home ventilation, contact a professional near you.

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