Living in urban apartments or country houses is determined by the list of conditions dictated by the requirements of healthcare institutes, construction and installation standards. It has long been proven that any violation immediately affects the comfort or health of residents.
One of the necessary conditions is fresh air with a certain oxygen content. To create a favorable microclimate for life, they equip a ventilation system, after having made some calculations.
Calculations require regulatory data, among which an important place is occupied by air exchange per person and we will examine in more detail what is behind this concept, and also find out what air exchange rates are acceptable for residential premises.
What is air exchange and multiplicity?
They often confuse or do not see the difference between air exchange and its multiplicity, although in reality they are two different, although interconnected, concepts.
The term "air exchange" is used when it is necessary to characterize the ventilation system in a closed room. There is a second meaning - this is the process of air replacement, which takes place inside the building, and for different internal rooms the parameters are different.
So that people can feel comfortable inside an apartment building, office, industrial premises, the air must constantly change - to replace the exhaust come fresh
The air exchange value is calculated in m³ / h. Units indicate how much air should change within 1 hour. For example, if the air exchange is 60 m³ / h, it means that in 1 hour the room must exchange 60 m³ of air.
The multiplicity means how many times in 1 hour the air completely changes to a new one. Simply put, air exchange is the volume of air, and the multiplicity is the number of shifts of this volume.
In the calculation tables given in the documentation of SNiP or GOST, both values can be indicated.
To draw up a ventilation project, calculations are made using special formulas. But there are also average norms that you can rely on when choosing ventilation pipes or climatic equipment.
For example, in SNiP 31-01-2003 there is a table with the norms of multiplicity and the amount of air exchange in 2 modes, non-working and serving:
If only the air exchange rate is indicated for the idle mode, then for the service provider - the frequency, volume, or an indication that special calculations are necessary
When working on more complex ventilation systems of medical institutions, public institutions or production shops, additional factors are also taken into account in the calculations: the presence of harmful impurities in the air, the number of attendants and visitors, the temperature and humidity parameters, the heat generated by electrical appliances, etc.
Air exchange rates for a residential building
An apartment in a multi-storey building consists of premises for various purposes, and in connection with this, the requirements for standards are also different. They are dictated by the length of stay of residents in a particular room (corridor, bathroom), and the quality of the air itself.
Consider what air exchange rates for 1 person should be followed when equipping ventilation for specific rooms, and what should be done if the real parameters differ from the standards.
# 1 - bedroom and living room
For premises in which residents spend most of the time, the same standards are accepted.It is believed that this is a living room where the whole family gathers, and a bedroom in which people relax - that is, spend, on average, 8 hours a day. The same category includes dormitory living rooms.
In some documents, the living room is indicated as a “common room”. Given that the studio apartments do not have separate rooms for sleeping or gathering guests, they are also equated to living rooms by standards
According to standard calculations, the air flow to private premises should be 30 m³ / h or more for each tenant. The multiplicity in the idle mode is 0.2, in the state of operation - 1.0 (in other sources - from 0.35). The unit says that every hour the air in the bedroom or living room should be completely replaced 1 time.
If the enclosing structures are recognized as dense for air passage, and a fireplace or mechanical hood is installed in the room, additional devices are needed to ensure a sufficient air flow.
Wall and window valves are considered effective ways to increase the supply ventilation power, and open air vents and balcony doors are considered the simplest to use and accessible to everyone.
There are people who do not delve into the construction or sanitary standards - they are comfortable living either with windows closed tightly, or, conversely, with constantly ajar windows. Here you need to navigate on your own health, but the second option is preferable, especially if gas equipment is installed in the house or apartment.
# 2 - children's room
A children's room is a room in which a child sleeps, plays, studies, exercises, that is, spends all his free time.
In it, he also sleeps, therefore, for the children's norm, they are the same as for the bedroom or living room:
- air exchange - 30 m³ / h;
- multiplicity in idle mode - 0.2;
- the multiplicity during maintenance is 1.0.
If 2 children live in the room, respectively, we also multiply the air substitution by two and get an air exchange of 60 m³ / h.
It is assumed that in the room for active or sports games, the values of air exchange and multiplicity increase. If your child is hyperactive and there is a sports corner in the room, ventilation can be made more productive.
We remind you that the normative parameters are calculated for rooms with normal humidity and room temperature, and these indicators should not change after the installation of ventilation devices.
# 3 - kitchen with gas or electric stove
Both options are suitable for city apartments: if high-rise buildings, according to the new rules, are provided with electric stoves, then 5-storey and 2-storey old buildings are often equipped with gas equipment.
The requirements for rooms with gas stoves and ovens are more stringent:
- air exchange - 90 m³ / h (in kitchens with 4 hotplates);
- multiplicity - 1.0 + 100 m³, if a plate is installed.
If the kitchen is part of a living room or studio apartment, the parameters are calculated taking into account specific conditions, while the mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation is equipped.
The air in the kitchen usually comes from neighboring rooms, as well as from a window or window. The exhaust air is removed using a hood located above the stove or a ventilation hole.
For electric stoves, the regulations are different:
- air exchange - 60 m³ / h (in kitchens with 2 hotplates) and 75 m³ / h (in kitchens with 3 hotplates);
- multiplicity - 0.5 in idle mode.
If gas equipment is actively used in the kitchen, the maximum air exchange is 180 m³ / h, with infrequent use of the stove it is reduced to 45 m³ / h.
# 4 - toilet and bathroom
Despite the traditionally small footage of bathrooms, toilets and bathrooms, the air exchange in these rooms should be sufficient to compensate for the increased humidity.
In the bathroom, with rare exceptions, there are no windows, so the ventilation is organized by the air coming from neighboring rooms. The same applies to toilets and combined bathrooms.
If the bathroom is a separate room, then the following requirements are relevant for it and for the toilet:
- continuous operation - 25 m³ / h;
- maximum mode - 90 m³ / h;
- the minimum mode is 10 m³ / h.
Under the maximum mode means enhanced service tenants. This happens when a large family lives in the apartment or at the same time there are many guests.
The minimum mode "turns on" with a long absence of homeowners, as well as with the stay of 1 person who rarely uses a shower and bath.
For a combined bathroom, standard values increase:
- continuous operation - 50 m³ / h;
- maximum mode - 120 m³ / h;
- the minimum mode is 20 m³ / h.
All data are averaged and acceptable if the premises listed above are used rather than idle in a non-residential apartment.
# 5 - other rooms
For dressing rooms and pantries, there are no special requirements, it is only indicated that the air exchange rate should be 1.0-1.5.
Considering that these rooms do not have windows, the air inlet and outlet are carried out through ajar doors or openings specially made in the doors.
In private houses, they are often not limited to standard guest rooms or bedrooms and separate rooms are allocated for libraries, gyms, and greenhouses. Standards for such premises differ from the standard requirements for a residential area
For example, for a sauna or a gym, parameters are calculated taking into account the activity of residents and the quality of the air environment. The same applies to the garage, if it is located in the basement. For the pool, in addition to the design standards, the installation of mechanical ventilation is required.
Air replacement rates for other rooms in multi-storey buildings and dormitories:
- Laundry room - 7;
- ironing, room for drying clothes - 3;
- utility room - 1.5;
- garbage collection chamber - 1.0;
- study or library - 0.5.
For lobbies, stairwells, front, common corridors, no requirements are imposed, since air circulation occurs constantly through openable doors and windows.
How to increase do-it-yourself air exchange?
What to do if natural ventilation in the apartment does not meet the norm for a person or does not perform its functions at full capacity? We'll have to improve the conditions on our own, and this is not difficult to achieve.
There are several effective ways to increase airflow, and special electrical appliances are usually used to extract air.
We offer several devices that can significantly increase the performance of the ventilation system:
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A cooker hood is useful during and after cooking, when a large amount of combustion products, fat and other impurities accumulate in the air. Hoods differ in type, performance, power and additional functions
Axial overhead fans are traditionally installed in bathrooms and toilets to enhance the exhaust effect. If the flow of air from neighboring rooms is active, then with a natural exhaust sometimes problems
Valves installed in the frames dose freshly cooled air into the room. They can completely replace the open window and contribute to creating a comfortable, drafts-free microclimate
A valve with a filter installed in the wall provides a large volume of living space with fresh air. If necessary, it can be covered or adjusted to supply less air.
Electric range hood
Axial fan for installation in the ventilation duct
Window valve for wood and plastic frames
Wall valve for fresh air
The advantage of all of the above instruments and devices is that they can be installed with your own hands.
There are many models of fans, hoods, various supply valves on sale.
About the calculation of the rate of air exchange:
Few of the owners of urban apartments or houses are concerned about the compliance of air exchange in housing with the requirements. More often, engineers, builders and installers are interested in the norms when they design or install ventilation systems.
But we recommend that you familiarize yourself with existing standards - focusing on proven values, you can create the most favorable and comfortable microclimate in your home.
If you have questions or you can share valuable tips on the topic of the article, please leave your comments in the box below.