The Benefits of Natural Ventilation

Most of today’s homes rely on their HVAC systems for indoor ventilation, often forgetting the benefits offered by natural ventilation through the windows. In today’s post, Renewal by Andersen® of Long Island discusses the benefits of natural ventilation, and why it’s just as important as your home’s HVAC system.

How Does Natural Ventilation Work?

Natural ventilation requires steady airflow to vent indoor air – along with dust and other indoor air pollutants – and replace it with fresh air. Airflow can be created by wind from the outdoors, by the pressure differences between indoor and outdoor spaces, or by temperature differences between spaces. In comparison, the house’s HVAC system creates airflow by mechanical means, that is, using fans and blowers.

Opening a window can create airflow between the indoors and the immediate outdoor space. Continuous airflow is best achieved when there are two open windows in a room or by opening a two-sash window in such a way that it has two openings. One works as the exhaust vent that flushes indoor air, the other is the intake vent that takes in fresh air.

The Benefits of Natural Ventilation

You can enjoy the benefits of natural ventilation by opening the windows in your home for at least 15 minutes a day. Depending on your house’s design, you may also incorporate vents that allow natural ventilation. Either way, you can enjoy the following benefits:

• Lower Cooling Costs – Natural ventilation does not rely on electricity and can help cool down your home. With lower air conditioner output, natural ventilation can help you save on your cooling bills, and may even help prolong your air conditioner’s service life.

• Improved Indoor Air Quality – Natural ventilation helps flush out indoor air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds or VOCs, which can help improve indoor air quality. VOCs are off-gassed over a long time from common household materials like paint and plastic products. Allowing fresh air into your home will help keep VOCs and other indoor air pollutants at low concentrations.

Renewal by Andersen® of Long Island provides window installation services to customers in Massapequa and the surrounding communities. Give us a call at (855) 728-1756 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.