Description

Mechanical ventilation is becoming much more common in both new home construction and renovations. Where the system includes ducting, the right product and installation are crucial to maximise efficiency and avoid problems.

For a great many years, most of our houses were designed for natural ventilation by providing opening windows or other openings to the exterior equal to at least 5% of the floor area of the space. That’s in Acceptable Solution G4/AS1 today.

The calculation is unchanged from regulations that existed back in 1947, when many people happily left their windows open for long periods whether they were at home or not. Things are different now.

Scope

This article covers:

• A change in habits
• Ducting can be a weak spot
• Dodgy ducting cuts efficiency
• Location, insulation are crucial
• Get your ducts in a row
• Ducting from kitchens and bathrooms
• No ins or outs in the roof space