Ventilation: How to Create an Energy-Efficient Home: Introduction



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Ventilation became important for the first time in the Second section of Genesis, Verse Seven: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Adam and Eve and their descendants breathed fairly well while they were living outside. The tents of the tribes of the holy lands let in enough air to provide good circulation. Dark, damp castles and thatched cottages had their air-flow problems, but progress was going to pollute the air sooner or later.

Outdoor pollution got underway first. Maybe. The Industrial Revolution probably ushered in indoor pollution at the same time the mills got underway. Manufacturing, mining, and farming really started gearing up in the 1700s in England and soon gained momentum in America. The cotton gin and other inventions got textile mills going. People started breathing some bad stuff at work and outside, and some of it went home with them in their lungs.

Man has appreciated clean, fresh air since Adam inhaled in the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, he hasn’t had enough sense to see that he should always be breathing it whether outdoors or inside. It is ironic that man has made most of his technological progress while gasping for breath. Evidently, he has always been too busy working on something else and has ignored the importance of the quality of the air he has been bringing into his body every four seconds or so. Indeed, his death rate can be traced to his unconcern for effective ventilation. Autopsies of his lungs will reveal the types of mills and mines in which he has worked.

Energy efficiency has become synonymous with man today. He has learned to make things that will keep him warm, cool, and comfortable. Again, he has persisted in developing this energy efficiency under adverse breathing conditions. Great grants from corporations — many of them in the energy business — and government have built some structures that are very tight. Some of these “energy efficient” cocoons have been superb. You can heat them for a week just by rubbing your hands together three times. It is also a matter of public record that some of them will kill you if you try to live in them.

They only left out one thing. Air. Man is learning about ventilation at a pace in direct proportion to his death statistics, his ills, and his ailments caused by all the deadly pollutants he has in the house with him. He is learning that a ventilator — in essence, a hole — will let him and his house breathe. Something subconsciously must be telling him that his heart was to have oxygen, and his blood appreciates it also.

There really aren’t many words to date concerning ventilation; this guide might well be the most information bound together about it. Ventilation and life are as related as man’s work on energy efficiency and his breathing as he continues to improve life with his technological progress. Ventilation is indeed the heart and lungs of all energy efficiency.

We hope this guide will motivate man to live longer, healthier, and happier lives in dwellings and buildings that he will realize need clean, fresh air just as much as he does. They are really one and the same.


-- Guide Outline --

0. Introduction

1. Is Your House Dying from a Lack of Air? Water — Functions of Ventilators — Ventilation Saves Insulation

2. Trouble Signs: Bucking or Curling Shingles — Roof Discoloration — Sweating Walls — Peeling Paint on the Eaves — Peeling Paint Elsewhere on the House — Icicle Formation — Frosty, Frozen, or Foggy Windows

3. Indoor Pollution: Behind Closed Doors: The Problem of Indoor Pollutants — What Are the Pollutants? — Radon and Its Decay Products — Who Cares about Indoor Air? — Products or Combustion — Formaldehyde — Asbestos — Chemical Fumes and Particles — Other Indoor Pollutants — What Can We Do about Them? — Notes — Indoor Pollution Testing

4. Ventilation Methods Gravity Ventilators — Types of Gravity Ventilators — Wind-Driven Ventilators — Power-Driven Ventilators — Power Gable Vents — Power Roof Vent — Whole-House Fans — Installation and Accessories

5. Humidity and Human Conditions: Vapor Barriers — Story of Humidity — What Is Humidity? — Benefit No. 1 . . . Comfort — Benefit No. 2. . . Preservation — Benefit No. 3. . . Well Being — What Indoor Relative Humidity Is Correct? — Effect of Water Characteristics — Humidification and Humidifiers — Sizing — Calculations — Selecting a Good Humidifier — Temperature and Humidity Measurements

6. Kitchen and Bath Ventilation: Airtight Homes Trap Demons — Favorite Demon Targets — Threat to Energy Efficiency — The Solution — Ventilation Expels Demons — Demons Thwarted — Selecting the Proper Ventilating Fan — The HVI Formula — Accessories and Installation — Kitchen Ventilation — Accessories and Installation

7. Ventilation and Heating: Solar Heating — Wood Stoves and Coal Stoves — Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers

8. Shading and Cooling: Awnings — Air-Conditioning — Measuring for Effective Air Conditioning

9. Special Problems: Laundry Rooms — Crawl-Space Ventilation — Basement Ventilation — Garage Ventilation — Workshops and Out Buildings — Foundation Venting — Special Home Designs and Ventilation

10. Filtering the Air in Your Home: Performance to Fit Requirements — Flexibility in Application — Flexibility in Design — Basic Types of Filters

11. Ventilation and Your Health: Indoor Pollution — Ions — Ions and the Medical World — Ion Research Center — Negative Ions and Autos — Commercial Ion Units — Air- Conditioning and Ions — Clean Your Room! — Air Ions — Background — Properties and Measurement: Ion Sources and Imbalances — Biological and Human Effects — The Serotonin Hypothesis — Other Hypotheses — Plant and Animal Experimentation — Conclusions — Ventco Sets Example — Radon and Real Estate

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