Residential ventilation systems are increasingly becoming an integral part of modern building projects. Not least because the regulations on energy efficiency are becoming ever stricter.
Nevertheless, many owners of domestic ventilation systems are not aware of the maintenance and servicing required for domestic ventilation systems. Especially in summer, when people like to warn about “unhealthy air conditioning systems”.
In comparison, domestic ventilation systems are just as susceptible to bacteria and fungi as air conditioning systems. Regular maintenance of domestic ventilation systems is therefore essential.
What are the advantages of domestic ventilation?
In addition to the advantages mentioned above, home ventilation is a relief for allergy sufferers, as it can significantly reduce the pollen load!
When should a domestic ventilation system be serviced?
The following factors suggest immediate maintenance:
- Bad odor from domestic ventilation systems
- Complaints such as headaches, skin rashes and eye inflammation.
By then at the latest, it is time to have the ventilation system serviced by professionals!
The decentralized ventilation system in particular (turns the air flow around every 90 seconds!) can act as a real “bacteria spinner” if maintenance is neglected. Small fans or ventilation systems in particular are often not serviced at all and “get moldy”.
Simply wiping down the air inlets and outlets is therefore far from enough maintenance, given that we spend 90% of our lives indoors.
It is therefore recommended that domestic ventilation systems are cleaned or serviced once a year. In addition, a filter change should be carried out every six months (according to the manufacturer’s instructions) and major maintenance should be carried out every 2 years.
What legal regulations and standards apply to domestic ventilation systems?
The Workplace Ordinance stipulates that the ventilation system must be checked for proper condition at least once a year or at least every 15 months. Deposits and impurities that could lead to an immediate risk to people in the workplace due to contamination of the room air must be removed immediately.
According to ÖNORM H 6021, every ventilation system must undergo a thorough inspection twice a year to ensure proper operation.
Regular maintenance, which is also required by law, has the following advantages:
- Cleaning is guaranteed
- the system does not pose any hygiene problems
- the contamination of the room air with microorganisms and dust can be minimized
- Prevention of fire hazards through reduced dust deposits
A regularly maintained domestic ventilation system also ensures that it works efficiently. This means that there is no contamination in the area of the ventilation system and therefore no increased energy requirement!
What needs to be considered when maintaining a domestic ventilation system?
- Visual inspection for external damage and corrosion
- Cleaning the heat exchanger
- Cleaning the inside of the appliance
- Check/clean condensate connection / siphon
- Check the device configuration settings and restore them if necessary
- Filter inspection or filter cleaning, replacement of the filter if necessary
- Function test
- Measure the air volume and adjust if necessary
App for the maintenance of a domestic ventilation system
To remind you of maintenance and servicing that needs to be carried out regularly, the MyBuliding24 app can be helpful. All maintenance and servicing work carried out can be logged so that it can be called up again if required at a later date.
