Total-Air Home Ventilation
The Musty Smell Solution
Basements have year round problems with moisture and musty smell. Basements are the source of many health and moisture related issues that effect the entire house. Moisture and unconditioned air make an ideal environment for biological growth of mold, mites, infestation and termites. Excess moisture leads to the musty smell that is a sure sign of serious problems. The prevalent approach of using dehumidifiers, have proved costly to run and maintain, are limited in capacity and do not improve the air quality at all. The concern for a healthier and sustainable home warrants the installation of a unit that provides both moisture control and air quality with improved conditions throughout the home.
The EPA says:
“If too little outdoor air enters a home, pollutants can sometimes accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Likewise, one approach to lowering the concentrations of indoor air pollutants in your home is to increase the amount of outdoor air coming in.” Moisture Control and Indoor Air Quality
How it Works
Your new ventilation unit will draw in the damp, stale, contaminated air, and expel it to the outside. It ventilates and circulates air in the most problematic areas in the home. The unit provides necessary air exchanges by pulling the problematic air and then drawing down drier healthier replenishment air from the upper floors. The upper floor air is replaced with cleaner, fresher outdoor air entering the home naturally via windows, doors and cracks. It complies with the air exchanges and moisture control required by experts and codes for a healthier environment throughout the whole house. The basement is naturally transformed into a healthy dry living environment without the musty smell. Also by keeping the environment drier the heating and air conditioning units work more efficiently.
These units are significantly cheaper to operate than a dehumidifier and are maintenance free. Costs are about $3 per month vs. $50+ for one dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers require emptying buckets of water and changing of filters and do not provide any air exchange; they recycle the same polluted air.
This Ventilation System Should be in Every Home
Available For Crawl Spaces, Slab homes/Condos and Basements.
Even new homes will experience natural occurring phenomena such as:
- Moisture from normal activities
- Condensation
- Stagnation
- Infiltration
- Gravitation to the lowest level
- Musty smell in basements
Moisture accumulates in the least ventilated area in the basement. The lack of circulation in this area results in stagnant air, musty smell and mold growth. Basement floors are the coldest point in a home resulting in low dew point and condensation.
Benefits of a Controlled Ventilation Unit
- Reduces the levels of excess moisture in the coldest dampest areas that nourish the growth of biological contaminants
- Replenishes basement with warmer and drier air from upstairs which changes the relative humidity without the need for costly dehumidifiers
- Maintenance free unit monitors the relative humidity and adjusts the ventilation rate automatically to achieve the optimal relative humidity levels
- Maximizes air flow over surfaces extracting moisture saturated in structure, reducing condensation and minimizing stagnation and musty smell
- Expels musty smell, polluted air and concentrations of gasses, chemicals and toxins
- Continuous ventilation creates an air exchange and air flow pattern throughout the house providing a fresher healthier air supply
- Energy savings- increases heat and air unit efficiency as it costs less to heat and cool drier air
- Constantly maintains a dry healthy environment
Contact The Birmingham Handyman for a free in home consultation.