Ventilation

Bathroom fans and range hoods are familiar sights in modern homes. When ducted to the outdoors, they can provide adequate ventilation for the home. Fans may be put on a regular switch, be put on a timer, set up with a humidistat, or set to turn on at predetermined intervals. In order to be effective, a fan must run when humidity levels are increased; i.e.: during and after a shower, while cooking, etc. If the fan is not operated at appropriate intervals, there might as well be no fan installed.

Ashton Thermal recommends that most homes operate their fans with a timer, but any automated system will accomplish the desired rates of ventilation if set up properly. "Set it and forget it."

We only install quiet fans. We know that nobody wants to listen to a rattling blade on a humming motor. A quiet fan should be no louder than a quiet refrigerator in a quiet kitchen.

We recommend Fantech inline fans to exhaust from more than one room at a time, and Panasonic QuietSeries fans for more precise room by room exhaust ventilation. Lights and other features are available options. These are Energy Star rated fans, and they carry a 3 year warranty.

For kitchens, we install Broan hoods that are very quiet and come in many finishes to match most decors. For those wanting a truly custom vent hood, we use Fantech fans and liners inside a custom built hood of your design. All of our installations are ducted to outside. If you think you have a kitchen that can't be properly vented, give us a call; you may be surprised at where we can get ducts in an existing building.

For residential kitchens, we don't recommend exhaust fans that pull more than 300CFM (cubic feet per minute). There are many range hood manufacturers who claim that you need more, but unless you are operating a true commercial range (not one of the retail imitations), there is no need for that much exhaust; in fact, it may be downright dangerous! The risk of backdrafting* combustion appliances (water heater, boiler, furnace, fireplace) during fan operation is increased as the building is depressurized. The bigger the pull of the fan, the greater the depressurization. There are exceptions to every rule: if your requirements are such that a larger fan is needed for the kitchen, we can asses the situation to determine the best course of action.

Before and after we install any ventilation equipment in a home, we test building tightness and worst case depressurization. We also ensure that your water heater, boiler or furnace are working properly and that your gas stove is not making too much carbon monoxide.

*Backdrafting is a reversal of the chimney's flow causing continuous spillage of combustion products (including carbon monoxide and even flame rollout) into the living space.