Every home is different from the other in more ways than one. Thus the size and capacity of the heating and ventilation unit to be installed in a house would largely depend on the size of the home. There are many organizations in the country who are professional advisers to home owners with regard to how they can make their homes more energy efficient when it is a matter of heating and ventilation. While living in a house which is equipped with adequate heating and ventilation homeowners are still plagued by many pertinent questions related to this topic. For instance, one of the most frequently encountered doubts which homeowners have is how to assess whether their current heating and ventilation system is running efficiently. The answer to this dilemma would be to first check what type of venting is used in the house. If it is a pipe which is venting into the chimney, then, depending on the age of the unit, the system ought to give you an efficiency rating ranging between 50 to 84%. You know when you have to upgrade your heating unit when certain rooms take longer to warm up and the house takes a long time to warm up during winter days. You ought to upgrade your ventilation system when you find that there is a stale smell locked into the house when you enter from outside or you could find that occupants of the house are falling sick more often. You might have to install a better quality air filter unit to your furnace or better still get a Heat Recovery Ventilator which ought to circulate fresh air throughout the day and night. then there are instances, when a particular room is very cold in winter even when the furnace is working at full capacity or the same room remains hot even when the air conditioner is working full time. The reasons for this could be many: inadequate size of furnace, under-capacity air conditioner or the duct system does not allow optimal flow of air within the house. Similarly, noisy vents are created by duct pipes which are under-sized which are emanating from your main trunk or the furnace is over-sized for the particular size of the home.
If you are living in a cottage which gets very cold, despite having a right sized furnace, it could be because cottages tend to have very large windows which usually overlook a lake or some other scenery. There is considerable loss or gain of heat due to the window size and a in-floor heating system might have to be installed to keep the cottage comfortable during winter.
To install a good ventilation system in a new home can be a daunting task for many home builders. Good ventilation can be arranged with sufficient quantity of fresh air being circulated, if the interior buildings materials are chosen carefully, indoor surfaces are warmed up sufficiently and you have a good assessment of energy consumption of your family. One of the best ways to optimize energy costs is to build your home airtight and opt for a properly sized ventilation system with heat recovery. An efficient distribution system will also help in cutting down operating costs substantially.
With a superbly efficient heating and ventilation system running in your home, you will not only lead a happy life, but a healthy life too.