A comfortable, cosy and functional home is everyone’s dream. We pay a lot of attention to the arrangement of the interior space: we choose a good interior, buy furniture, decorate each room to our own taste. Often, we can buy an expensive chandelier or a designer bed, but not pay attention to a high-quality ventilation system. Lack of oxygen and excessive/too low air humidity in the room are things we don’t see. But they have a significant impact on our health. We’ll tell you why air purity is so important and why poor apartment ventilation is dangerous in our article.

Why is air exchange and normal room humidity important?

Ventilation is a key component of comfort in any living space. It ensures the circulation of fresh air, creates a healthy microclimate in the room and provides each family member with the right amount of oxygen for proper breathing.

Therefore, when planning a home renovation, you should take care of high-quality ventilation in advance. Problems that can be caused by insufficient air exchange:

• Lack of oxygen and increased carbon dioxide in the air. This leads to a deterioration in health, headaches, decreased performance and concentration, and a feeling of constant fatigue. Due to the lack of oxygen, chronic diseases can be exacerbated.
• Accumulation of dust that gets inside the body during breathing. This facilitates the penetration of allergens and microorganisms. A large amount of dust in the air can result in a runny nose, throat irritation, watery eyes and other unpleasant symptoms.
• Accumulation of odours. Stagnant air accumulates various odours from food, furniture, household chemicals, pets, etc. This set of smells is not always pleasant for people.
• Excessive humidity. Insufficient ventilation increases the humidity in the room, which inevitably leads to condensation on the windows, walls and ceiling. Excessive moisture not only damages finishing and building materials, but also promotes the development of fungi and bacteria, which are extremely harmful to human health.
• General deterioration of health. Prolonged stay in rooms with insufficient ventilation leads to poor health and the development of certain diseases.

The temperature also gradually rises due to additional heat generated by human activity, the kitchen stove, operating electrical appliances, etc. Indoor temperatures exceeding 23 degrees are uncomfortable for residents and have a negative impact on mental and physical activity.

One of the main problems caused by poor ventilation is high humidity and lack of air movement, among other things. Let’s talk about this in more detail.

High air humidity and what it means

In the course of life, a person produces moisture every day: through breathing, thermoregulation, doing household chores (cooking, washing, wet cleaning, etc.).

In poorly ventilated rooms, wooden furniture and parquet gradually deteriorate. They begin to swell, crumble and change their shape.

Also, high humidity in the apartment is:

• A favourable environment for the growth of fungi and mould. They are dangerous for humans: they lead to allergic reactions, asthma and other problems with the respiratory system.
• Discomfort for apartment residents. High humidity makes the air hot and heavy. This makes it difficult to breathe and worsens overall health.
• Negative impact on household appliances. Excessive humidity can lead to premature failure of electrical appliances.

That’s why it’s imperative to deal with high humidity in an apartment. However, too low a humidity level is no less of a problem.

Is too low humidity harmful?

With the beginning of the heating season, the humidity in the room decreases. If the air is too dry, you may experience:

• increased drowsiness
• dry skin and hair;
• constant fatigue.

Dry air causes the nasal mucous membranes to dry out, which increases the risk of getting SARS.

Normal air humidity: indicators

The optimum air humidity in a room is determined by the State Building Standards and sanitary and hygienic standards. Thus, the normal humidity in an apartment is

• 30 to 50 % – increased-optimal microclimate conditions;
• 25 to 60 % – optimal conditions;
• 25 to 70 % – acceptable conditions.

It is necessary to measure air humidity in each room separately. In the kitchen and bathroom, such indicators are always higher due to the operation of household appliances (washing machine, dishwasher), etc.

How to measure air humidity?

The most effective way is to use special household appliances (hygrometers or thermo-hygrometers). These devices work very simply: once installed in the room, they show the humidity level on the display.

Consequences of poor ventilation and what to do about them

The consequences of inadequate ventilation may seem insignificant at first glance. However, in the long run, they have a negative impact on the health and well-being of all the occupants of the house. Therefore, the issue of a high-quality ventilation system is extremely important for the well-being of your family.

PRANA recuperators are an innovative air ventilation system. The supply and exhaust ventilation system provides air supply and exhaust simultaneously, without mixing air flows. The system uses a highly efficient copper heat exchanger as an air recuperator.

Our main goal in developing PRANA was to achieve efficient and comfortable ventilation at minimal cost and to preserve the energy properties of the air. Therefore, our recuperators use technologies and materials that preserve the natural properties of air and all its energy components.

These materials also prevent bacteria and viruses from growing and multiplying, particularly on the copper surface of the heat exchanger. An important component of a healthy microclimate is the preservation of heat in the room, which is achieved by transferring the thermal energy of air flows through an efficient heat exchanger – a heat recuperator.

Recognised in the international market, the PRANA advanced ventilation system allows you to get clean air in the room while maintaining heat and coolness.

And the ability to regulate the volume of air supplied and exhausted, to ensure a comfortable supply air temperature allows every member of the family to get comfort and cosiness!