How do I know whether a building needs a passive air supply ventilator (ASV)?
By installing a passive air ventilator in building, you are ensuring your compliance with manufacturers’ safety instructions and building regulations, which require a source for air replenishment for any room with a ventless gas stove or gas logs, kerosene heaters or any other unvented product. This is especially important if a building is under construction, or built since 1980.
Many newly constructed buildings are very tight, with insufficient air changes. Occupants experience lingering odors, moisture, and generally stale air. When you add a combustion appliance, the need for fresh air becomes even more obvious. By using the passive ventilator, you take control over how fresh air enters your building. If your building was built before 1980, a passive ventilator is recommended if the building is "weatherized". You may have already learned you must sometimes open a window for proper "draw" of your fireplace or woodstove.
Can a passive air supply relieve negative pressure?
Negative pressure results when more air is leaving a building than is coming in, creating a kind of vacuum. In winter, the heated indoor air rises up through the structure and escapes from upper level leaks. At the same time, air is constantly forced out with kitchen and bath fans, clothes dryers, furnaces, fireplaces, and water heaters, all of which contribute to the negative pressure problem.
Sometimes this can lead to annoying situations, such as fans that don't seem to work well, or a fireplace or stove that leaks smoke, or that won't draw at all. At other times, a more dangerous situation can result, such as a flow reversal in a furnace chimney that spills carbon monoxide into the house. Negative building pressure can also increase the rate of radon penetration into a home.
One way to relieve this negative pressurization is to ventilate with the passive ventilator. When you control ventilation, you determine when and where air enters your home, getting the maximum benefit from the least amount of air.
What does Condar's air supply ventilator look like?
Condar's passive air supply and between room ventilators are small and professionally-designed to look attractive in any room. The inside controller is 6-inches square and projects less than two inches out from the wall. The passive ventilator can also be easily painted to match interior and exterior surfaces. Outside, the matching white grill is 5.5-inches square. You can mount on brick, stucco, vinyl, wood, or any other exterior.
What’s it made of?
ABS molded white polymer. The passive ventilator wipes clean easily, and always looks as good as new. Designed to resist conducting heat/cold, and insulated to prevent condensation.
How is it installed?
Standard ventilator requires a 4-inch hole drilled through an exterior wall. Adjustable tube will fit any wall thickness up to 14 inches. Additional tube lengths are available.
Insulated air supply can be cut to fit any wall thickness up to 11.5 inches.
On all models, the light-weight controller mounts to your interior wall with four screws. The exterior grill may be fastened with your choice of screws or adhesives. Caulk with a quality sealant.
Where is the filter?
The standard filter is designed to keep insects and dust out of your house. It nestles inside the controller, and may be cleaned or replaced simply by pulling the snap-fit controller box off the wall – no tools are necessary. You can vacuum or wash the filter as needed, using it for years before replacement. Optional upgrade filters are available to filter out pollen or other ultra-fine air pollutants.
Can the ASV be shut off completely?
Yes. Condar suggests leaving the passive ventilator open at all times to do its work, even when your appliances are not in use. This relieves negative air pressure in rooms and provides controlled fresh air year-round. However, you may shut it off anytime.
What maintenance is required?
Condar’s ventilator uses no batteries or electricity. In order to ensure correct airflow and to retain good air quality, it is important to keep the filter clean. We recommend to wash the filter with a gentle soap one or two times a year.
Where in the room should the ASV be installed?
Any wall area that's easily accessible. Most opt for placement low on the wall. You can install it on the same or opposite side of the room as a fireplace, woodstove, or gas appliance. A passive ventilator can even be situated in an adjacent room – provided there’s no door to block fresh air flow into the room. The ventilator shouldn’t be blocked by solid pieces of furniture.
Consider another passive ventilator for bedrooms. It gives all the healthy benefits of a gentle flow of fresh air without the heat loss, drafts, noise, or security risks of an open window.
Is it recommended for apartments or commercial buildings?
Yes. For building managers, passive ventilators are a wise investment. Occupants are less inclined to waste energy by opening windows to get fresh air. They also help prevent dangerous “tight building syndrome,” which is now recognized by architects as a problem that should be anticipated during the design phase. The sound insulated passive air supply ventilator is designed to reduce outside noise with acoustic damping technology.
