Sunday Scaries: Unpleasant Odors
One of the earliest signs that there is a lack of circulation is the accumulation of unpleasant odors. These odors usually congregate in areas like the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room where regular and efficient ventilation is needed . Unless controlled, this stench can amplify and linger, spreading high levels of moisture and pollutants throughout the home. Along with their irritating ingredients, air fresheners only alleviate these symptoms by masking the smell. Get to know what these odors mean and get to the root cause of your ventilation problems.
What is Behind the Odor:
Odors can be an indicator of a variety of things. While some smells are expected and natural in the home, others can be compromising to your health. Ventilation is reliant on surface area, windows, and products that support the space. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements often accumulate odors due to their high humidity and limited resources for ventilation. Most of these odors are not concerning to your health, but can be concerning to the comfort of your home. If these odors do not have a place to escape, they will begin to accumulate on furniture and walls. These issues are usually linked to troubles in exhausting or circulating the air in the space, which can be easily fixed with the repair or addition of vents.
One of the most nose stimulating places within the home is the kitchen. Whether it is the delicious smells of dinner or the repulsive reminder to take the trash out, this space requires frequent circulation and ventilation. While most of the smells are expected and harmless, others can be detrimental to your health. Recent evidence shows a link between poor ventilation to heart disease and cancer due to the hazardous levels of contaminants that are released from gas stoves and other noxious chemicals found in the kitchen. Without these carcinogenic contaminants exhausting out of the home, they continue to spread outside of the kitchen space into the rest of the house.
Another threat to the home is the increase of musty odors. Musty odors usually come from fungi growth and can be a result of a whole range of damage. Sometimes these odors serve as a sign for growth as mild as mildew, other times as damaging as mold. Without proper investigation, these fungi will increase in surface area and toxicity, threatening the health of both the building and its occupants. Often, these fungi will infiltrate the duct system, causing odor production in the ventilation system. It is important to remain aware of these odors and the significance behind them.
How Can HVAC Control Unpleasant Odors in the Home:
With inadequate airflow, odors become more prominent and disperse throughout the home. Masking the smell only alleviates part of the problem and can potentially create a more polluted environment. If odors are getting stuck in the home, it is important to create a passageway for them to escape and to replace it with fresh air. Exhaust vents are the best way to control odors and pollutants within a home. Exhaust vents are most common in spaces like the kitchen and the bathroom. These exhaust vents move polluted air from the range hood or from the bathroom outside of the home. Products like the FAMCO Bath Fan/ Kitchen Exhaust Vent are specifically designed for these spaces. This vent includes a damper to prevent backdraft from re-entering the home to effectively remove odors and contaminants from the space. Other options include Gooseneck vents or Heavy-Duty Wall vents depending on your application.
Another way to alleviate odors is the promotion of airflow. Attics and basements often get stuck with hot and humid air that can trap odors. The addition of FAMCO Gable vents or Foundation vents for these spaces helps increase ventilation with its louvered design, while also protecting the space from animal infiltration.
Regardless of your application, FAMCO has a vent for you to alleviate your odor problems. Bring comfort back in and keep odors out with FAMCO!
