Looking Back: The History of Home Ventilation

People became aware of the need for ventilation when they first began heating their dwellings with open fires millennia ago. Home ventilation is now part of our Lorain building code, but these requirements were added relatively recently. Historically, we gained an understanding of the importance and necessary amount of fresh air ventilation over centuries of trial, error and study.

Here’s a look at the history of home ventilation’s evolution to today’s mechanical methods:

17th Century

Back in 1631, King Charles I of England discovered that heating-related indoor pollution caused health issues for his people. He put out a decree that homes should have 10-foot ceilings, at minimum, and windows must be taller than wide to provide more natural ventilation.

Early 19th Century

In 1835, when Britain’s Houses of Parliament were rebuilt, a ventilation system was included. Outdoor air was funneled into a heating chamber where it moved over steam pipes before flowing into ductwork for distribution.

Late 19th Century

In 1893, American Dr. J. Billings stated that buildings need at least 30 cfm per occupant of ventilation, but recommended 60 cfm. The American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE) adopted this minimum in 1895. This much airflow required mechanical ventilation, which was possible thanks to innovations made in the electrical power industry.

20th Century

Massachusetts became the first state to put a 30 cfm rate of ventilation into law in 1914. By 1925, 22 states had adopted that minimum rate. The same year, ASHVE published its first code with recommendations for home ventilation and heating.

21st Century

Today, we have a wide choice of effective mechanical ventilation methods available for homes and other buildings, which include:

• Exhaust fans to expel humid air from bathrooms and kitchens.
• Whole-house fans that draw stale household into the attic and expel it through roof or eave vents.
• Supply ventilation systems that bring outdoor air into the HVAC system’s return ducts.
• Balanced whole-house systems that have independent intake and exhaust ductwork.

To learn about home ventilation options to improve the quality of your indoor air, contact us today at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.