Animal Shelter Ventilation Help
I help out at an animal shelter. There are three big rooms and in winter the windows are kept closed so it won't get too cold. The ploblem is, of course, the poor air quality in winter. My question is, what kind of machine can we install so that fresh air can be brought in without it cooling down the place? I've seen something called an air exchange unit. It was priced at $280cdn. Does anyone here know anything about this kind of thing? Would this be what we need? If so, how is it installed? Does it heat up the air as it sucks it in? Any better and cheaper ideas? Someone suggested using cheap bathroom vents/fan units installed in the windows to push out the bad air. But this means keeping a window open so that some good air gets sucked in, and this will cool down the place too much I think. Any ideas? Its a real problem and some of the animals are getting sick.
Answer:
First, check with a local heating and air conditioning contractor, ask specifically about ventilating kennel spaces. A heat exchanger unit is supposed to pass the heat from the outgoing air into the incoming air, but you may need to turn a higher volume over then they can handle. You also have a major problem with airborn particles, and regular filter changing (monthly or every other week) is the only way around it. Otherwise ducts will clog. Keep separate ventilation for cat and dog rooms if at all possible, and both separate from people areas. All sorts of nasty bugs can get transmitted airborne between them. Do you have a shelter vet? If so, ask about air cleaners specifically made for shelters/kennels. General opinion here is that they don't work, but I'm in SW Florida and our problem is venting heat, not retaining it and a couple of large fans pull it out just fine. I help out at an animal shelter. There are three big rooms and in winter the windows are kept closed so it won't get too cold. The ploblem is, of course, the poor air quality in winter. My question is, what kind of machine can we install so that fresh air can be brought in without it cooling down the place? I've seen something called an air exchange unit. It was priced at $280cdn. Does anyone here know anything about this kind of thing? Would this be what we need? If so, how is it installed? Does it heat up the air as it sucks it in? Any better and cheaper ideas? Someone suggested using cheap bathroom vents/fan units installed in the windows to push out the bad air. But this means keeping a window open so that some good air gets sucked in, and this will cool down the place too much I think. Any ideas? Its a real problem and some of the animals are getting sick.