Every facility needs industrial ventilation systems, but do you know why? There are many reasons that buildings need proper ventilation. Good ventilation and air movement is essential for creating a successful work environment for people, products, and processes.
In this article, we’ll discuss the necessity of ventilation systems in industrial facilities. We’ll also explain how these systems work to improve the air inside your building.
If you need industrial ventilation system design or equipment, reach out to our team today.
Industrial Ventilation Systems are Required By Many Codes and Standards
One thing it’s important to note is that industrial ventilation systems are actually required by several laws, standards, and codes. For instance, most building codes require proper ventilation for all buildings, including industrial facilities like manufacturing plants, power processing facilities, and warehouses. Additionally, ASHRAE provides standards for facility owners to ensure they follow best practices for ventilation. Finally, OSHA requires proper ventilation to control indoor air quality for worker health and safety. Therefore, there are many reasons why your building needs a good ventilation system.
The reason so many organizations address the need for industrial ventilation systems is that they are key for health and safety in a building. Without these systems, stale, contaminated air can build up in indoor environments, causing uncomfortable or even dangerous conditions for building occupants. Since most people spend the majority of their time inside, it’s critical to reduce exposure to indoor contaminants and pollutants as well as maintain comfortable environments inside.
What Do Industrial Ventilation Systems Do?
So, what exactly does a ventilation system do for an industrial building? They actually perform several critical functions, including:
- Removing airborne contaminants and pollutants
- Controlling humidity
- Controlling temperature
Industrial ventilation systems are necessary for providing good indoor air quality as well as maintaining comfortable environments indoors for your workers. They can also ensure proper environments for your products and processes in the facility.
Ventilation Systems Remove Airborne Contaminants
One of the biggest reasons that ventilation systems are so important for buildings is to reduce exposure to airborne contaminants and pollutants. There are a great number of contaminants that can stay in the air and cause issues for your workers. For instance, some common ones include:
- Dust
- Smoke
- Carbon dioxide
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Additionally, ventilation can help control unpleasant odors that can make the workplace uncomfortable.
The ventilation system helps remove these contaminants by exhausting them outside of the building and bringing in fresh air to dilute the remaining concentrations left in the building. This can help reduce the risk of many health and performance impacts for your workforce, including things like respiratory symptoms, eye and skin irritation, as well as things like headaches. All of these symptoms are commonly associated with poor indoor air quality, which industrial ventilation systems work to improve.
Ventilation Systems Control Humidity
Another function of the ventilation system in your industrial facility is keeping humidity levels in recommended ranges. When humidity is too high or too low, it can interfere with your workforce as well as other aspects of your operations. For instance, high humidity can make it difficult for workers to cool down through sweat evaporation and can also cause condensation on equipment and products. Naturally, this can create serious issues with your facility.
Ventilation Systems Control Temperatures
Industrial ventilation systems are also essential for keeping indoor temperatures comfortable. Extreme cold or heat can cause serious health issues for your workforce. However, even simply uncomfortable temperatures can significantly impact productivity levels. As such, it’s important to keep temperatures within comfortable ranges. Ventilation systems can remove hot or cold air from the building and bring in air that is treated to be cooler or warmer, depending on the season and your facility’s needs. This helps keep your workforce safe and productive.
How Do Industrial Ventilation Systems Work?
Ventilation systems are often quite complex to achieve these air quality and comfort goals. The exact system design really depends on the facility and your needs. However, there are some basic concepts of how they work that can be helpful to know as an industrial facility manager.
Industrial Ventilation Systems Control Air Movement
One important task of an industrial ventilation system is to control air movement in the building, typically through the use of fans that are carefully selected and strategically located in the building. This is important, as you want to move stale, dirty air toward exhaust systems and out of the building while bringing fresh air into the building. The system controls this movement to ensure contaminated air is exhausted quickly as well as to prevent contaminated air from entering clean air spaces. Additionally, air movement and circulation is critical for keeping interiors comfortable. Creating movement mimics breezes, which can help evaporate sweat to keep people cool and also control humidity levels indoors.
Exhaust Systems Remove Stale, Contaminated Air
Exhaust systems in ventilation systems also help remove old, stale, and contaminated air from the building. These systems use powerful fans to draw in contaminated air and remove it from the building by exhausting it outside. Industrial ventilation control systems determine how often this happens by setting the air change rate. The air change rate controls how often exhaust fans turn on to replace old air with new, fresh air.
Make Up Air Units Bring in Fresh, Clean Air
Of course, since exhaust systems remove air from the building, it’s also important to replace it. This is where make up air units come into play. This equipment brings in fresh outdoor air to replace what is exhausted. Otherwise, exhaust systems may not work properly and you may experience negative pressure in the building.
Conditioning the Air for Your Industrial Facility
Depending on the facility’s location and needs, make up air may need to be treated for temperature, humidity, or even filtration before it enters the building. Therefore, your industrial ventilation systems may also contain equipment to help with this process. For instance, you may need evaporative cooling units and dehumidifiers to ensure that the fresh air in the building is still comfortable for your workforce.
Industrial Ventilation Solutions from Eldridge
When you need industrial ventilation, contact our team at Eldridge. Our experts have been creating successful work environments since 1946 and have pioneered ventilation solutions for a wide range of industries. We are proud to offer advanced industrial ventilation and ventilation system noise control solutions to improve your operating environment. From power generation plants to marine applications, trust our experts for your ventilation needs. Contact us now to request a quote for system design or browse our online store to purchase top quality equipment today.