If there is a season when the need for garage ventilation becomes apparent, it has to be summer. The hot, humid air increases the speed at which products stored in the garage evaporate and their fumes might be overwhelming.

The typical garage contains all kinds of chemicals, along with vehicles and yard equipment. As temperatures rise, the gases evaporate and fill the air. Without enough ventilation, the air quality drops. If your home has an attached garage and you haven’t made special adaptations to it, it’s possible that the polluted air from the garage seeps indoors 24/7.

Managing Garage Pollutants

The pollutants inside the garage depend on what’s inside it. Generally, they’re volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause reactions from mild irritations to serious like nervous system damage, cancer, and organ failure. They’re found in petroleum-based products like combustible fuels, cleaning products, solvents, paint, yard and pool chemicals and new flooring, cabinets and wallpaper.

The best way to manage VOCs is to avoid them altogether, but in some cases it’s not possible. Fresh air garage ventilation is the next best way to keep them out of the air inside your garage and home.

An exhaust ventilation fan will be able to pull the contaminated air from the garage. Kitchen and bathroom fans can be adapted to garages and installed on an exterior wall. Adding a motion detector and timer automate its operation. Some fans start running whenever the garage door opens and closes.

Considerations

If you have a gas water heater or the air handler for your HVAC system is in the garage, call in an HVAC pro. It’s possible that the exhaust fan will pull in carbon monoxide from the water heater or cause problems with air quality in the event there are air leaks in the ductwork.

Increasing garage ventilation improves air quality year-round, and especially in the summer when the need for it is highest. For more information, contact Powers Heating & Air. We provide HVAC services for Peachtree City homeowners.