How to make a hood in a cellar correctly and without errors
The rooms in which winter supplies are stored cannot function without regular air exchange. Therefore, the question of how to properly make an extractor hood in the cellar must be decided in advance so that by the time of harvesting the air in the vegetable store will please with stable dryness and cleanliness. Only in this case, the carefully collected gifts of summer will be able to last until the new season without signs of damage and decay.
What threatens the lack of air exchange in food storage areas
Why spend money on a separate hood in the basement, which is not visited so often? The answer is simple and obvious: in a poorly ventilated room, humidity inevitably rises and putrefactive microorganisms begin to develop at a rapid pace, capable of turning environmentally friendly products into foul-smelling waste in a short time.
According to food technologists, a properly equipped hood in the cellar should provide the following conditions:
- air humidity within 85–90%;
- temperature from –1 to 4 ° С;
- lack of sharp drops in these parameters.
With a moisture content of less than 75%, root crops dry and shrivel, 100% threatens to form condensation and subsequent damage to products.
Maintaining a stable temperature is largely achieved by sufficient deepening of the vegetable store in the ground and competent insulation, which prevents the cellar from freezing in severe frosts and excessive heating in the heat.
Types of ventilation systems
The movement of air in a room is always subject to the laws of physics. Knowing them, it is easy to imagine how to properly make an extractor hood in the cellar to remove excess moisture.
The owner has three options for arranging ventilation:
- The ventilation system guarantees a minimum air exchange and consists of several holes in the basement of the building. The air is placed at least 0.3 m from the soil level and is covered with gratings from rodents and small animals. To adjust the temperature, the vents are equipped with valves. Arranging even such a simple vent in the cellar solves the problem of short-term storage of vegetables or preparations.
- Natural ventilation consists of two pipes mounted at different heights. The heavier cold air enters the room through a long pipe that reaches almost to the floor level, and the lighter warm air rises and goes out through a short exhaust pipe. In an easy case, there may be one pipe. This is the simplest way to build a cooker hood in a cellar with your own hands. Air movement in this case occurs with fluctuations in internal and external pressure.
- Forced ventilation provides the best ventilation and is able to maintain stable temperature and humidity readings. This is achieved by installing one or more fans.
A working fan creates a rarefied atmosphere, as a result of which the room is quickly filled with fresh air from the street.
When is natural extraction sufficient?
The main reason for the lack of forced supply and exhaust ventilation in the cellar is the impossibility of supplying electricity. If the vegetable store is small, and the supplies in it are placed freely, there is nothing to worry about - two different-height pipes will ensure a normal microclimate and the safety of products.
An extensive cellar, divided into sections, must be equipped with exhaust and supply pipes in several places. Their location should be thought out so as to exclude prolonged stagnation of air in distant nooks. It is in them that mold will begin to multiply and spread throughout the store.
When calculating the number of pipes, the rule is followed: for each square meter of the basement there must be at least 26 square meters. cm of the cross-sectional area of the ventilation duct.
The pipe diameter is calculated as follows:
- measure the floor area in sq. meters;
- the resulting number is multiplied by 26;
- the product is divided by the number π, then the square is found. the root and the result are divided by 2.
The exhaust pipe can be 10–12% larger than the inlet diameter.
For the ventilation device, plastic, wood, stainless steel or galvanized steel are used. Asbestos pipes must not be used - mineral particles can cause allergies, cancer and other health problems.
Forced ventilation will solve all problems with high humidity
A simple and trouble-free system of two pipes of different heights almost never fails, but the need for additional spending may still appear.
This happens in the following cases:
- extremely weak natural air circulation in the cellar arises from the peculiarities of the terrain;
- high groundwater dramatically increases the moisture content of the vegetable store during snow melting;
- the basement has a significant area, but its design does not allow mounting a sufficient number of ventilation ducts;
- the room is used not only for storing supplies - in the basement it is not difficult to equip a gym, an additional living room, a storage room or other utility room.
If the basement space is planned to be made residential, it is no longer possible to do without forced ventilation - the accumulation of carbon dioxide imperceptibly and quickly leads to death or serious health problems!
How to properly make a hood in the cellar under the house
how to make a hood in the cellar The location, size and depth of the basement are calculated at the design stage of the house. The pit of the vegetable store is dug and the floor is concreted simultaneously with pouring foundation, in which air vents should already be provided. When laying electrics, it is necessary to take into account the lines for lighting, installation of fans and other climatic equipment: sensors, weather stations, relays and automatic devices.
All electrical equipment must be reliably insulated and have an appropriate degree of protection against moisture. An excellent option would be to use a network with a voltage of 36 V.
When building an underground storage room, special attention should be paid to waterproofing. In the future, this will help to reduce the cost of ventilation and sanitary work to destroy mold and harmful insects - wood lice, two-tails, millipedes.
The intake and exhaust pipes must be spaced as far apart as possible so that fresh air flows throughout the room. The inlet should not be located directly next to the product - in severe frosts, this can cause the vegetables to freeze. To prevent the formation of condensation, the inlet pipe is insulated with foam rubber. Ventilation ducts are laid without unnecessary bends, narrowings and expansions, so as not to reduce traction.
How to choose a fan
The market offers three types of devices - axial, channel and centrifugal. For installation in basements, axial and channel ones are used.Centrifugal plants are distinguished by their high power and dimensions, and are used in industry and large agricultural enterprises.
Axial are easy to install, versatile and efficient. Ducted ducts are installed in air ducts and equipped with humidity and automatic shutdown sensors.
A device of any kind is installed on the exhaust pipe so that the operating impeller draws air outward, creating a rarefied atmosphere.
What is a deflector for?
In the absence of a forced ventilation mains, wind energy can help.
To do this, a deflector is mounted on the hood from the cellar, which consists of three main elements:
- the diffuser has frequent through holes and fits over the outlet;
- the cap protects the entire device from precipitation and small debris;
- the body connects the parts with brackets.
The principle of operation of the deflector consists in cutting the air flows by the diffuser and drawing the air masses into the pipe, in which a rarefied atmosphere is created. This creates additional draft that accelerates ventilation.
A properly installed deflector increases the efficiency of the entire system by 15–20% and significantly reduces the likelihood of back draft.
Some models of deflectors are equipped with a protective mesh that traps dust and insects, but can weaken traction. To increase the ventilation capacity, the mesh can be removed.
For arranging the hood in the basement, inexpensive plastic or galvanized models are suitable. Ceramic or copper deflectors are expensive, but they serve as a stylish and status decoration.
Automatic climate control in the cellar
The simplest device that helps to monitor air performance is a psychrometric hygrometer. It has two scales and shows relative humidity and temperature. For the cellar, you should choose a device with a temperature scale from 0 to 25 ° C.
A weather station with a remote sensor will allow you to check the state of the storage right from home.
When choosing a weather station, you need to pay attention to the length of the wire. The distance must be measured from the cellar floor and to the place where the device itself will be located, or choose a wireless model.
If the vegetable store is located separately from the house and the light is supplied to it, the best solution would be to install moisture and temperature sensors that work in automatic mode. When the readings are out of the specified range, the valves will automatically open or close. Fans are turned on or off, quickly bringing the microclimate back to normal.
Automation in this case allows you to solve two issues at once:
- how to make a hood in the cellar correctly;
- forget about the problem of poor safety of the harvested crop.