What Is a Central Vent?

Ventilation

• The application of the central vent concept in ventilation systems is based on a principle similar to volcanic eruptions. Central ventilation systems provide a whole home ventilation solution by connecting all the vents in the home to a single source. This single source is a high-speed fan that pulls the air from multiple locations in the house to vent it outside.

Advantage

• The primary advantage to a central vent system is that it allows the homeowner to have a single fan control the entire home's ventilation structure. The advantage to this, according to equipment companies that manufacture these systems, is that this allows for quieter operation. These systems have one fan that can run at a high speed and still provide quieter operation, by comparison, than systems that use multiple fans.

Location

• The location of the fan system in a central vent system is key to its quieter ventilation. Whereas traditional ventilation systems use fans near the point of exhaust, central vent systems use a fan located farther away from the source. Although these fans operate at higher speeds, they are quieter because they are placed in locations where they are not as easily heard.

  Traditional vent systems, like those found in bathrooms, have fans that are usually located in the bathroom ceiling fixture. These fans must blow at high speeds because they are forcing the air out of the home by pushing it a long distance up through the vent to the outside.

Features

• Central vent systems usually come with a number of different features that make them attractive to homeowners. Some systems have variable speed fan systems that allow for greater flexibility when it comes to power usage and noise control. Some come with timers that allow the homeowner to automatically vent the home without having to turn the system on and off.