How essential is it to use air quality sensors in ventilation?

Monitoring air quality as an essential part of everyday life

Sometimes the question arises, why use air quality sensors for controlling ventilation units. Isn’t it enough to just set a timer and leave it at that? And the pressure on costs in projects often decides as well.

So how is it?

Nowadays, surveys show that we spend an incredible 90% of our time indoors – that’s more than 21 hours a day! Therefore, monitoring indoor air quality has gained significant importance.

That is why sensors have become an essential part of all buildings, especially in developed Western countries (for example, in France, their use is even mandated by law), where continuous monitoring of air quality for effective ventilation has become the standard.

In the Czech Republic, this is still not as established, even though it is a significant part of our lives.

Although some may think that sensors in a project are an unnecessary additional investment, their connection to the ventilation unit is a crucial step forward. The trend of our time is sustainability, and sensors contribute to that as well.

1. Higher air quality and a comfortable environment = ventilation at the right time and at the right performance

Thanks to the use of suitable air quality sensors, ventilation occurs when needed and at the required performance. The sensors trigger a quick response from the ventilation system to an increase in pollutants. This ensures an immediate sufficient air exchange and a comfortable environment.

Improved air quality also reduces the risk of respiratory issues, allergies, and other problems associated with poor air quality. A timer setting for the unit can sometimes be effective, but plans change. What worked today may not work tomorrow. With the installation of sensors, there is no need to worry about the operation of the unit; it will ventilate effectively exactly when needed.

From our experience, we know that even just the transition to daylight saving time (when the unit does not automatically readjust) can mean a significant decrease in air quality, and thus a significant drop in the comfort of using the given space. Or often, it simply doesn’t occur to anyone that the ventilation performance needs to be increased, as people tend to gradually get used to being in the given environment as the air quality deteriorates.

2. Savings (not only) on electricity

A timer setting for the ventilation unit or an unchanging mode often results in unnecessary “over-ventilation” and thus unnecessary electricity consumption or, conversely, insufficient ventilation – depending on the circumstances. With today’s pressure for savings, it is essential for the ventilation unit to operate as efficiently as possible. Moreover, without controlled ventilation, excessive drying of the interior can occur during the winter months.

Effectively controlled ventilation by sensors leads to savings in energy needed for ventilation operation, and it also extends the lifespan of components, thereby reducing costs for servicing and replacing various parts, such as filters. Even the ventilation unit itself has its (albeit long, but limited) lifespan.

3. Satisfaction

Comfort and satisfaction of both the users of the indoor environment and the investor and installer is our most fundamental motivation. We prioritized simplicity of setup and use, which is why we now offer a wide range of air quality sensors that are easy to install and set up, and users do not have to worry about them afterward. Moreover, they work with the vast majority of ventilation units on the market.