Everything You Need to Know About Barn Ventilation
Jun 16, 2020
Proper ventilation is a must for any livestock barn. Whether it’s a pig barn or calf barn, adequate ventilation is crucial to ensure good air quality, a comfortable environment, and protection for your livestock.
In this article, we’ll explain everything that you need to know about barn ventilation, so that you can find the right system and solution for your needs.
Types of Barn Ventilation
When deciding how to properly ventilate your barn, there are several factors to consider. The first of which is determining which form of ventilation is most appropriate. There are two basic forms of barn ventilation systems: natural and mechanical. Learn more about how each system works.
Natural Ventilation
Naturally ventilated systems, which are also known as passive ventilation, depend on the force of outside wind circulating through building openings. Typical openings include ridge vents, open sidewalls, and rollup doors, which allow cooler, fresh air to circulate through the barn.
Passive ventilation has a number of advantages, most notably it doesn’t require electricity, making it a much more affordable option. Additionally, passive ventilation will generally require less upkeep - there’s no need to worry about something breaking down or requiring expensive maintenance. However, natural ventilation does have some drawbacks.
Naturally ventilated barns are more common in moderate climates, such as regions in the northern U.S. This is because passive ventilation works best in locations where summers are typically milder. In the southern U.S., particularly in the Southwest, passive ventilation is less practical. In areas that experience hotter summers, when outside temperatures exceed the temperature inside the barn, natural ventilation will be inadequate.
Mechanical Ventilation
Mechanical ventilation, also commonly known as active ventilation, utilizes fans to control and regulate moving air within the barn. This form of ventilation is used when temperatures need to be more tightly controlled within the barn, as it gives better control over airflow.
Typically, mechanical ventilation consists of installing one of these types of barn fans:
While active ventilation offers the advantage of more tightly controlled temperatures, it comes with its own set of drawbacks. Cost is always a factor in mechanical solutions. Additionally, active ventilation comes with the added considerations. When installing a mechanically ventilated system you must decide how you will manage air pressure. This means deciding on a positive, negative, or neutral air pressure system.
Positive vs. Negative Air Pressure
Mechanically ventilated barns can have positive, negative, or neutral air pressure. It’s important to understand each option and determine which is right for your facility.
Positive Air Pressure
Positive air pressure pulls outside air into the barn using fans. This ventilation option is used in barns where doors must regularly remain open for livestock to enter and exit. For positive pressure ventilation to properly function, the barn must have airtight construction.
Negative Air Pressure
Negative pressure uses exhaust fans to pull air out of the barn. Meanwhile, air inlets allow cool air to flow inside. In this system, any exhaust fans must be matched with the air inlets to ensure outside air mixes well with inside air. If the barn doors can remain shut occasionally, a negative pressure ventilation system is preferable to a positive air pressure system.
Neutral Air Pressure
A neutral pressure system utilizes fans for both drawing in air and exhausting it back out of the barn. Typically, one fan pushes outside air into the barn through a duct, while multiple exhaust ducts pull air out of the barn. Since a neutral air pressure system requires more fans, they are typically more expensive to maintain.
Find the Right Barn Ventilation System from Farmer Boy
Ventilation systems are complex and finding which system will work best for your barn takes time and research. There are many factors to consider ensuring that you are meeting all of the needs of your livestock. That’s why Farmer Boy offers a wide selection of quality barn ventilation systems and products from trusted brands.
If you have any questions, our highly trained sales staff is available to help you select the right products or put together a custom ventilation package. Give us a call at (800)-845-3374.