Electrical Contracting News (ECN) August 2016 | Page 39

HVAC

SPECIAL FEATURE

(VOCs) in the air were above the
recommended level.
‘As new and refurbished homes
become ever more airtight, the number of
people suffering with asthma could almost
double as a result,’ says Ian Mitchell,
product marketing manager for newbuild
residential at Vent-Axia. ’Current building
regulations could also increase indoor
pollutant levels equivalent to the upper end
of – and in some cases well above – World
Health Organisation recommended limits.’

Ventilation
The most widely recognised technologies
for dealing with the issue of poor air
quality are whole house mechanical
extract ventilation (MEV) and mechanical
ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR).
A well designed system replaces
contaminants with clean fresh air,
and with the heat recovery it is also
possible to keep over 90 per cent of the
heat that would have been lost due to
ventilation alone.
Yet despite the UK ventilation and air
conditioning sector experiencing growth of
four per cent in 2014, according to AMA
Research, installations of MEV and MVHR
have been relatively slow to catch on.
The British Electrotechnical and Allied
Manufacturers’ Association (BEAMA) has
been working closely with NICEIC and
industry leading manufacturers to highlight
this issue.
‘Currently, only two per cent of the
UK have mechanical ventilation systems
installed throughout their homes, which
is concerning,’ says BEAMA marketing
director Kelly Butler. ‘We are aiming
to ensure that housebuilders consider
ventilation and indoor air quality at
design stage rather than as a late add-on
to specifications.’
Growing regulatory pressure means
things are starting to change. ‘Specifiers,
developers, engineers and self-builders
alike need to achieve even lower
Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) scores
and greater Standard Assessment
Procedure (SAP) ratings for new
properties,’ points out Jon Hill, technical
manager at Polypipe Ventilation.

Case in point
But it’s vital any installation of such
systems is carried out by qualified
professionals; a message NICEIC is
actively promoting.
Quite simply, the quality of installations
across the industry can often leave a lot
to be desired and there is a widespread
lack of awareness about the importance
of system design. Kent based Terry
Baker Electrical Contractors saw the
potential of MVHR in its infancy and
has since completed many installations.
‘These need to be airtight systems
and any leak will make the machine
work harder,’ says Richard Baker, the
company’s contracts manager.
‘It is also important to take care when
positioning the valves – the easiest position
is not always the best. Inlet valves need to
be put to the furthest position away from
the door in the room to get a greater flow
of air. Additionally, all modern machines
need a yearly filter change and some
sooner, depending on the location.’

“

AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY DAMAGING
THE FABRIC OF THE BUILDING ITSELF,
A LACK OF PROPER VENTILATION CAN
LEAD TO A BUILD-UP OF CONTAMINANTS

Accuracy and attention to detail is vital,
stresses Bates. ‘If ducts are carelessly
installed it could lead to leakage and
resistance to airflow, which would have
an impact on the effectiveness of the
ventilation,’ he says.
‘The over use of flexible ducting is also
a key reason why systems do not meet
design requirements, as it should only be
used in very short lengths.’

The most widely recognised
technologies for dealing with the issue
of poor air quality are MEV and MVHR.

The good news is that the cowboys
who jumped on the bandwagon to make
a quick buck are being weeded out. Now
there are some really good companies out
there fitting MVHR systems – something
that requires a trained person to do the
job properly to protect the people in the
property and the fabric of the building.
As awareness of the issue of air quality in
homes grows, we can expect to hear more
about toxic home syndrome and the dangers
it poses. It is up to the electrical contracting
sector to play its part in ensuring ventilation
systems are not only specified, but installed
correctly as well.

Standard practice
It’s also important to use products that are
able to perform to the highest standards.
Vent-Axia’s Mitchell points out that the new
Energy related Products (ErP) Directive,
which came into force in January 2016,
requires MVHR producers to meet
minimum technology requirements. ‘These
include an indication of the ventilation
unit status that must be visible to the
homeowner,’ he adds.
It is estimated that there are now more
than 30,000 MVHR installations a year in
the UK, and The Zero Carbon Hub VIAQ
Task Group believes it will become the
dominant form of ventilation in most new
homes post-2016. This means that there
are opportunities for electrical contractors
to get involved, but those who neglect to
undertake the correct training and skills
development in this area won’t last long.
‘MVHR is going to be a big part of
the building industry in the future,’
predicts Baker.

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