A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Rethinking ventilation in renovated homes
We love upgrading our homes to make them nicer, cosier, and easier to heat. However, research shows that upgrading a home triples the risk of mould— along with other health hazards that are less visible: increased dust mites, high CO2 levels above 1000ppm and harmful VOCs( chemicals).
It is therefore vitally important to have a fresh look at the ventilation strategy as part of any renovation works. MVHR systems are becoming more popular, as these don’ t relay on regular window opening and they are the only form of ventilation where the indoor air quality can be safeguarded to a certain level.
PAUL Heat Recovery has been looking at ways to improve the air quality:“ It’ s the outcome that counts, not just the tick in the box. Unfortunately, most companies in the UK only aim at achieving the minimum statutory requirements with often only mediocre outcome. In most cases a much better outcome can be achieved with minimal or no extra cost.”
A question that is often asked is:“ Does MVHR make sense in my house, as we are far from achieving Passive House air tightness?” There are four aspects to answering the question:
Monetary-wise, MVHR will start to make sense, when the house is relatively airtight, i. e. with a pressure test result of max. 5 m3 /( h m2)@ 50Pa, which can be achieved in many retrofit scenarios.
Health-wise, MVHR systems can make a difference, even if the house is not that airtight. Good systems with pollen filters have proven to be a great health-benefit for some people and can keep midges out.
Humidity-wise, MVHR systems will powerfully tackle excess humidity in three ways: They extract at source, they create slow, constant air movement through the dwelling and they will passively de-humidify at no extra cost.
Noise-wise: If there is heavy traffic noise around the property, wellspecified MVHR systems can significantly reduce indoor noise levels.
Whilst MVHR systems with ducting to all rooms is more suited for new builds, retrofitting these is not impossible. As varying as the size and layout of various dwellings is, so is the potential solution for a ventilation system. E. g. innovative solutions that keep ducting and plant space to the minimum are decentral and Cascade MVHR.
The secret is finding a good ventilation expert, that can advise you, specify and design systems professionally and offers a range of good systems and high-quality ducting solutions.
For more information, please visit www. paulheatrecovery. co. uk
20- REFURB & RESTORE