Homes are well insulated and draught sealed to comply with new Building regulations, but unless there is adequate ventilation current indoor air quality can be worse than ever and potentially dangerous. A large part of our lives are spent at home and keeping the air we breathe clean and clear of harmful irritants is of upmost importance. A ventilation system can not only ensure this is done but also provide a very healthy and comfortable living environment.
The Government’s commitment to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions requires buildings to be more airtight and more energy efficient. Air tightness is now measurable and defined in Part L of the building regulations.
The developments in Part F reflect these changes, accounting for the requirement to ventilate efficiently for human comfort and health, whilst using proven technology such as Heat Recovery ventilation and energy saving LoWatt motors to achieve this.
At the same time, the changes being made reflect the most recent research, linking air pollutants and condensation to effects on health (particularly asthma) and damage to the building fabric (mould), with guidance on ventilation systems and required flow rates taking this into account.
Open windows, extract fans and trickle vents can cost you up to 40% of your heating bill. Wasting heat causes an increase in the burning of fossil fuels. This all contributes to global warming and ozone depletion.
The heat recovery systems we offer can retain up to 95% of otherwise lost heat from your property. These systems not only save you money bit also ensure your home is fresh, healthy and has good indoor air quality.
A typical household family of 2 adults and 2 children can produce up to 25 pints of moisture into the air every 24 hours. This can lead to condensation and mould growth. In certain situations can also cause damage to the buildings fabric. This can result in expensive repairs and maintenance plus associated discomfort to the occupants.
Mechanical ventilation ensures stale, moist air is extracted at source. Heat recovery ventilation ensures fresh filtered air is supplied throughout the home.
Damp warm conditions without air movement provide the ideal breeding ground for the dust mite. The minute dust mite is now acknowledged to be a major offender in allergic reaction.
Mechanical Ventilation not only reduces dust levels but, by lowering relative humidity to below 70% significantly diminishes the conditions in which the dust mite thrives.
Cooking odours are one of the main culprits that cause unpleasant smells in the home. Other odours can include tobacco smoke, pet odours, dust and pollen. All odours can make your home unpleasant and unwelcoming to visitors.
Mechanical Ventilation extracts odours from the source to eradicate smells and make your home a clean environment.
Hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, is a very common condition that affects two in every 10 people in the UK. It is caused by an allergy to airborne substances such as grass or hay pollen, which affects the upper respiratory passages (nose, sinus, throat and eyes). Hay fever symptoms can be similar to a cold, and include a runny nose, watery eyes and repeated sneezing attacks.
A ventilation system helps extract pollen from your property and a heat recovery ventilation system brings in fresh filtered air drastically reducing the pollen levels in your home. This can result in an improvement of systems.
Asthma causes the airways of the lungs to become inflamed and swollen. It is a common illness affecting over 5 million people in the UK. Medical research shows that common triggers include: pollen, house dust mite and animal fur. Extracting these triggers from the air reduces the levels within the home.
Using a heat recovery system with filters replaces the air with fresh, clean filtered air which can lead to symptoms being reduced.
Nobody feels entirely comfortable with leaving windows open within a home (especially at night time).
Heat recovery ventilation provides fresh, clean air into the property without the need for leaving windows open and therefore reducing the possible security risk.
Noise from outside can be a big problem. Noise comes from a variety of source and could be traffic, other transport such as trains, aeroplanes or things such as road works or neighbours building work.
Heat recovery ventilation provides fresh filtered air into your property without the need for opening of windows letting in any noise.
Service Vent Ltd
Unit 8 Kingsland Court
Three Bridges Road
Crawley
West Sussex RH10 1HL
Tel: 01293 404342
Company Reg. No: 7178449
VAT No: 987 7718 39
On Monday Andy and Todd arrived from Service Vent to put in the ducting for our mechanical heat recovery system. Read more here...
This is a real-life blog from one of our customers, who wrote about his house build process at every stage.
What our client said:
"Thank you for organising everything like clockwork. Andy & Todd have done a great job and are very positive people to work with. They are a credit to Service Vent."