Story of Air

Airtight Homes
Modern dwellings are designed with increasingly reduced air infiltration rates and higher levels of insulation making them almost completely sealed. Consequently the air inside can become moist, stale and generally stuffy and unpleasant to breathe. As we spend nearly 70% of our time at home we should be looking after our indoor environment better.

Unhealthy Atmosphere
The indoor climate can be too warm, too cold, too damp or too dry. This combined with people living together in close proximity, produces odours, cooking smells and numerous unhealthy volitile organic compounds (VOC) and other air borne contaminants like dust, chemical emissions from furniture, even tobacco smoke, creates a highly undesirable cocktail.

Biological Pollutants
Are you sharing your bed with thousands of dust mites? Bedding and carpets are their home and if your dwelling is overly damp or humid they breed all the more. Dust mites contribute to the increase in asthma, chest infections and allergies and if left unchecked represent a very real health hazard.

Condensation
Dampness is a huge problem in the U.K. Damaging to both humans, and to the fabric of building. Condensation forms when the temperature of a surface (walls, mirror etc.) is below the dew point of the surrounding air. This leads to streaming windows and walls and ultimately to mould.

Mould
Unchecked levels of moisture (condensation) and relative humidity combined with a suitable organic breeding place such as wood, carpet, wall paper etc., will inevitably lead to mould growth. Mildew forms in wall cavities and crevices and microscopic mould spores can be inhaled by humans triggering asthma, allergies and skin disorders.

Noise
Many people do not really stop and consider the constant level of sound we are subjected to on a daily basis, but noise is ever present. Often it is subliminal but never-the-less present around us, affecting our nervous system and in extreme cases our well being. Specifying quieter running ventilation products and radial design ductwork that does not transmit noise between rooms contributes to a lower noise indoor environment.

Carbon Emissions
Everyone is aware of the need to reduce our carton footprint. Managing the carbon emissions from dwellings will be the cornerstone of our Building Regulations until we reach a carbon zero dwelling by 2020. From appliances to people carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide is emitted and needs to be curtailed.

An essential part of reducing carbon emissions is the need to develop and install ever-more efficient appliances for our more energy efficient dwellings. Meeting the relevant SAP rating lower specific fan powers (SFP) for ventilation products with longer life cycles, is an important step towards providing a healthier environment.

Intermittent extract fans - wall, ceiling or window mounted with a choice of controls in axial and mixed axial/centrifugal and centrifugal impeller variants.

Energy Efficient, Low Watt, Quieter Running, Recycled Material.
All important elements in specifying and installing in line with Building Regulations which require the following minimum air flow rates.

Toilets 6 l/sec
Bathrooms 15 l/sec
Utilities 30 l/sec
Kitchens 60 l/sec

Additionally, from October 2010 intermittent extract appliances should not exceed a specific fan power of 0.5 watts/l/sec

Mechanical Extract Ventilation (MEV)
Continuously running in either centralised (loft, cupboard) or de-centralised (room) locations for quieter, constant extraction from wet rooms. Available with multiple speed choices, Building Regulations require the following minimum air flow rates.

Trickle speed - 8 l/sec
Trickle speed - 13 l/sec

Also from October 2010 continuous mechanical extract ventilation appliances should not exceed a specific fan power of 0.7 watts/l/sec

Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR)
Continuously running from a centralised location extracting moist, stale air from wet rooms in a dwelling and introducing fresh air, wormed in an exchanger with the outgoing waste air, to living rooms within the dwelling.

From October 2010 mechanical ventilation with heat recovery appliances should not exceed a specific fan power of 1.5 watts/l/sec and have a minimum heat recovery efficiency of 70%.

Hygienic, Zero Leakage Ducting
There is little point in investing in energy efficient appliances if the benefits are lost because of a poorly designed duct system. Choose a radial system that does not have bends where dust and spores can gather. Insist on a system that connects each room individually avoiding the spread of smoke and noise between rooms.