Air quality & ventilation Protect your investment HRV Group explains to landlords how vital it is that ventilation systems are serviced regularly
the ‘condensation season’ This is the time when moisture levels in properties reach an all-time high.
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Streaming windows, the minimal opening of windows and doors as to not let the cold in, or the warm air out, drying clothes indoors… the list of activities adding to moisture generation in the home is endless. Did you know that a family of four can create up to 24 pints of moisture per
day from cooking, showering, boiling the kettle, hanging clothes to dry and breathing? Given all of these activities and changes that come with the end of the
summer, the need for effective ventilation in the home is crucial. As landlords, you should be considering how your property will be protected
against issues such as condensation and mould as we move into the winter of 2018/2019.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF VENTILATION? You can’t see air, but a ventilation system is one of the most crucial services needed in your home – right up there with your heating system. Ventilation systems come in a range of different types and sizes, but
ultimately, they have two main purposes: • To protect people from the effects of moisture, pollutants and airborne particles in the air e.g. carbon monoxide, radon, VOC’s, carbon dioxide
• To protect the building from degradation caused by moisture e.g. mould, damp, wet rot
In 2012 it the English Housing Stock Survey reported over five million homes were suffering with mould, condensation and damp. Six years later, the issue continues, and landlords continue to spend considerable amounts of money dealing with mould, damp and in extreme cases, tenant actions relating to indoor air quality and health impacts. The issue is that it’s often too late when the lack of ventilation, or lack of
effective ventilation is realised. While the lifestyle of tenants is a contributing factor, occupancy levels, insulation improvements like double glazing or cavity wall insulation, and age and type of property all have bearing on the way air moves around a home and the level of ventilation required. And of course, if there is a ventilation system and it’s not used, turned off, or not even working effectively you may already be on the back foot.
WHAT VENTILATION STRATEGIES ARE AVAILABLE? As a landlord, protecting your property, your investment and your tenants is fundamental. You can choose from a range of ventilation strategies including: • Intermittent kitchen/bathroom fans • Continuously running fans • Central extract • Positive pressure • Whole house heat recovery ventilation Each with their own benefits and suitable for varying property types, the drive toward continuous ventilation however has been significant in recent years mainly due to increase thermal improvements to properties via the government schemes for cavity wall and roof insulation. Basically – if you insulate, you must ventilate!
DON’T JUST FIT AND FORGET Once you have an effective strategy it doesn’t end there. Ventilation systems work in slightly different ways, but ultimately, they are extracting air, and some are supplying air as well e.g. heat recovery ventilation system (likely to be found in new build apartments and houses).
You can’t see air, but a ventilation system is one of the most crucial services needed in your home – right up there with your heating system
Air that is passing through the ducting and the system (either extract air or
internal air) is often full of particles such as dust, debris, pollen as well as pollutants we can’t see with the naked eye – perhaps NOx from car engines if the property is located close to a busy road. These particles are passing through the ventilation system and over time rest or stick to the internal components, leading to clogging. This is also happening in the duct work connected to the system. With a heat recovery ventilation system, there are a set of filters which are
managing the removal of dirt and debris to protect the motor and the heat exchanger and crucially filtering incoming air as well. These filters are quickly and easily clogged as well. Whether there are filters in the system or not, you can’t just fit and forget.
www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM November 2018 | 33
he summer was good, glorious in fact. So glorious that we should accept the winter that is coming right? Whatever the autumn and winter season has in store for us, one thing never changes – our transition to
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