HEATING, VENTILATION & SERVICES INTERIORS duct size for a given system.
GOOD INSTALLATION IS ESSENTIAL The Building Research Establishment (BRE) recently conducted a study into the installation of MVHR units. Their findings suggest that as many as nine out of ten heat recovery units in UK homes have been incorrectly installed, and that many systems required subsequent changes to air inlet valves, ducting or insulation. It is therefore essential to get the installation of an MVHR system right, from the start, by working with a competent and certified ventilation installer. The most efficient unit on the market will perform worse than the least efficient unit if it is poorly installed. The efficiency promised by a particular unit can only be reproduced in the installed environment if it is properly implemented as part of a well-planned system. Correct commissioning of the system is also crucial to ensure that the right airflow is delivered, and that the system is properly balanced.
FILTRATION
In choosing an MVHR unit, noise pollution and air quality in the area must be considered. That’s because MVHR draws in air from outside the building, transferring heat from the outgoing stale
clog up and to be left clogged, the heat recovery system will not be able to maintain its performance.
air to the new fresh filtered supply air. Obviously, if the air from the outside is polluted with particulate matter then this could be introduced into the house. MVHR units come with filters that may be capable of filtering particles up to PM10 or PM1. However, in some scenarios, greater filtration may be required. Filters help to protect the heat exchange unit as well as ensuring consistently clean air inside the property. Over time, filters can clog with dirt and other substances. A clogged filter can no longer effectively clean the air, and, just as importantly, the heat recovery system will be unable to run at maximum efficiency.
The worse the pollution outside, the
more important a filtration system will be, and the more often filters will need changing. If filters are simply allowed to
CHOOSE HIGH QUALITY DUCTING A heat recovery system is only as good as the ductwork installed. It can be false economy to specify the most expensive type of MVHR unit and install it with sub-standard ducting. When ducting is selected and installed correctly, it improves and prolongs the efficiency of the whole system, leading to long-term low maintenance. On the other hand, a ventilation system that has issues with the ducting, which can range from ‘slump’ of flexible types, through to inadequate jointing mechanisms, is always going to underperform. Poorly installed ductwork can potentially damage the ventilation unit and the fabric of the building. It is worth ensuring that the ducting is as high quality as the ventilation unit to avoid any long-term issues. EnviroVent offers a complete system design, supply and installation service. The company can ensure that a suitably sized unit is specified and the customer is provided with a detailed breakdown of costs.
Larry Soper is technical training manager at EnviroVent
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www.sbhonline.co.uk
april/may 2020
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