P30-31 Ventilation:Layout 1 23/06/2021 18:04 Page 31 Ventilation
highlighted in the Government’s public information film ‘Hands. Face. Space. Fresh Air’3. So, when electricians are evaluating existing ventilation, wholesalers can advise on the best solutions to achieve sufficient ventilation, to reduce the potential concentration of virus in the air. This is particularly important as restrictions ease. Ventilation helps reduce transmission risk and also indoor pollution by bringing in fresh air and exhausting stale, potentially virus-laden, air. The higher the airflow, the more effective the ventilation will be in reducing transmission. Therefore, wholesalers should always recommend that ventilation systems are set up to maximise the amount of fresh air in a room and, essentially, that air is not re-circulated. Systems should always supply as much outside air as possible. But with a wide range of ventilation solutions available, what should wholesalers be recommending to their customers that both improve IAQ and help reduce viral transmission?
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Effective ventilation Improving ventilation in any form helps reduce virus transmission. While many people are opening windows to achieve this, using extractor fans removes the virus more quickly. This is
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Domestic solutions First up is whether it’s for retrofit or new build. For retrofit it’s a straightforward job to upgrade existing ventilation in bathrooms, kitchens and other ‘wet’ rooms. Here there are three good options to recommend. The latest intermittent extractor fans, triggered either by a humidistat or light switch, are simple to install in place of an older fan. Alternatively, Single Room Heat Recovery (SRHR) uses the heat from the extracted stale air to warm up the incoming fresh air, providing ventilation whilst also saving energy. Meanwhile, Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) pushes out any stale air and replaces it with filtered air from outside, increasing the circulation of fresh air and improving IAQ. For electricians working on new builds, wholesalers can recommend MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery), a whole house ventilation system that continuously supplies filtered air and extracts continuously at a low rate, with a boost facility when required meeting Building Regulations Part F System 4.
Commercial solutions With businesses such as pubs, gyms and restaurants dependent on being COVID-secure to be able to operate, effective ventilation is at the heart of achieving this. Meanwhile for dental surgeries, there needs to be a gap, called ‘fallow time’ between patient treatments to minimise the risk of virus transmission. Effective ventilation reduces the fallow time between appointments, reduces the infection rates and keep patients safe by increasing fresh air circulation in dentist surgeries. If an electrician has had the ventilation system assessed and finds it isn’t able to provide enough airflow, this is where knowledgeable wholesalers can make a big difference. When advising electricians working in these businesses, ease of installation and replacement are important factors - making not only the installers life easier but also helping reassure business owners that upgrading ventilation isn’t a big job.
Modern extract/supply fans are ideal for supplying extra airflow and can easily be retrofitted to reliably supply effective ventilation whilst being energy efficient, helping reduce running costs. For example, Vent-Axia’s Lo- Carbon T-Series Fan range offers high performance ventilation with low running costs. Alternatively, if a customer is investing in a whole ventilation system upgrade, Demand Energy Recovery Ventilation (D-ERV) systems have sophisticated controls and sensors that can be used to easily adapt a system to the new COVID-19 requirements, providing ventilation appropriate to occupant needs. For instance, Vent-Axia’s Sentinel Totus² D-ERV has a range of sensors, such as CO2, PIR occupancy detection, to determine the room’s air quality, adjusting the ventilation requirements automatically and managing the system’s ventilation rates accordingly. With airborne transmission confirmed and the
Government repeatedly suggesting ventilation as a way to reduce transmission indoors, it’s clear that effective ventilation is essential in the fight against COVID-19. Wholesalers can make a real difference for homes and businesses by suggesting the right kind of ventilation for each job that will provide enough airflow to dilute the virus in the air and improve IAQ.
1. SAGE EMG paper, ‘Role of Ventilation in Controlling SARS-COV2 Transmission’. 2.
https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n913 3.
https://youtu.be/2gIdEITYEMo
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