Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has welcomed recent research on the importance of good indoor air quality (IAQ) and how the nation’s health is dependent on it. With this growing body of research comes increased awareness, among homebuyers as indoor air quality rises in importance as both a comfort and health issue in residential New Build properties.
The Royal College of Physicians recently published the report “Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution” which states that around 40,000 people are dying in the UK every year due to air pollution. Exposure to indoor air pollutants such as kitchen products, faulty boilers, open fires, fly sprays air fresheners and second-hand smoke further add to these figures and impact on indoor air quality. And with health problems such as cancer, asthma, stroke and heart disease, diabetes, obesity and dementia all linked to poor air quality, it’s clear that this needs to be urgently addressed in every household.
This new report backs up the findings of other recent research, including the new BEAMA survey “My Health My Home” which revealed that over one third of UK homes are at an elevated or severe risk of having polluted indoor air. It follows on from the IAQ research “The Future of Indoor Air Quality in UK Homes and its Impact on Health”. This found that as new and refurbished homes become ever more air tight to meet the Government’s carbon emission targets for 2050, the number of people suffering with asthma could increase by 80% from current levels. It also found that indoor pollutant levels could increase to the upper end and beyond of World Health Organisation recommended limits. The report suggests that the solution for good IAQ is continuous ventilation and, in new build homes, continuous mechanical ventilation, preferably with heat recovery (MVHR) is the most efficient and effective option.
Vent-Axia’s latest MVHR unit is the Sentinel Kinetic Advance which offers a range of features that improve IAQ, allowing households to control it from their sofa via an innovative App. Programmable controllers are also available via the App which can schedule boosting when it is very hot, or to avoid boosting at night, as well as a 100% Summer Bypass which features an evening or overnight purge, allowing home owners to choose when to take advantage of cooler air during hot summer periods. Filters up to F7 grade ensure that even homes in heavily urbanised areas can filter out most impurities, including damaging PM2.5 particles. A filter check warning tells households via the App, text or email when filters need changing, thus helping to maintain the quality of incoming air.
For housebuilders the Advance achieves the holy grail of high efficiency and low sound levels with trickle settings of up to 40% that still stay below 20dBA. It boasts a specific power (SFP) as low as 0.38W/l/s, combined with 93% heat recovery and an airflow of 100l/s at 150Pa. Designed for the new build residential market, the Advance tops the PCBD list as the best performing MVHR unit in its class, offering valuable reductions in Dwelling Emission Rates (DER).
This latest MVHR has a range of other benefits for housebuilders too. App-controlled functionality means the Advance offers simplified installation and commissioning, saving time on site and so money, reducing build length and improving build quality. When installers use a vane anemometer to measure airflow, using just one hand they can use the App to control airflows during measurement, making it unnecessary to repeatedly return to the unit to adjust fan speeds. USB functionality allows pre-commissioning, thus saving time on developments with same specification builds, and an on-board power consumption display means there is no need for a trained electrician to access the power feed for commissioning – resulting in a safer, quicker fit.
Part of Vent-Axia’s Kinetic range of MVHR units, the Advance is a whole house heat recovery system combining supply and extract ventilation in one unit. Warm, moist air is extracted from ‘wet’ rooms through ducting, passing through the heat exchanger before being exhausted outside. Fresh incoming air is preheated via the integral heat exchanger which recovers 93% of the heat that would otherwise be wasted.
For up-to-date ventilation guidance and an overview of the research visit vent-axia.com/healthyhomes. For further information on all products and services offered by Vent-Axia telephone 0844 856 0590 or visit vent-axia.com.