Making properties airtight, so that they are capable of retaining warm and cooled air effectively is playing a fundamental role in delivering 2025 emissions targets. However, a sealed building can be more susceptible to damp, mould and condensation, especially in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms where higher levels of heat and moisture are generated through cooking and bathing. Without effective ventilation, this can cause the building fabric to deteriorate and lead to potentially serious health problems for homeowners.
Toxic Home Syndrome is a condition where a person’s health declines as a result of poor indoor air quality caused by pollutants. As of late the extent of the problem has been revealed, with reports such as ‘Every Breath We Take: the lifelong impact of air pollution’ being published throughout national newspapers. Worryingly, the report warns those exposed to poor indoor air quality are at risk of major health conditions such as cancer, asthma, heart disease and obesity.
When we take into account that we spend more than 90% of our time indoors and that the average adult requires 15,000 litres of clean air every day, we begin to see how crucial today’s advanced ventilation solutions are in providing fresh, healthy air and a comfortable living environment.
One such ‘whole house’ ventilation solution is Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR). Essentially, these units take the stale air from inside the home and extract energy from it via a heat exchanger to recover heat that would normally be lost as part of the ventilation process. This energy is used to pre-warm clean fresh air that is continually being brought in from outside, which is then filtered and circulated around the home. For example, our ADROIT range of residential MVHR units achieve over 90% heat recovery efficiency, providing unbeatable air quality and energy efficiency levels for homeowners.
The ADROIT ventilation system, which can be controlled via computer or portable device such as laptop, smartphone or tablet, can not only help achieve real-time monitoring and flexible management of indoor air environments, but also ensure homes are as energy effective as possible.
Easy to use and with an intuitive colour display, the control panel is a responsive interface, which provides a step-by-step guide for homeowners to successfully manage the ventilation unit. Importantly, the units are also designed with four different profiles to choose from – Home, Away, Boost or Fireplace, giving users the ability to program the units according to their personal routines and preferences.
It is important selfbuilders consider quality ventilation solutions that can be controlled at home or via mobile devices and are commisioned to be as energy efficient and effective as possible. Not only will this help increase the appeal of the property and protect it against unsightly marks caused by damp, moist air, it will also ensure homeowners are breathing in healthy, clean air continously – helping to tackle Toxic Home Syndrome in the UK.
