The growing need for home ventilation systems

To prevent the build-up of odours, moisture and stale air indoors, many properties still rely on natural ventilation, like open windows, to renew air quality. While this method can work, it is also a major way for valuable heat energy to escape.

Although natural ventilation is likely one of the factors driving your energy bill up, a constant flow of fresh air is essential to the health of both your tenants and your building.

To address this issue, a growing number of property owners are adopting residential ventilation units.

What is a residential ventilation system and how do they work?

Residential air ventilation units are systems that work to regulate indoor conditions to ensure occupants can enjoy a comfortable, fresh environment. To do this there are a number of different types of solutions that can be used. While the goal of all these technologies is the same, the way they work is fundamentally different.

Positive input ventilation (PIV)

Firstly, positive input ventilation (PIV units) is a type of residential air ventilator that aims to renew indoor spaces by forcing out stale air through natural gaps in the building.

To do this, a unit is typically installed in the loft of a home. From here it can collect and filter outdoor air that makes its way in through the roof. Through a ceiling-mounted diffuser, this clean, filtered air is then circulated throughout the structure, gently pushing old air out at the same time.

While this method is simple and cost-effective to install, these systems still rely on natural ventilation to work. As a result, this method is unlikely to generate meaningful savings as valuable heat energy is still allowed to escape.

Mechanical extraction ventilation (MEV)

Mechanical extraction ventilation (MEV) is another method that building owners can implement to extract excess moisture from wet rooms, like bathrooms and kitchens. To do this extractor fans must be ducted throughout a building to an exhaust on the outside of the property. From here, the stale air is ejected.

While this technology can improve your air quality score, it still relies on natural ventilation to keep inside conditions renewed; as a consequence, valuable heat energy is lost.

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR)

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) combines the best of both worlds by keeping air fresh and warm at a low cost to both the environment and your bottom line.

To do this, MVHR systems pump out stale air and renew the indoor atmosphere with clean, fresh air. However, before it is completely exhausted from the building, a heat exchanger within these units transfers the warmth leaving the property to the fresh air coming in.

By doing this heat transfer, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery systems can help keep structures at a consistent temperature efficiently and cost-effectively. In practice, this may help reduce your energy bill by up to 30% every year – a considerable saving over time that makes MVHR technology an excellent long-term investment.

We incorporate this efficient technology within Dantherm’s full range of residential ventilation units, delivering effective, sustainable results.

Why the growing need for indoor ventilation?

The need for residential ventilation is only growing as more and more countries lay out ambitious environmental targets for the years ahead tied to building work.

As part of this strategy, a number of governments have begun to enforce stricter building regulations. In order to make houses, apartments and other dwellings more energy-efficient and eco-conscious, they are being built as air-tight as possible – limiting the amount of natural ventilation into these buildings.

As the number of well-insulated homes continues to grow, the need for effective residential ventilation becomes more prominent.

The benefits of residential ventilation solutions

Now that we have discussed what residential ventilation technology is, how it works, and why it is becoming more important – what benefits can this innovative technology bring to your portfolio of properties?

Maintain optimal conditions indoors

While you may be able to put a price on the health of your building, it’s impossible to put a figure on the well-being of your tenants. The people who stay in your accommodation are the beating heart of your business, so keeping them happy is essential to the success of your operations.

By incorporating residential ventilation technology with heat recovery throughout your properties, you can ensure indoor air quality and temperature are maintained year-round.

Reduce your energy bill

Many homes still rely on open windows to introduce fresh air throughout their property. However, by letting the cool outdoor air in, you inadvertently let precious warm air escape.

Residential ventilation technology can help reduce your energy bill by capturing and recycling the existing heat energy in your building. This can help you stretch every penny spent on heating and bolster your bottom line.

Cut emissions

By reusing existing heat energy and keeping your power consumption down, you also help reduce your impact on the environment.

Not only can this help you comply with increasingly strict building regulations in the foreseeable future, but it can also help you strengthen your reputation as a business. This could prove an invaluable asset as society continues to understand the importance of sustainability.

Keep indoor spaces clean

As people place a greater value on their health, a growing number of individuals consider clean, warm air a worthwhile investment – especially in a post-COVID world.

Residential ventilation technology reduces the risk of illnesses spreading, including COVID-19, by providing adequate ventilation for pathogens to escape. Fresh, filtered air is then pumped through in its place, improving indoor air quality and keeping interiors clean and healthy.

Preserve your home or building

Without any type of residential ventilation to automatically regulate the indoor climate, the onus is on homeowners and residents to keep their space ventilated. However, if people do not have the time or know-how to keep conditions regulated, moisture can build up and condense on walls. Over time, mould growth can damage the fabric of your property.

By installing MVHR systems, building owners can monitor and control their indoor conditions. This can help preserve the health of your structure in the long term and reduce costly issues later down the line - particularly important for owners of rented accommodation who cannot simply rely on occupants to manually maintain the freshness of the air.

When should I use a ventilation system?

New builds

In an effort to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, many new homes are very well insulated. As mentioned previously, while this is great for keeping warmth inside, it also traps stale air and moisture too.

With this in mind, new builds are more often than not a beneficial place for residential air ventilation. Not only can they provide fresh, comfortable conditions inside, but also help to future-proof structures as building regulations only become stricter.

Leased property

If you’re leasing out a property to a third party, you want it to be well-maintained and preserved for future tenants.

Residential air ventilation can give you, as a building owner, the power to regulate indoor conditions automatically. With these tools, you can help prevent the buildup of moisture, mould and rust indoors and keep your portfolio healthy and clean for years to come.

Flats with poor outdoor access

Not every structure has access to fresh, outdoor air. Some apartment blocks, for example, back onto other high rise buildings.

In situations like this, tenants are physically unable to ventilate the spaces themselves. Here, residential ventilation technology would play a key role in boosting the happiness of inhabitants and maintaining the condition of your facilities.

What impact can bad air have on you and your family?

If stale, moist, or polluted air is allowed to build up and fester over time, your accommodation can become an uncomfortable and unhealthy place to inhabit. While older people, children and those with chronic conditions are among the most vulnerable to poor air quality, fit and healthy people can suffer too.

The build-up of stale air can:

Choose the right residential ventilation system for your properties

We hope that this has given you a stronger understanding of the role home ventilation systems will play in improving the air quality, comfortability and sustainability of the next generation of properties. Now is the time to invest in this technology, and locate the best possible products for your next build or renovation.

Dantherm are global leaders in robust, reliable and sustainable climate control solutions. With over 60 years of experience, our residential ventilation systems, such as our HCV 400, are highly efficient and effective at supplying air to premises globally. But that’s not all - building owners the world over use Dantherm ventilation units because our technology is:

Highly energy efficient

Dantherm air ventilation units are among the most energy-efficient products on the market today. To do this, our units come equipped with low-energy EC fans and a number of in-built sensors and software features to help reduce power consumption during off-peak hours.

By keeping your energy bill down, you can reduce the impact your portfolio of properties has on the environment, while saving you money at the same time.

Configurable to your environment

To take our residential ventilation units one step further, a new generation of enthalpy heat exchangers can be fitted within a number of our units, such as our HCV 400.

This technology can regulate both heat and humidity at the same time; crucial, as excess dry air can trigger sore throats, itchy eyes or dermatitis.

Built to last; easy to maintain

We know how important consistency and continuity are to your business and the comfort of your residents. As a result, our solutions are built to operate effectively year-round.

As part of this promise, a number of our solutions come fitted with an intelligent control system that helps prevent units from frosting up in freezing conditions.

In addition, when it does come time to maintain your Dantherm system, our vast support network can help you source technicians and spares whenever you need them.

To learn more about our full range of residential air ventilation units, speak to an expert today, or get in touch using the form below.