Heat Recovery and Ventilation Systems

Looking for a neat way to remove damp and stale air from your home? Well it’s easy enough to achieve by simply opening a window, we’ve been doing it for years. So why do we need a new way of doing it? The answer in a word, well two words to be exact – Heat Loss. We all spend a lot of money these days heating our homes and every time we open a door, window or switch on an extractor fan that heat is seeping away along with the moisture we intend to remove. So along came some clever people to re-write the rules. Heat Recovery and Ventilation is the clever way to ensure a home is properly supplied with clean air whilst recovering heat in the process.

So here’s a brief summary of how it works. By removing warm moist air from a home through a series of ducts, air is then passed through a heat exchanger and ejected outside. Fresh air is then taken back into the exchanger in order to warm it before passing it back into the rooms of the house. So effectively the warmth from air inside the home is recovered before the air actually get expelled. New air coming into the home gains warmth from the heat which was gained from the previous step. The heat exchanger will recover over 80% of the heat which otherwise would be lost. Some systems will bypass the heat exchanger on particularly warm days so as to help bring indoor temperatures down. During times when particular areas of the house are producing increased moisture, such as a kitchen or bathroom a good system will focus more heavily to rebalance these areas.

Heat recovery and ventilation is another good choice for those with green principles. They work well in a Passive House situation or can be used in conjunction with air / ground source heat pumps. Because air can be filtered the process will provide improved air for anyone who suffers from air born allergies. It’s also a great way to cut down the level of dust that normally moves around the average home and clean up general smells from cooking and smoking etc.

Like so many modern products such as this, it’s always best to have your house properly assessed before getting a system installed. Cost is dependent on the size of your house but figures start at around £1500 for a 2 to 3 bedroom properties. The main heat exchanger is often positioned in the loft but can also slot into a cupboard, utility or garage. Perhaps not really a job for the do it yourself enthusiast. Systems should be planned out by someone with experience and a good understanding of how best to test and calibrate everything. Ultimately the system will need to be finally commissioned by a qualified person. Some thought should also be given to maintenance as filters, fans and heat exchanger will all need to be cleaned to ensure good quality air is supplied efficiently to the home.

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Paul Coupe is Online Marketing Manager for Quote4Removals.
http://www.quote4removals.com