Heat Recovery & Ventilation
Heat recovery systems work by capturing heat from extracted air that would otherwise be ventilated out of the building, and transfer it to warm fresh air which is circulated around a network of ducts.
Modern buildings lose 25% of their heat through uncontrolled ventillation and air leakage. On average a bathroom full of moist air loses over 60 watts of heat energy from the room twice every hour. That is 1.2kwh of wasted heat.
So Why Ventilate?
With an increasing emphasis being placed on energy efficiency and particularly insulation in houses, we need to ensure that this is twinned with a comfortable and quality indoor environment. Ventilation protects buildings against condensation and mould growth which is caused by excessive steam in the air from everyday activities like cooking and bathing.
Heat recovery units work 24 hours a day everyday to maintain air circulation throughout the building and so are designed to be very quiet when in operation. They are low maintenance and can be installed in a loft or even an eye level cupboard but there must be access to the unit so that the filters can be cleaned. Heat recovery sytems are generally best suited to new build projects as a network of ducting needs to be planned and care must be taken to make sure that the system is air-tight.
Homeowner Benefits for heat recovery and ventilation:
- Mechanical Ventilation Recovery Units run 24/7 but they can cost as little as 20p per week to run.
- Provides pure air to breathe
- Reduces allergies
