Sustainable solutions; under one roof!

Johnson & Starley is recognised as a leading provider of innovative sustainable solutions for the domestic heating, ventilation and renewables market, with an extensive range of residential heating and ventilation solutions.

Johnson & Starley's latest QuanTec boilers address all the key areas of condensing boiler design. Build quality, for example, is reflected in the use of full condense stainless steel heat exchanger technology, as it is by far the most durable material.

Their flagship model the QuanTec HR28C, praised by a leading consumer magazine, is the only boiler currently available on the market with integral heat recovery whilst still retaining a standard sized cabinet. The result is a super-efficient combi with  heat recovery integrated in the primary heat exchanger and all within the normal boiler cabinet size; a first by any manufacturer.

Long term value for money, life time costings, and fuel poverty are vital considerations in the increasingly informed private rental market, social housing sector and residential private owners.
The QuanTec boiler with its integral heat recovery represents the most efficient way of recycling heat and offering optimum energy efficiency. The Quantec HR28C can give efficiency levels never achieved before within combi boilers, with typical running
cost savings of £100 per year over a non-heat recovery boiler.

Sustainable solutions and speedy installation

The WarmCair range of condensing warm air heaters includes models that are suitable for both new build and for replacement heating upgrade installations. A WarmCair heater can replace any existing warm air heater with minimum disruption, and with replacement installation times generally less than one day.
As a condensing appliance, WarmCair uses less energy to produce the required heat compared with a similar sized non-condensing heater.
With warm air heating systems, one major benefit is the virtually instant heat up period. This permits certain life-style options which are not easily achieved in properties with traditional wet heating systems and can lead to additional savings in fuel consumption.
The Johnson & Starley Aquair is a Warm Air heating interface unit that works in conjunction with virtually any heating appliance, it can utilise biomass, oil or other fuelled decentralised heat sources. It simply requires a hot water supply of 80°C to give the desired outputs. Designed for use in both upflow or downflow applications, the Aquair ‘S’ Series range includes the Aquair S-10, S-16, S-20, S25 and S36 models with respective outputs of 10, 16 20, 25
and 36 kW.

Ventilation & fuel poverty

Ventilation of residential properties is a subject that has become more prominent over recent years, particularly in the social housing arena. The issue of fuel poverty has brought the matters to a head as a consequence of occupiers not heating their homes sufficiently because of the cost. If energy efficiency measures are taken up by the householder, such as double glazing and loft/cavity insulation, the property becomes more tightly sealed and condensation rears its ugly head as warmer moist
air mixes with cool surfaces. It seems a ‘no win’ situation.
Reduced ventilation means a higher risk of condensation, damp and mould that can put both the décor and structural components of a building at risk. There can also be an increase in the number of spores in the atmosphere, whilst moist air also presents ideal conditions for dust mites. Together, these put at risk the health of occupants and especially those who may suffer from asthma or other respiratory illnesses. Therefore another important consideration is the ability to keep the indoor air clean and remove the airborne particulate that may cause breathing problems.
Clearly, it is now more important than ever to consider the best way of addressing heating and ventilation installations together and thereby
helping to address the consequences of the fuel poverty trap.
On paper the easiest method of ventilating a property is simply to open a window – which may be acceptable in a warm summer if the potential noise pollution is ignored, but is totally inappropriate at other times in terms of energy efficiency.
Another low cost option is decentralised (local room) or intermittent extract ventilation using extract fans in ‘wet’ rooms, but  whilst upfront costs may look good, there is little control over energy wastage or emissions. Even with extract fan technology there is a wider range of solutions available. Central extract systems also extract stale air from ‘wet’ rooms and exhaust it to the outside atmosphere with fresh air replenishment through trickle vents. SAP Appendix Q listed systems are available for both larger premises and in-line versions for smaller houses
or flats.
For simple installation and low running costs, positive pressure ventilation, typified by the Home ‘n’ Dry whole house system, introduces fresh filtered air into the dwelling, providing a constant flow of dry air which reduces relative humidity throughout the home.

Accurate control for maximum energy efficiency

However, with the potential to recover heat energy used, the most efficient form of ventilation is a mechanical system with heat recovery (MVHR). It removes stale moisture laden air from the bathroom kitchen areas, then within the unit the air is passed across a heat exchanger to remove the residue heat.  The stake air is then exhausted to outside and fresh filtered supply air is drawn in across the heat exchanger so warming the incoming air and then redistributed back into the building. These units can be accurately controlled for maximum energy efficiency. With Q-Vent there are wall/loft installation options and compliance with the Energy Saving Trust's Best Practice scheme. An alternative MVHR approach is provided through the LE cooker hood range.
WarmCair warm air heating systems also have the option of Cleanflow™ electronic air filtration. When the heat is running on full demand, the air in the house will pass over the heater six times per hour. At each pass the air will be filtered and 95% of airborne pollutants down to 1 micron can be removed including pollen, house dust and cigarette smoke. This extremely cost effective filtration system can also be retrofitted during the upgrade of earlier warm air units installed in local authority housing as well as being available on all of Johnson & Starley’s current range of warm air heaters and heat emitters.
So, the final choice of ventilation can have many influencing factors but, whatever the case, the heating system should be considered too and advice sought from companies with long standing expertise and complementary product ranges.

www.johnsonandstarley.co.uk