Heating and Ventilation

In new build homes with precast concrete or timber suspended ground floors, controlling atmospheric moisture in the sub-floor space is normally provided by means of natural ventilators. These include airbricks or grilles of appropriate size and number and are located on opposing external walls to ensure cross ventilation. Attention to detail with sleeper walls and other obstructions in the sub-floor void is also required to ensure that the air can move freely with minimum resistance between external ventilators.

While the provision of such natural ventilation is relatively easy to achieve in new build homes, existing homes often suffer the consequences of inadequate natural ventilation of sub-floor spaces. Ventilators can become blocked over time with dirt and debris or covered when external ground levels are raised through new landscaping or patio coverings. Extensions to homes can also result in natural ventilation of a sub-floor space being negatively impacted. You only have to look at the number of mid terrace homes throughout the UK with rear extensions added with original sub-floor ventilators still visible on the front façade but with none on the rear extension to understand how this can be a problem in many dwellings. There is no way to easily naturally ventilate such a sub-floor.

Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) is a tried and tested method of dealing with condensation and mould in the UK’s housing stock. It is estimated that PIV units have been installed in over one million homes since it was first introduced back in the 1970’s. Tens of thousands of PIV units continue to be installed every year and is often the first choice of ventilation for many landlords wishing to provide adequate ventilation for their tenants.

We are extremely proud to announce that we are once again finalists in the 2021 H&V News Awards.
Our innovative Titon Ultimate® dMEV and Titon FireSafe® Air Brick products have been shortlisted in the ‘Domestic Ventilation Product of the Year’ category.

Radon, condensation and mould specialist Airtech, is encouraging landlords to put in place planned maintenance over the summer period to protect their residents from the effects of radon. With many people still spending more time at home than before the pandemic, healthy homes are essential for resident health and for landlords to meet their legal obligations under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Airtech are specialists in radon testing, remediation and servicing so are well placed to help landlords tackle radon in their properties in both the short and long term.

Housing associations and local authorities responsible for management of housing stock, along with their specialist advisors, are to be offered advance access to the UK’s first Ventilation MOT® which has been specifically designed to establish the adequacy, or otherwise, of the ventilation measures installed in an existing home.
 
David Bly, Director of Cornerstone Professional Services (UK) Ltd, the organisation behind the Ventilation MOT®, explains why social housing providers and their advisors are being offered first adopter status, “Inadequate ventilation, or, as it’s referred to in the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act, “not enough ventilation”, can be a major contributor to condensation and mould growth in a home. If a property is a recently built one, then there’s a chance that one of the recognised ventilation systems in Approved Document F has been installed and it can be demonstrated that there is “adequate means of ventilation provided for people in the building”. It’s a completely different situation in older properties which make up the vast majority of the housing stock and that’s where the Ventilation MOT® will prove very useful to social housing landlords. As a key process in the Property MOT® platform, it will let them know where they stand in terms of ventilation adequacy and what, if anything, they need to do to get there”

Stockport Homes are upgrading the heating system to low rise apartments in the Lancashire Hill area in Stockport. This has been driven by a requirement to improve system efficiencies and reduce costs for residents, and as part of these works Essco Energy are supplying heat interface units to replace individual hot water tanks in each home.

This social housing scheme features 292 homes that are connected to a district heating network that supplies six buildings, all of which are managed by Stockport Homes. This type of system was originally installed as it operates with lower carbon emissions when compared to individual gas fired boilers in each home.

Leading ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia is delighted to announce that it has been named as the winner of the ‘Industry Initiative Award’ at the prestigious Electrical Wholesaler Awards 2021. The company’s ‘COVID-19 Support Campaign’ took the crown in an award that that was in-part, decided by an industry vote as well as being critiqued by an expert judging panel.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s event was a virtual one. Winners were announced in a live presentation that showcased the very best that the sector has to offer. For almost a decade, the Electrical Wholesaler Awards has provided a unique platform for the recognition of excellence and achievement across the electrical wholesale sector.