Heating and Ventilation

A combination of technology and training can help housing association professionals ensure that their approach to damp and mould reflects the call for ‘zero tolerance’ made by the Housing Ombudsman.

The Property Care Association (PCA), has a carefully curated package of training options available to Housing Association professionals, that can be tailored to suit specific needs.

In addition, the Association can signpost professionals to its newly developed Condensation and Mould Diagnostic System, that can identify the root cause of the issue and provide impartial recommendations to remedy the problem.

Following the introduction of the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, there has been a sharp focus on dampness in tenanted buildings, with Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway calling for a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to damp and mould.

We recognise the Ombudsman is calling for a fresh attitude to dealing with the prevailing issues and adds moving from a ‘blame’ to ‘responsibility’ culture as a key directive.

The Property MOT® flexible surveying platform answers the call for a proactive response demonstrating change and meaningful support for residents with fact-based resolutions.

The uniform framework has been developed to be undertaken by trained and certified persons via a support based licensed application resulting in the issuance of Certifications for property conditions alongside any pertinent Advisories.

Thanks to the Building Regulations and Part L changes, which come into force this summer, low temperature heating systems will now become the norm for newly built homes. While there is flexibility on which energy source can be used,
it is anticipated that heat pumps will become the most specified option.

Here, Ashley Cooper, Managing Director at WMS underfloor heating, provides an overview of the changes ahead and how underfloor heating and heat pumps can together achieve the ultimate low temperature system.

One of the current key challenges in the housing sector is how to tackle the move from traditional fossil fuel sources to new, renewable and low carbon solutions for heating residential homes. Panasonic’s UK and Ireland Head of Marketing, Richard Bishop, focuses on the importance of live demonstrations and regular training for installing and maintenance, to keep ahead of the game when it comes to sustainable technology.

Nick Gander and Rod Davies of Energy Carbon tackle some common concerns when preparing low-income housing ready for the future.

We live in a rapidly changing world with exciting changes in the UK impacting what we are able to supply for low-income families for their new homes.

The home needs to be ‘green’ and have low embodied carbon. It needs to have zero energy bills and should have little to no ongoing maintenance costs. It must also meet all the government’s targets for 2050, and beyond. But what does this all actually mean?

With the average household in the UK emitting 2.7 tonnes of CO2 every year from heating alone, the UK Government have introduced new regulations to help reduce carbon emissions.  Housebuilders and developers will need to comply with the new SAP10 regulations from 15th June 2022 for all new builds. Richard Bishop, Head of Marketing for UK and Ireland for Panasonic, explores why air to water heat pumps are the future for the housing sector and an essential step in challenging the climate change crisis.

Leading British ventilation manufacturer, Vent-Axia, has donated ventilation units to local charity, Giving Back Crawley, as part of the refurbishment of its new base. A small charity that serves the local homeless community, Giving Back Crawley found a permanent place to operate from, including preparing and cooking hot meals, but the building needed a complete refurbishment following water damage. Vent-Axia supported this great cause with ventilation to help make the place a suitable home for the charity.

Vent-Axia was more than happy to help Giving Back Crawley. One of the company’s members of staff Linda Dawson regularly volunteers at the charity so was able to give a first-hand account of all the good work the charity does with helping the homeless in Crawley. Cooking and delivering over 100,000 meals in the last 18 months to those who need them most, Giving Back Crawley serves the homeless community in Crawley, West Sussex and is entirely run by volunteers. As well as serving their guests free meals, the charity provides the essential items they need to get by such as clothing, bedding and wellbeing items. Giving Back Crawley’s new base also allows them to run a free grocery shop and host regular health checks with paramedics.