Heating and Ventilation

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently issued draft guidelines relating to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) which will be of particular interest to UK social housing landlords. In the consultation document NICE encourages landlords to be aware of the air quality in their residents’ homes, a subject that is becoming an increasingly vital issue in the UK. The final NICE document is scheduled for publication in December but the need for improved IAQ in the home is clear.

As the UK becomes the first major economy to commit to net-zero emissions, leading British ventilation manufacturer, Vent-Axia is delighted to support BEAMA’s¹ ‘Net-Zero by Design’ report. Launched on 10th September 2019, at the Council Room, One Great George Street, Westminster, London, BEAMA’s report sets out industry’s commitment to meeting the UK’s net-zero 2050 target and its view on how to ensure net-zero can be commercially viable for businesses and consumers.

Since its launch in February 2011, Evomax has established itself as the commercial boiler of choice in the UK. Following on from this success, Ideal Commercial are very proud to announce the launch of Evomax 2.

When you think about the term ‘home safety’, air quality usually isn’t the first thing to spring to mind. These days, we’re so concerned about our homes being burglar-proof and heating-efficient that the quality of the air we’re trapping inside is at the very back of our minds, if at all. But humidity is dangerous to the health of your tenants, the life of your homes, and the furnishings and belongings inside, so good ventilation is of the utmost importance.

Air moisture will occur regardless of preventative methods. By simply breathing, a sleeping person adds a half pint of water to the air, and twice as much when they’re awake. Property moisture isn’t a curable problem, but it is definitely a treatable one.

The myriad guidelines, regulations and ratings governing housebuilding mean it can become quite overwhelming. This is especially true for housing associations who have to sift through reams of paperwork to make sure they’re compliant.  

So, when you think you’ve heard quite enough about procedure, I’m going to take this opportunity to highlight another, one which I think is going to drastically and positively change the way homes are heated. 

The imminently to-be-published SAP 10 is hotly anticipated across the housebuilding industry. Fundamentally, it will contain a number of developments on existing frameworks. This ranges from guidance on thermal bridging to addressing the root causes of overheating in the home. For a more detailed overview CIBSE Journal has published a wide-ranging summary. 

Shell teams with PassivSystems to launch the B-Snug smart hybrid home heating system

Shell UK and PassivSystems are pleased to announce the launch of B-Snug, a smart hybrid heating system for British homeowners. 

The B-Snug system uses advanced technology to manage a combination of an air source heat pump and a traditional boiler. The intelligent controls continuously monitor the temperature in the home and analyse weather forecasts to automatically switch between two heat sources: a newly fitted Samsung Air Source Heat Pump and the customer’s existing boiler. The system’s controls use machine learning to select the most appropriate heat source to deliver warmth and comfort, favouring use of the heat pump whenever possible. With the majority of heat for the home being provided by the air source heat pump, the system reduces heating bills. And, by providing homeowners with a way to use electricity to heat their homes, this initiative enables consumers to reduce their use of oil or LPG thereby helping Great Britain to reduce carbon emissions from domestic properties.

Vent-Axia is delighted to announce that its ground-breaking Lo-Carbon PoziDry Compact Pro Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) unit has been announced as a finalist at The Electrical Industry Awards 2019. This innovative product combats condensation in mould even in the smallest of homes and has been shortlisted in the ‘Residential/Domestic Product of the Year’ category at these prestigious awards.