Heating and Ventilation

VORTICE has launched a new Positive Input Ventilation System (PIV) in both loft and wall versions to help eradicate the issue of mould in the home.   We spend more than 90% of our time indoors and unless we take steps to ventilate our homes correctly, the quality of the air we breathe can be 50 times more polluted than outdoor air, with all the associated health risks. Why is that? We are sealing up our homes and when you contemplate the number of cleaning products, hair sprays, paints, air fresheners, new furniture and carpets that we bring into our home, you’ll realise what we’re feeding into our indoor air. One of the main issues is the rise of humidity, encouraging the presence of condensation, mould and dust mites in the home and if not treated properly can cause or increase health risks such as breathing issues or skin allergies.

The challenges and opportunities of improving heat network performance to support residents will be explored at a free conference in central Manchester on Thursday 8th June 2023.

Hosted by heat network specialist Switch2 Energy, the event will explore solutions to three major challenges facing the industry. These are how to reduce operating costs and residents’ energy bills; how to reduce carbon emissions, and how to comply with tougher new regulation.

The Association of Safety and Compliance Professionals (ASCP) has launched a new course; the Level 2 VRQ Award in Understanding and Prevention of Damp and Mould in Housing. Designed specifically for those engaged in the provision of social housing; the course seeks to support the sector in light of recent events by raising awareness of damp and mould prevention and control.

The rise and rise of the heat pump is seeing the need for larger and higher capacity radiators. Stelrad has responded to these needs by broadening its already massive range of sizes and shapes for its most popular radiators and the introduction of a wider range of vertical radiators. It is also meeting the enhanced need for its K3 radiators – with three panels and three fins offering 50% more heating capacity from a radiator with the same footprint as a K2 format radiator for example. 

LG Electronics has recently achieved the Quiet Mark accreditation for its leading air to water heat pump – the Therma V Monobloc ‘S’. LG has been awarded the Quiet Mark for a wide range of more than 100 of its home appliances – washing machines and the like - but this is the first Air Solutions product to receive the accolade and now joins the esteemed line up of Quiet Mark certified products available from LG.

Vent-Axia, the leader in low carbon ventilation, has launched its Net Zero Retrofit Solution to help social housing providers meet carbon targets. The range has been specifically developed to provide increased ventilation whilst minimising unnecessary heat loss through heat recovery technology. The UK is committed to meet Net Zero targets by 2050. This sets a tough challenge for social housing providers to improve their energy efficiency and so lower the carbon emissions in their properties, without detrimentally affecting the indoor air quality (IAQ) in their homes. Increasing airtightness in homes to improve energy efficiency can create areas where moisture condenses, leading to mould growth which blights many homes across the UK.

The majority of Britain’s tower blocks have originally been designed to provide affordable and safe housing to a large number of residents. With great views and surrounding public open spaces, many of them were created to replace damaged or unsanitary pre-war dwellings, with the aim of modernising our cities and improving the living conditions of many.

However, despite the designers original intentions, tower blocks are now notorious for high energy bills. This is due to the fact that most of these high-rise, multi-occupancy buildings use electric storage heaters that are expensive to run and don’t provide adequate temperature control. This challenge is especially serious in the case of social housing blocks, where residents are particularly vulnerable to fuel poverty.