Why is Ventilation Necessary?

Why are airtightness and Ventilation Important?

A family can create up to 20 litres of moisture per day and we spend more than 90% of our time indoors breathing air that is up to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air.

Indoor air can which may contain over 900 chemicals, particulates, biological materials, viruses and bacteria.

Each of us breaths 10,000 litres of air each day and poor indoor air quality effects the health of everyone in your home

So ensuring good indoor air quality is essential, especially for those with breathing issues, such as asthma, lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pneumonia.

Around 81 per cent of people are at risk of suffering a respiratory or dermatological condition because of poor indoor air quality

Children whose lungs are still developing & older people are also particularly vulnerable to air quality, as are those with compromised immune systems

Build-up of heavy gas like carbon dioxide sinks to the floor, reducing their cognitive functions and ability to concentrate.

Airtight homes without adequate ventilation can quickly build-up a toxic soup of carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide, radon Volatile organic compounds, odours, dust mites and water vapour which left unchecked lead to mould colonies and flourish releasing allergenic spores causing or aggravating asthma and other conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pneumonia

Opening windows is not a practical way to ventilate in the colder months as it leads to heat loss

Higher standards of Insulation and Airtightness in construction means modern homes are more energy efficient but without adequate ventilation INDOOR AIR QUALITY is compromised

The latest building regulations 2019 Part F technical guidance document which states that air tightness permeability most be lower lower  than 5m³/(h·m²)

Natural ventilation ‘hole in the wall’ trickle vents and extract fans (Bathrooms, En suites Utility & Kitchen) are still allowed between 5m³/(h·m²)  to 3m³/(h·m²)  and Mechanical ventilation is required below 3m³/(h·m²) 

With improved airtightness means that buildings without Heat Recovery Ventilation will need more vents that may need to increase by 40% defeating the purpose of the airtightness.

e.g. A room could see two ‘hole in the wall’ trickle vents increase from 4″ 100mm to 6″ 150mm

Home occupants are tempted to block up ‘hole in the wall’ trickle vents to avoid uncomfortable drafts but this leads to condensation and mould growth

The aim should be to

‘Build Tight – Ventilate Right’

We to install & commission Vent-axia Heat Recovery Ventilation systems

How the AIR in your house could be making you ill

What is toxic home syndrome?

Toxic Home Syndrome is where a person’s health deteriorates due to Air pollution inside the home – increasing the risk of developing heart disease, cancer and breathing problems.

Higher standards of Insulation and Airtightness in construction of modern homes are more energy efficient but without adequate ventilation

INDOOR AIR QUALITY is compromised by microbial contaminants (mould, bacteria), chemicals (such as carbon monoxide and radon), allergens, or any mass or energy stressor that can induce health effects

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

• Heat recovery Ventilation
• Humidity control   –     stale damp air and pollutants are removed to outside
• Reduce relative humidity to below 70% RH, which limits condensation and mould growth.
• continuous supply of fresh clean air        a healthier place to live and lower heating costs
• preventing potential allergens

 Why is Good Indoor Air Quality Important? 

 “Indoor air quality can be up to 5 times worse than outdoor air.”

A family can create up to 20 litres of moisture per day and we spend more than 90% of our time indoors breathing air that is up to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air.

Indoor air can which may contain over 900 chemicals, particulates, biological materials, viruses and bacteria.

Each of us breaths 10,000 litres of air each day and poor indoor air quality effects the health of everyone in your home

So ensuring good indoor air quality is essential, especially for those with breathing issues, such as asthma, lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pneumonia.

Around 81 per cent of people are at risk of suffering a respiratory or dermatological condition because of poor indoor air quality

Children whose lungs are still developing are also particularly vulnerable to air quality, as are those with compromised immune systems.

The problem comes when damp air allows mould to thrive and creates conditions for a fungal condition called Aspergillosis.

Aspergillosis can become potentially life-threatening for those with the weakest immune systems, such as those who have had cancer or a organ transplant, or those with a lung condition such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

It can cause coughing, breathlessness, tiredness and weight loss or coughing up blood. If left untreated, the mould can spread in the blood to places such as the kidneys or brain.

According to Asthma UK, 42 per cent of people with asthma report mould and fungi as known triggers of their asthma.

Mould spores are at their highest in autumn and winter. If your house is damp, be aware that there will be an increase in indoor spores when the central heating is turned on.

Less humidity results in less mould spores.

What allergy causing pollutants are hiding in your home? 

Biological Pollutants

Biological pollutants, to some degree, are found in all homes.

These include

• Mould and Mildew
• Dust mites
• Pollen,
• Viruses, bacteria and pet dander.

Accumulation of these biological pollutants can result in hazardous health effects for the occupants, as well as structural damage to the building

Gases

Carbon-based pollutants, to some degree, are found in all homes.

These include

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Carbon dioxide and Carbon monoxide
• Radon

Mould & Mildew

Mould contain toxins are produced by the fungal body spore cell wall (mycotoxins).

Mould colonies trigger episodes in people who already have asthma, a serious respiratory disease

The problem comes when damp air allows mould to thrive (produce carcinogen pollutants) and creates conditions for a fungal condition called Aspergillosis.

High humidity keep the air moist providing perfect conditions for mould and fungi to thrive

Mould spores are at their highest in autumn and winter.

If your house is damp, be aware that there will be an increase in indoor spores when the central heating is turned on.

Damp air is due to lack of proper ventilation

Everyday human activities such as showers, baths, cleaning, cooking, drying clothes indoors and people breathing produce large amounts of water

Which condensate in the coolest part of the home usually a north facing bedroom furthest from the hottest part of the house first

Unchecked dust mites, mildew and mould colonies and flourish releasing allergenic spores causing or aggravating asthma

Get rid of nasty mould & mildew    –     Less humidity results in less mould spores.

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

• Heat recovery Ventilation
• Humidity control   –     stale damp air and pollutants are removed to outside
• Reduce relative humidity to below 70% RH, which limits condensation and mould growth preventing potential allergens
• Dust mites

Children are the most at risk – dust mites in the home are a leading trigger for asthmatics

According to Asthma UK, 64 per cent of asthma sufferers report their asthma being triggered by dust mites, which thrive in dead skin and humidity.

Thanks to central heating, dust mites can multiply in winter.

These tiny mites live in the cushions and throws we may use more in winter, as well as pillows, mattresses, and bedroom carpets.

Dust mites feed on dead skin and live in the dust that accumulates in our houses. Keeping your home well ventilated can reduce humidity which allows dust mites to thrive.

Solution

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

• Heat recovery Ventilation
• Humidity control   –     stale damp air and pollutants are removed to outside
• Reduce relative humidity to below 70% RH, which limits condensation
• and breeding conditions of the house dust mite.

Pollen

Pollen can also be a pollutant in the home, usually brought inside when windows are left open or people walk through the house with shoes they have worn outside.

Solution

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

• Heat recovery Ventilation
• Humidity control   –     stale damp air and pollutants are removed to outside
• Remove polluted air and provide a constant supply of clean filtered air
• ideal indoor environment is significantly improved greatly for allergy or asthma sufferers

Viruses, bacteria and pet dander.

Ventilation an important factor in fighting COVID-19

“Building ventilation or lack of are hiding in plain sight”

Covid-19 is a respiratory virus, it is caught from breathing.

Outbreaks happen where people gather in poor ventilated indoors spaces

Building Ventilation is a critical weapon in the fight against Covid-19 because the risk of transmission is 20 times higher indoors

Adequate Ventilation should be used inside buildings where possible, without re-circulating the air

Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems primary function is to ventilate airtight homes and in doing so recovers heat that would otherwise be lost to extract ventilation

It does not recycle polluted air

Incoming fresh air and outgoing stale air never mix in the heat recovery process; they simply pass in separate channels in the the heat exchanger, allowing an exchange of heat through conduction.

In winter stale air is flushed out and warm fresh air is drawn from outside

In summer warm stale air is flushed out and cool fresh air is drawn from outside

Heat Recovery Ventilation is extremely economical to run

Unlike an air conditioning unit which cools air by refrigerant technology recycling polluted air back to the room consuming a lot of electricity

 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Volatile Organic Compounds are carbon-based compounds that easily evaporate.

VOCs are found in everyday household products, as part of aging, decomposition or curing, all of which are natural processes known as off-gassing

Volatile Organic Compounds are blamed by numerous Medical studies for triggering asthma in children and worsening it in adults, and raising the risk of heart disease.

Breathing in the irritant can inflame the eyes, nose and throat, cause difficulty breathing, nausea, and damage the central nervous system.

Building materials stored in the home, paint for example, can contain chemicals including lead and formaldehyde, which are known to cause breathing difficulties, increased blood pressure and joint pain.

Volatile Organic Compounds such as Formaldehyde and other types of gases are released from

• Burning fuel -, heating and cooking fuel wood, coal, gas ,petrol diesel and cigarettes
• Building materials – paints, lacquers, finishes Polish including glues ,adhesives
• Furniture – Beds couches soft furnishings, carpets vinyl flooring and solvents.
• Household products -, cosmetics, hairsprays ,scented candles, air fresheners , pesticides cleaning products, , oven cleaners and other cleaning solvents,
• Office equipment – copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials permanent markers

Often colourless and odourless, VOCs can ultimately sensitize certain people to react to them

VOC concentration in an indoor environment during winter is three to four times higher than the VOC concentrations during the summer.

High indoor VOC levels are attributed to the low rates of air exchange between the indoor and outdoor environment as a result of tight-shut windows and the increasing use of humidifiers

Solution

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

• Heat recovery ventilation reduces VOC,s
• Heat recovery Ventilation
• Humidity control   –     stale damp air and pollutants are removed to outside
• Remove polluted air – dilute contaminants VOCs from furniture, carpet
• provide a constant supply of clean filtered air   –  ideal indoor environment
• environment is significantly improved great    –     allergy or asthma sufferers.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is produced by the incomplete burning of fuel. It is common gas in the home. It has no odour or colourand is released through burning candles turf, coal wood, gas, oil and cigarette smoke. It  is poisonous, and even breathing in relatively low levels of carbon monoxide may cause persistent headaches, lightheadedness, depression, confusion, memory loss, nausea, hearing disorders and vomiting.

Certain people in your household may be affected by CO poisoning more quickly than others such as people with heart or breathing problems, pregnant women, babies and young children.

Inadequate Ventilation can lead to increased levels of carbon monoxide can deprive the brain of oxygen, leading to nausea, unconsciousness and death have resulted in death.

Nothing conveys cosy better than a blazing open fire. However having an open fire or stove that burns turf, wood or coal releases particulate matter that can give you breathing problems, or cause your existing symptoms to worsen by inflaming your airways. – sometimes life-threatening.

The Government plans to restrict sales of wet wood and phase out turf & coal for domestic burning and impose carbon taxes on oil & gas in a crackdown on air pollution.

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

Solution

• Heat recovery Ventilation
• Humidity control   –     stale damp air and pollutants are removed to outside
• Remove polluted air   dilute Carbon monoxide /increase oxygen
• provide a constant supply of clean filtered air     ideal indoor environment
• environment is significantly improved great         allergy or asthma sufferers

Radon

Radon is a natural radioactive gas, that comes from the soil. It can seep into the home through cracks in solid floors, construction joints, cracks in walls, gaps around pipes and the water supply.

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality?

The best way to improve indoor air quality is to reduce or remove the source of the pollutants.

Indoor pollutants are virtually impossible to eliminate completely, creating the need for Mechanical Ventilation (with Heat Recovery) (MVHR)

(MVHR) Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) to improve Indoor Air Quality & Recover heat that would be lost to extract ventilation

(MVHR) Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) provides fresh air and improved climate control, while also saving energy by reducing the heating requirements.

Stale moist air will be extracted from the ‘wet areas’ of the home, these are generally Bathrooms, Utility rooms and kitchen.

Before this warm stale air is dumped outside it passes through the heat exchanger which will transfer its heat to the new fresh air, the tempered fresh air is then piped into the living areas of the home.

It does not recycle polluted air unlike an air conditioning unit which cools air by refrigerant technology recycling polluted air back to the room consuming a lot of electricity

Incoming fresh air and outgoing stale air never mix in the heat recovery process; they simply pass in separate channels in the the heat exchanger, allowing an exchange of heat through conduction.

Unlike air exhaust and other mechanical ventilation systems i.e. Bathroom vent fans or kitchen range hoods, an energy recovery ventilator not only gets rid of the stale air inside your home it replaces it with fresh filtered and pre- heated outdoor air.

As the indoor stale air is sent outside, a heat exchanger inside the ventilator extracts the heat and uses it to pre-heat the incoming fresh air.

The balanced ventilation system ensures that the moist contaminated exhaust air is continuously replaced with temperature controlled filtered fresh air creating controlled and balanced ventilation.

Why is ventilation an important factor in preventing COVID-19?

“Building ventilation or lack of are hiding in plain sight”

Covid-19 is a respiratory virus, it is caught from breathing.

Outbreaks happen where people gather in poor ventilated indoors spaces

Building Ventilation is a critical weapon in the fight against Covid-19 because the risk of transmission is 20 times higher indoors

Adequate Ventilation should be used inside buildings where possible, without re-circulating the air

Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems primary function is to ventilate airtight homes and in doing so recovers heat that would otherwise be lost to extract ventilation

It does not recycle polluted air

Incoming fresh air and outgoing stale air never mix in the heat recovery process; they simply pass in separate channels in the the heat exchanger, allowing an exchange of heat through conduction.

In winter stale air is flushed out and warm fresh air is drawn from outside

In summer warm stale air is flushed out and cool fresh air is drawn from outside

Heat Recovery Ventilation is extremely economical to run

Unlike an air conditioning unit which cools air by refrigerant technology recycling polluted air back to the room consuming a lot of electricity

What are the Health Benefits of (HRV) Heat Recovery Ventilation (MVHR)?

Pre- heated, Filtered, Fresh air .Balanced Ventilation is the key.

Fresh air becomes a concern now that we tighten up our homes with insulation – sealing up all air leaks also prevents outside air from entering the building.

Stagnant indoor air can quickly e contaminated pollutants like Stale damp air which allows mould to thrive,   dust mites, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)  , found in everyday cleaning products, radon and even carbon monoxide.

Heat recovery ventilation can remedy this potentially unhealthy situation which for instance helps sufferers from asthma – but also lowers your utility bills.

(40% rise in asthma between 1995 and 2003 of 13-14 year olds, Ireland has the 4th highest prevalence in the world). Humid and polluted indoor air is a contributing factor in the colonisation and proliferation of the house dust mite.