What is Whole House Ventilation

Almost all houses have some ventilation system installed to help improve airflow.  In most cases, this will be in the form of an extractor fan in the bathroom or kitchen which removes moist air in those rooms.

While single room extractor fans are an important part of ensuring good ventilation, they are limited in their ability to keep air fresh throughout the house. 

Whole house ventilation systems provide the ability to refresh air throughout all rooms, distribute heat more effectively, and remove the risk of condensation and damp altogether.

Different Types of Whole House Ventilation System

Fundamentally there are two types of ventilation system that are defined by the way in which they manage air flow through a building. 

Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) systems work by drawing air into a building from outside.  This subtly increases the air pressure in the building and forces the air to move around from room to room before escaping.

Mechanical Extract Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) works in the opposite way to PIV.  Moist air is taken out of the building through a central system of extractor fans connected to various rooms and is replaced with fresh clean air that is filtered as it enters. MVHR systems include a heat recovery system that warms up fresh air as it is drawn into the building.  This air is then added to non-wet rooms.  Heat Recovery systems save energy by preventing heat loss when the air is extracted from the building making them highly efficient.

Both systems are designed in a similar way with a central pump that is normally fitted in the loft which draws air through ducts that connect into different rooms so that the whole house benefits from fresh air.  The process of installing a Positive Input Ventilation system requires fewer changes to the structure of a building, so is more suited to an existing property, whereas MVHR systems are normally installed in a new build or as part of a more substantial renovation.

Benefits of Whole House Ventilation

Having fresh air and good airflow through a building helps to reduce condensation and the problems that it can cause such as damp.

With whole house ventilation, air and heat are more evenly distributed through all rooms.  This means that there are fewer cold patches in the building where condensation can form. 

Aside from reducing condensation and damp, whole house ventilation systems also help to remove allergens including pollen and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air in a home.  This can help to improve the wellbeing of residents and lower the risk of allergic reactions or asthma.

In areas of the UK with higher levels of Radon Gas, Positive Input Ventilation systems reduce the concentration of this dangerous gas and the radioactive particles that it creates.

Whole House Ventilation Systems run continually and adjust the airflow automatically to compensate for raised moisture levels in the air.  They consume very little power in use and because better airflow distributes heat inside the building more effectively, they can help to reduce your energy consumption and contribute to lower fuel bills in the long term.

Find Out More

Whole House Ventilation Systems can improve your air quality by removing stale air and allergens from your home.  They also reduce condensation that in turn prevents damp patches from forming.  To find out more about how a Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) or Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system works, please contact us today.