Heating and Ventilation

Radon, condensation and mould specialist Airtech, is encouraging landlords to put in place planned maintenance over the summer period to protect their residents from the effects of radon. With many people still spending more time at home than before the pandemic, healthy homes are essential for resident health and for landlords to meet their legal obligations under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Airtech are specialists in radon testing, remediation and servicing so are well placed to help landlords tackle radon in their properties in both the short and long term.

Housing associations and local authorities responsible for management of housing stock, along with their specialist advisors, are to be offered advance access to the UK’s first Ventilation MOT® which has been specifically designed to establish the adequacy, or otherwise, of the ventilation measures installed in an existing home.
 
David Bly, Director of Cornerstone Professional Services (UK) Ltd, the organisation behind the Ventilation MOT®, explains why social housing providers and their advisors are being offered first adopter status, “Inadequate ventilation, or, as it’s referred to in the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act, “not enough ventilation”, can be a major contributor to condensation and mould growth in a home. If a property is a recently built one, then there’s a chance that one of the recognised ventilation systems in Approved Document F has been installed and it can be demonstrated that there is “adequate means of ventilation provided for people in the building”. It’s a completely different situation in older properties which make up the vast majority of the housing stock and that’s where the Ventilation MOT® will prove very useful to social housing landlords. As a key process in the Property MOT® platform, it will let them know where they stand in terms of ventilation adequacy and what, if anything, they need to do to get there”

Stockport Homes are upgrading the heating system to low rise apartments in the Lancashire Hill area in Stockport. This has been driven by a requirement to improve system efficiencies and reduce costs for residents, and as part of these works Essco Energy are supplying heat interface units to replace individual hot water tanks in each home.

This social housing scheme features 292 homes that are connected to a district heating network that supplies six buildings, all of which are managed by Stockport Homes. This type of system was originally installed as it operates with lower carbon emissions when compared to individual gas fired boilers in each home.

Leading ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia is delighted to announce that it has been named as the winner of the ‘Industry Initiative Award’ at the prestigious Electrical Wholesaler Awards 2021. The company’s ‘COVID-19 Support Campaign’ took the crown in an award that that was in-part, decided by an industry vote as well as being critiqued by an expert judging panel.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s event was a virtual one. Winners were announced in a live presentation that showcased the very best that the sector has to offer. For almost a decade, the Electrical Wholesaler Awards has provided a unique platform for the recognition of excellence and achievement across the electrical wholesale sector.  

Condensation and mould can be a recurring problem for many landlords and their residents. During the pandemic this has been a bigger problem due to people spending more time at home and generating more moisture which can lead to condensation and mould. So, what can landlords do to tackle the issue and keep mould at bay? James Kane, from condensation and mould control specialist Airtech Solutions, explains how housing associations can avoid disrepair cases and provide healthy homes for their residents by working with specialist companies that offer surveying, mould treatment and ventilation.

Navien has launched Navien Choice – a fantastic new loyalty scheme open to all oil and gas boiler installers. There is a whole catalogue of high quality rewards available, from wireless speakers and pizza ovens, through to PlayStation 5 consoles, iPhones and holiday vouchers – as well as barbeques, perfect for the summer months. Installers can sign up at www.navienchoice.com to immediately start benefitting from the scheme.

Vent-Axia offered eight easy steps to help protect children from indoor air pollution on Clean Air Day on 17th June 2021. Led by environmental charity Global Action Plan, this year’s Clean Air Day focussed on protecting children's health from air pollution, especially following the hard times many experienced during the pandemic. Therefore Vent-Axia provided some easy-to-follow steps as part of its ongoing commitment to sharing its knowledge of how ventilation and air purification can help protect public health.