Indoor air quality

In a previous article for Mitsubishi Ecodan’s ‘The Hub’ (https://les.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/the-hub/good-indoor-air-quality-is…) I mentioned that the average British person spends 22 hours a day inside… or around 90% of their overall day. Unfortunately, this is also true of our children too; 36% of parents think their kids are not spending enough time outside, whilst 1 in 6 are uncertain themselves of how much time outdoors is actually sufficient, according to various studies.

With all this time being spent indoors, it’s easy to think we are protected from the various coughs, colds and illnesses typically associated with prolonged exposure to adverse weather. We don’t tend to think about the harmful gases, chemicals and toxins that we breathe in unknowingly whilst inside throughout the course of any given day. Yet these pollutants are to blame for many of the migraines, skin and eye irritations, allergic reactions and general tiredness that we all suffer from, from time to time.

We’re all acutely aware of how air pollution can affect tenants' health. For too long, air pollution has been considered as an “outdoor problem”. But what about the air inside homes? After all, it’s the same air, just trapped within four walls. And, trapped as it is, it is susceptible to all kinds of indoor pollutants.

We spend around 90% of our time indoors, so it’s vital that the air we breathe there is clean. Together with leading air conditioning unit supplier Daikin, we explore the risks of toxins building up and reducing the air quality within the home, and what can be done to improve indoor air quality.

With over 1 million tonnes of plastic going to landfill every year in the UK alone, industry-leading ventilation company Vent-Axia is helping social housing providers reduce their environmental impact by designing modular products to reduce plastic waste. By carefully considering the design of its products, Vent-Axia’s latest energy efficient fans are even easier to repair and recycle, reducing carbon footprints and helping make ventilation even more cost effective for social housing providers.

In the past many manufacturers have recommended that if a fan has a fault it should be replaced. Not only is this expensive when the fan has exceeded its warranty period, but a lot of unnecessary waste is sent to landfill. Vent-Axia has now tackled this issue head on designing fans, such as the Lo-Carbon Revive, which have individual modular components that can all be replaced separately. So, if a Lo-Carbon Revive develops a fault it’s likely that a new spare part can be easily ordered, avoiding paying for a completely new fan. This considerably reduces the amount of plastic waste and, should the exterior of the unit require replacing, all Lo-Carbon Revive fans are made with recyclable ABS plastic.

Condensation and mould control specialist, Airtech, provides a comprehensive service to Housing Associations and Local Authorities to overcome the problems of condensation and mould and help create healthy homes for residents.

Vortice Limited is delighted to introduce the new Vort Platt HCS, compact centralised mechanical ventilation unit into its range.

Offering a totally new way of thinking about Positive Input Ventilation (PIV), Vent-Axia’s innovative new Lo-Carbon PoziDry Compact Pro is the ideal solution for combating condensation and mould in problem properties without a loft. Ultra small and light, the unit can fit in the smallest of spaces and a removable inner cartridge makes installation and maintenance a breeze.
Vent-Axia has spent considerable R&D time thinking outside the box to come up with an innovative solution inside the box. The unique PoziDry Compact Pro has been designed to be the smallest on the market, making it easy to install even in the tiniest apartments. Half the size of conventional boxed PIV units the PoziDry Compact Pro is still powerful enough to effectively tackle condensation and mould. With the unit’s cross section measuring only 200mm by 200mm the PoziDry Compact Pro is so small that it can fit inside the decorative boxing that is used to cover its ducting.

Vent-Axia, the ventilation industry leaders, has welcomed the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, which came into force on 20th March 2019.