Anyone got an MVHR?
Discussion
I've just started a new build and will have it installed on both floors, requiring two units. As the house will be pretty much airtight (though not to Passiv standards) we've been told we have to have it. I like the idea of clean, fresh air in the house at all times, especially as Mrs Blue suffers with asthma and hay fever. I've spoken to a dozen or more people with MVHR and the only negative I've heard is that you can hear it working, our units will be in a control room within the garage so I'm hoping that will be less of an issue.
We've got a mechanical ventilation (PIV) unit (no heat recovery part) which I installed in the loft above the upstairs landing a couple of years ago. House is a 3 bed semi.
Nuaire Drimaster
About the only noise we can hear is the air coming out of the ceiling vent on the landing (can't hear it inside any bedroom).
To reduce noise I did mount it hanging from the roof timbers suspended on chains with a little slack in the chain taken up with bicycle inner tubes to form a shock absorber, so it's not connected to the floor of the loft at all.
It has made a massive difference to the whole house - the air feels fresher and condensation on the windows and damp in some rooms is now a thing of the past. Best £350 or so I've spent on the house.
I'd definitely not be without it, and if we move somewhere in the future without something similar, I'd be looking to fit one as a priority.
Nuaire Drimaster
About the only noise we can hear is the air coming out of the ceiling vent on the landing (can't hear it inside any bedroom).
To reduce noise I did mount it hanging from the roof timbers suspended on chains with a little slack in the chain taken up with bicycle inner tubes to form a shock absorber, so it's not connected to the floor of the loft at all.
It has made a massive difference to the whole house - the air feels fresher and condensation on the windows and damp in some rooms is now a thing of the past. Best £350 or so I've spent on the house.
I'd definitely not be without it, and if we move somewhere in the future without something similar, I'd be looking to fit one as a priority.
[quote=C&C]We've got a mechanical ventilation (PIV) unit (no heat recovery part) which I installed in the loft above the upstairs landing a couple of years ago. House is a 3 bed semi.
Nuaire Drimaster
About the only noise we can hear is the air coming out of the ceiling vent on the landing (can't hear it inside any bedroom).
To reduce noise I did mount it hanging from the roof timbers suspended on chains with a little slack in the chain taken up with bicycle inner tubes to form a shock absorber, so it's not connected to the floor of the loft at all.
It has made a massive difference to the whole house - the air feels fresher and condensation on the windows and damp in some rooms is now a thing of the past. Best £350 or so I've spent on the house.
I'd definitely not be without it, and if we move somewhere in the future without something similar, I'd be looking to fit one as a priority.
[/quote]
I have the drymaster 365 fitted, very pleased with the results. I was looking at MVHR systems but they were complex and expensive, the drymaster works very well and solved the condensation issues and improved air quality no end. Worth every penny it cost.
Nuaire Drimaster
About the only noise we can hear is the air coming out of the ceiling vent on the landing (can't hear it inside any bedroom).
To reduce noise I did mount it hanging from the roof timbers suspended on chains with a little slack in the chain taken up with bicycle inner tubes to form a shock absorber, so it's not connected to the floor of the loft at all.
It has made a massive difference to the whole house - the air feels fresher and condensation on the windows and damp in some rooms is now a thing of the past. Best £350 or so I've spent on the house.
I'd definitely not be without it, and if we move somewhere in the future without something similar, I'd be looking to fit one as a priority.
[/quote]
I have the drymaster 365 fitted, very pleased with the results. I was looking at MVHR systems but they were complex and expensive, the drymaster works very well and solved the condensation issues and improved air quality no end. Worth every penny it cost.
gottans said:
[quote=C&C]We've got a mechanical ventilation (PIV) unit (no heat recovery part) which I installed in the loft above the upstairs landing a couple of years ago. House is a 3 bed semi.
Nuaire Drimaster
About the only noise we can hear is the air coming out of the ceiling vent on the landing (can't hear it inside any bedroom).
To reduce noise I did mount it hanging from the roof timbers suspended on chains with a little slack in the chain taken up with bicycle inner tubes to form a shock absorber, so it's not connected to the floor of the loft at all.
It has made a massive difference to the whole house - the air feels fresher and condensation on the windows and damp in some rooms is now a thing of the past. Best £350 or so I've spent on the house.
I'd definitely not be without it, and if we move somewhere in the future without something similar, I'd be looking to fit one as a priority.
I have the drymaster 365 fitted, very pleased with the results. I was looking at MVHR systems but they were complex and expensive, the drymaster works very well and solved the condensation issues and improved air quality no end. Worth every penny it cost.Nuaire Drimaster
About the only noise we can hear is the air coming out of the ceiling vent on the landing (can't hear it inside any bedroom).
To reduce noise I did mount it hanging from the roof timbers suspended on chains with a little slack in the chain taken up with bicycle inner tubes to form a shock absorber, so it's not connected to the floor of the loft at all.
It has made a massive difference to the whole house - the air feels fresher and condensation on the windows and damp in some rooms is now a thing of the past. Best £350 or so I've spent on the house.
I'd definitely not be without it, and if we move somewhere in the future without something similar, I'd be looking to fit one as a priority.
OP - why d you want to remove, can't you just turn it off?
Yes, we're in a new build and it's a sealed house so apparently it was recommended.
We're not having any issues with it as such, it's just a very big lump and if we removed would free up a lot of space in the airing cupboard.
I did a test to see if we noticed the difference once turned off (during summer) and didn't really notice much difference.
Hadn't considered about the air quality/freshness element though.
I'd never heard of them before to be honest, and we've got controllers in the bathrooms and kitchen so we can speed up/slow the fan and level of air flow.
Maybe not worth removing in a sealed home in retrospect.
We're not having any issues with it as such, it's just a very big lump and if we removed would free up a lot of space in the airing cupboard.
I did a test to see if we noticed the difference once turned off (during summer) and didn't really notice much difference.
Hadn't considered about the air quality/freshness element though.
I'd never heard of them before to be honest, and we've got controllers in the bathrooms and kitchen so we can speed up/slow the fan and level of air flow.
Maybe not worth removing in a sealed home in retrospect.
Another vote for keep it.
Recently completed the conversion of a 70's bungalow to a 6 bed house. Again airtight (but not Passiv house) with non-trickle vent Windows, no extractors in bath rooms, external vents etc. Find no real effect in the summer as large glassed bi-folds always open etc but comes into its own in the winter.
The extraction in the 'wet' spaces, ie bathrooms, will dry the windows and walls after a teenaged shower in 20 mins or so, supposedly recycling the heat back into the house. We have a utility room with a large drying rack that holds 2 washes. It will dry clothes over night as it constantly cycles the air 6 times an hour, I believe, just at room temperature. Now rarely use the dryer even with teenaged kids changing clothes as if it were a fashion show.
Never see any condensation on any windows now internally. Also most noticeable on return from time away when the house has been closed down for weeks. Never has that stale / unoccupied smell.
Our MVHR sits in the roof space and is inaudible over normal house noise even at night. Definitely worth it.
Recently completed the conversion of a 70's bungalow to a 6 bed house. Again airtight (but not Passiv house) with non-trickle vent Windows, no extractors in bath rooms, external vents etc. Find no real effect in the summer as large glassed bi-folds always open etc but comes into its own in the winter.
The extraction in the 'wet' spaces, ie bathrooms, will dry the windows and walls after a teenaged shower in 20 mins or so, supposedly recycling the heat back into the house. We have a utility room with a large drying rack that holds 2 washes. It will dry clothes over night as it constantly cycles the air 6 times an hour, I believe, just at room temperature. Now rarely use the dryer even with teenaged kids changing clothes as if it were a fashion show.
Never see any condensation on any windows now internally. Also most noticeable on return from time away when the house has been closed down for weeks. Never has that stale / unoccupied smell.
Our MVHR sits in the roof space and is inaudible over normal house noise even at night. Definitely worth it.
arun1uk said:
Yes, we're in a new build and it's a sealed house so apparently it was recommended.
We're not having any issues with it as such, it's just a very big lump and if we removed would free up a lot of space in the airing cupboard.
I did a test to see if we noticed the difference once turned off (during summer) and didn't really notice much difference.
Hadn't considered about the air quality/freshness element though.
I'd never heard of them before to be honest, and we've got controllers in the bathrooms and kitchen so we can speed up/slow the fan and level of air flow.
Maybe not worth removing in a sealed home in retrospect.
They didn't put it there because it seemed like a good idea! Without it air quality will drop off inside the house, Unless you open the windows of course. In which case you have defeated the point of it.We're not having any issues with it as such, it's just a very big lump and if we removed would free up a lot of space in the airing cupboard.
I did a test to see if we noticed the difference once turned off (during summer) and didn't really notice much difference.
Hadn't considered about the air quality/freshness element though.
I'd never heard of them before to be honest, and we've got controllers in the bathrooms and kitchen so we can speed up/slow the fan and level of air flow.
Maybe not worth removing in a sealed home in retrospect.
The benefits weren't explained to us, and we've just taken it for granted. It was a simple question to understand if other people have one, and associated benefits.
Not that it should make a difference to your life anyway...Not everyone is as familiar with every element of their house, as you evidently are.
Not that it should make a difference to your life anyway...Not everyone is as familiar with every element of their house, as you evidently are.
arun1uk said:
The benefits weren't explained to us.
This is a very valid comment, unfortunately: it's far too common for new homeowners not to have this sort of technology explained to them.I've known people who spent all summer stewing, because nobody explained that their MVHR had a summer bypass setting to stop it 'recovering' all the heat from solar gain back into the building, and the number of people who don't know understand the limitations of heat pumps and the best ways to work around them is depressing.
And if the benefits weren't explained, I'm guessing that the limitations weren't, either?
Are you aware that there are filters that must be regularly changed, and that it must be periodically serviced - including rebalancing the registers in each room - to maintain efficiency?
Not in a house, but I have worked with similar items in multi story buildings. Have a look for filters and check they are clean. Other issues we had were condensation pipes clogging up and fresh air vents being used by pigeons. Over-all a well built system worked really well, and reduced the cost of cooling the buildings significantly.
Equus said:
This is a very valid comment, unfortunately: it's far too common for new homeowners not to have this sort of technology explained to them.
I've known people who spent all summer stewing, because nobody explained that their MVHR had a summer bypass setting to stop it 'recovering' all the heat from solar gain back into the building, and the number of people who don't know understand the limitations of heat pumps and the best ways to work around them is depressing.
And if the benefits weren't explained, I'm guessing that the limitations weren't, either?
Are you aware that there are filters that must be regularly changed, and that it must be periodically serviced - including rebalancing the registers in each room - to maintain efficiency?
I’m glad someone has perspective and balance. Thank you. I've known people who spent all summer stewing, because nobody explained that their MVHR had a summer bypass setting to stop it 'recovering' all the heat from solar gain back into the building, and the number of people who don't know understand the limitations of heat pumps and the best ways to work around them is depressing.
And if the benefits weren't explained, I'm guessing that the limitations weren't, either?
Are you aware that there are filters that must be regularly changed, and that it must be periodically serviced - including rebalancing the registers in each room - to maintain efficiency?
You’re spot on, neither were fully explained (benefits/drawbacks), however I’ve researched enough to maintain it. To be fair, we didn’t really think about it and focussed on other things - our issue really.
With ours, I clean the 2 x filters monthly, and every 2 months have to top up the water reservoir to stop sewage smells. We balance the tolerances in each room twice yearly which has worked fine.
I’ll admit we only discovered the summer bypass this year....but it really helped.
Do you know what else needs servicing? The fan unit and motor itself?
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff