Essential Shopping List When Installing MVHR In Your Home/Office

MVHR Units

MVHR Units are the heart and brains of the system. The 'heart' is the motor which moves air around the house and the 'brain' runs the controls which senses the home environment and respond by increasing or decreasing air movement in the home.

System Controls

System controls bring visual feedback from the MVHR unit into the home. They also extend the range of functions showing service and maintenance alerts and high speed activation if required i.e. burnt the toast. Controls can also be provided which give full remote connectivity via an app which can allow remote connectivity.

Air Distribution Manifolds

Air distribution Manifolds are used with Radial ducting systems. These could be related to lungs as they are air reservoirs that collect air flowing to and from the home. From here, air is distributed to and from each of the rooms.

Ducting Systems

Ducting systems are the veins and arteries. Via the manifolds, ducting moves air to and from each individual room extracting air from ‘wet rooms’ kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and WCs, and supplying fresh filtered, pre-heated air back to the living areas.

Elbow Bends

Radial ducting is also known as semi-rigid ducting. This means it’s robust and able to withstand the rigours of the onsite world. As a consequence, it may be that if you have a sharp 90 deg turn it may require too wide a radius. If this is the case, fixed 90 deg elbows are available to help you.

Pipe Connectors

When using foam ducting – usually in cold spaces like the attic, you may need to connect bends, T-pieces and lengths of duct. To ensure the integrity of the system and its thermal benefits make sure you use the right connectors.

Ducting Insulation

If you are installing or, running ductwork through a cold space i.e. a loft space, all of the ducting should be insulated to avoid condensation issues. This can be done separately via insulation wrap or, by using pre-insulated foam ducting.

Filters

There are a host of filters available as add ons for MVHR. However, all units will have sets of filters incorporated in the unit. These are installed for 2 reasons:

1. To protect the occupants from incoming pollutants and
2. To protect the unit from damage and prolong its life.

Most units have 2 xG4’ filters although it is quite standard to upgrade this to house an F7 fine pollen filter on the supply side.

Accessories

Each installation is individual so there are any number of extras to ensure installation and running are as designed. It’s good to talk to the system design/supply company about any additional items you may need.

Supply/Extract Plenums

Supply plenums are the interface between the ducting and the rooms. You won’t normally have too much to do with these but they are important to ensure the right size at the design stage so that the correct airflow can be achieved.

Supply/Extract Valves

Apart from aesthetics, the valves are crucial in regulating not only the airflow, but how it flows. Different valves will allow the air to be directed and flow so as to maximise the efficiency of the unit and also homeowner comfort.

Supply/Extract Vents

Depending on the orientation of the house and building construction, there are many alternatives to choose from when selecting air terminals to atmosphere. Aesthetics are always important but making sure that the right size and type of vent is chosen is critical.