MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery)

Improve your air quality, eliminate condensation and damp, and save money on your energy bills too. MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery) fills your home with fresh air, removes stale air and recovers up to 90% of the heat in the process.

At Xpert Energy, we specialise in the design and installation of MVHR systems for both homes and commercial premises. Read on to discover more, or contact us to discuss your particular requirements:

Residential Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery for your home

Modern homes are designed to be as airtight as possible to reduce heat loss, using insulation, double-glazing and draught-proofing throughout. However, this energy-efficient “seal” also allows stale air and moisture to build up if it has no way of escaping from your home. It can also trap home pollutants such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from paints and textiles.

So to get fresh air, we open the windows – and all our central heating warmth escapes out too.

Fresh air and less moisture

MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery) creates a balanced, low-energy solution through forced-air ventilation. This system constantly circulates air within your home, preventing the build-up of CO2, odours, water vapour and moisture created by everyday activities and even just breathing.

Removing this excess moisture improves air quality and helps preserve your property from poor air quality and potential damage caused by condensation and mould. The fresh air also retains the natural oxygen balance for better concentration and relaxation than stale air with raised levels of CO2.

As the stale air is removed, a heat exchanger captures the heat, and uses it to warm the incoming fresh air. In hot summer, filtered cool air from outside can be used to cool warmer inside rooms. MVHR systems can also filter the incoming air to remove external pollutants, odours, pollen and dust.

MVHR for wet rooms

Most MVHR systems have extraction points located in so-called ‘wet’ rooms such as bathrooms, toilets, kitchen utility rooms, which push the stale air out and recover the heat too. Fresh, filtered air is sucked in and pre-warmed by the heat recovered, and piped direct into your main ‘living’ spaces – bedrooms, lounge, study, snug, etc.

New builds and most modern homes are suitable for MVHR systems, and older properties can be designed to accommodate MVHR requirements. Our experienced engineers will assess your home and use a ventilation rate calculation to work out the required optimal air flow in your home based on:

• Property size
• Property shape
• Method/s of construction
• Practical installation routes

Whisper quiet for peaceful living

In case you are wondering how much noise this air flow creates, the MVHR system fans that circulate the air are whisper-quiet. We also fit attenuators (silencers) on the air ducting for virtually silent operation. So you experience a draught-free home that’s warm, filled with fresh air – and quiet (at least, until the kids come home!).

MVHR systems can be powered by self-generated electricity from PV solar panels on the roof of your home, as part of a solar and battery set-up. For more details, see our “Solar and Battery” page.