05 March 2019

What is the Next Generation of Condensation Control?

By Paul Harrington

05 March 2019

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If you keep doing the same things, you’ll keep getting the same results – or so the saying goes. This old adage is exactly what springs to mind when I consider how many social housing providers tend to approach their condensation control.

When temperatures plummet and condensation season really hits its peak, many local authorities and housing associations see single room heat recovery ventilators (SRHRV) as the only viable energy saving approach to ventilating habitable rooms in existing homes. The problem with such loyalty to this old habit is that many are missing out on the performance gains and cost savings offered by modern alternatives.

Yes, these heat recovery systems have been established for some time and may do a reasonable job in certain instances, but they can also be prone to internal and external short circuiting of air, leading to poor performance and an undesirable drain on already-tightened maintenance budgets. Worse still, units are often perceived by tenants as expensive to run and noisy to operate, so are either left on at lower than required speed settings or turned off altogether – both of which limit any ventilation effectiveness.


So “what’s the solution?”

All the evidence suggests that the next generation of condensation dampness control ventilation equipment for habitable rooms lies in the form of alternate flow with heat retention technology – a solution which effectively allows a room to breathe. With a ceramic heat retention core rather than a heat exchanger, and alternate instead of simultaneous supply and extraction, such units are much smaller, quieter, easier to maintain, and around half the cost to run.

As housing organisations look to improve living conditions under greater budgetary constraints for them and their tenants, Single Room Alternate Flow with Heat Retention fans offer a very practical and cost-effective solution. Put like that, it’s a no-brainer.

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