homebuilding.co.uk 165thanks to a built-in micro air source heat
pump that draws in around 600 Watts of
electricity to then deliver around 1,800
Watts of heat to the hot water.
Whichever system you opt for I would
urge you to design it early on. Take into
account your budget, the airtightness of
the property and your specific lifestyle
choices. Who knows? You may like to sleep
with all the windows open. That way you
can establish whether your planned home
allows the technology to operate in an
optimised way andthat it will truly meet
your expectations.
1.OnesIzedOesnOt fIt all
Therearefourtypesofplastic
ventilationductingsystemsto
choosefrom:theoriginalflat
channel,whichis effectiveand
spacesaving;theroundpipe,
whichoffersimprovedflowrates
butcanbeproblematicwhere
spaceis ata premium;thelow
costflexiblehose;andtheradial,
specificallydesignedforuse
withcontinuousmechanical
ventilationsystems.Theshape
andsizeofyourductingwill
varyaccordingtothetypeof
ventilationsystemyouarefitting
andthespace.2.selectqualItyductIng
Substandard ductingcouldresult
in the ventilationsystemnotmeetingBuildingRegulationsor
a roomwithanuglystaininneed
ofredecorationasa resultof
leakagefromtheductingsystem.
Sadly,there’snostandardtolook
forbutthefitis a sureindicator
ofquality.If theductingbows,
lookslikeit is concaveorthewall
thicknessappearsuneventhe
toleranceswillbetoowideand
createa lacklustrefit.3.VentIlatIOn systemscanbe
nOIsyIf nOt cOrrectlyInstalled
A noisyventilationsystemis
moreoftenthannota resultof
ductingthatis toosmallforthe
volumeofairextracted,orpoorly
installed.Wheretheductingisn’t
thecauseofsound,it canbethe
carrierofit.Soundcantravel
downtheductingfromthefan,
orfromtrafficnoiseorroom-
to-roomcrosstalk.Ductsound
attenuatorscanbeused,which
effectivelyabsorbsoundovera
rangeofaudiblefrequencies.4.InsulateyOurductIng
Ductinginsulationis requiredunderBuildingRegulations
wheretheductingpassesthrough
unheatedareasandvoids,such
asloftspaces.It reducesthe
possibilityofcondensation
forming,whichcanleadto
mould.Theminimumduct
insulationstandardis the
equivalentofatleast25mmof
a materialhavinga thermal
conductivityof≤0.04W/(m.K).
Notalldomesticductinsulation
productsmeetthisrequirement,
soresearchcarefully.(For
reference,DomusThermal
exceedsthesemeasures.)5.thInkfIresafety
When a hole is made in a
compartment wall for plastic
ventilation ducting to pass
through, the hole must be
firestopped (a seal added) to
restore the wall’s fire rating
in accordance with Approved
Document B of the Building
Regulations. It is essential that
the firestopping product you
use for this has been specifically
designed for this purpose.davidtrEharnE
is a senior
engineerat
domus
Ventilation
(www.
domusventilation.
co.uk)usefulcOntacts:
ADM Systems http://www.admsystems.co.uk
Aereco http://www.aereco.co.uk
Airflow http://www.airflow.com
Domus Ventilation http://www.domusventilation.co.uk
Earth Save Products http://www.earthsaveproducts.com
Elta Fans http://www.eltafans.com
Envirovent http://www.envirovent.com
Nuaire http://www.nuaire.co.uk
Paul Heat Recovery Scotland http://www.paulheatrecovery.co.uk
Rega http://www.rega-uk.com
Solarcrest http://www.solarcrest.co.uk
Total Home Environment http://www.totalhome.co.uk
Vent Axia http://www.vent-axia.comvEntilation ducting: 5 things you need to know