A GUIDE TO YOUR NEW ENERGY EFFICIENT HOME

WHAT IS HEAT RECOVERY?Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) is a whole-house ventilation system that both supplies and extracts air throughout a property. It offers a balanced, low-energy ventilation solution for new dwellings and re-uses up to 95% of the heat that would have otherwise have been lost*. It is a proven low-energy and highly-efficient way of ventilating your home.

MVHR is a specialised ventilation system that provides a constant supply of fresh air to your rooms all-year round. It works by extracting the stale air from wet rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms, whilst drawing in fresh air from outdoors. A heat exchanger transfers the warmth from the stale air into the fresh.

You will notice air vents, positioned in your walls, or in the ceiling. You will find them in your kitchen and bathroom and in your bedrooms and living room.

ARE THESE SYSTEMS EASY TO USE AND SAFE?As with all heating systems, as long as you stick to a few simple rules and read your user guide, the MVHR is very safe and straightforward. Remember that you should never block, cover or remove your MVHR vents, as they are an important feature of your home and need to be able to let air flow freely. These have been carefully designed and placed to provide you with all the fresh air you need and to maintain the energy balance of your home.

Most MVHR units have a holiday mode that you can set which means that a minimal amount of ventilation is provided whilst you are away. The MVHR unit also has a summer bypass mode where the heat-exchanging part of your MVHR system is shut down during the warmer months. This should happen automatically as the outside air temperature rises. The ventilation system will provide your home with a constant supply of fresh air but will not be stuffy. You can open your windows, but it really isn’t necessary.

*Source: greenwood.co.uk/mvhr-technical-tips-heat-recovery-systems-ventilation

Ventilation system with heat recovery

Exhaust air

Exhaust air

Intake air

Supply air

Supply air

Please note, this drawing is for guidance only to demonstrate how the principals of MHVR Heat Recovery. It does not reflect how exact plots are built at Daedalus Village.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MVHR?Now that you understand how MVHR works, you may be wondering why it has been chosen for your new home. There are plenty of benefits to having this system, including*:

• Removal of allergens and pollutants from the air• Removal of condensation • Fresh, filtered air to every room of your home• Save energy compared to traditional heating systems• Recovery of heat that would otherwise have been lost

*Source - greenwood.co.uk/mvhr-heat-recovery-systems

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSHow often should I change the air filters?

It is recommended that you should have the filters exchanged every six to twelve months, depending on your location.

When is the best time for my filters to be changed?

The end of summer is the best time for the filters to be changed. This is when they are more likely to be clogged with dust from outside summer activities. This is also just before the heat exchanger is usually switched on and energy savings become possible. Your MVHR unit should inform you whenever the filters need changing. You will need to order your filters from an official stockist, which can be found at www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk

Can I open the windows?

Yes, you absolutely can open the windows in your home, and your MVHR system will keep working. However, the more airtight your home, the more efficiently the system works to maintain a constant temperature.

How much energy will it use?

The MVHR system will approximately use the same electricity as a low-energy lightbulb. But by running the system, you will be saving energy overall*.

*Source - greenwood.co.uk/mvhr-heat-recovery-systems

Correct at time of creation – July 2020.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information within this brochure is correct, it is a guide and Radian Homes reserves the right to amend the specification as necessary and without notice. Please speak to a member of our Sales team for further information.

Images may be computer generated and are for illustrative purposes only, so may not be representative of exact plots. Images may be of a different model of home. Individual specification, fittings and features such as windows, brick, carpets, paint and other material colours may vary.

Radian and Radian Homes are trading names of The Swaythling Housing Society Limited, a Registered Society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (registration number 10237R) and a registered provider with the Regulator of Social Housing (registration number L0689). Registered office: Collins House, Bishopstoke Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 6AD. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Part of the Radian group of companies. The Swaythling Housing Society Limited provides management services for subsidiaries in the Radian group. Further corporate information is available at www.radian.co.uk.

www.radianhomes.co.uk/daedalusvillageT: 023 8062 8372 • E: daedalus@radianhomes.co.uk • Twitter: @RadianHomes