The importance of delivering fresh, filtered air into a high-rise apartment building cannot be underestimated – especially in a bustling city like London. That’s because the capital city has struggled with illegal levels of air pollution for many years. And when you consider that the air quality inside a building can be two to five times worse than the air quality outside, it’s clear that something needs to be done to improve ventilation in city apartments.
How MVHR improves air quality in your home
MVHR works by bringing fresh air from outside into the property while extracting warm, moist air from wet rooms (i.e., bathrooms and kitchens). A heat exchanger exchanges heat between the extracted air and the fresh filtered air distributed throughout the house. The result is a constant supply of fresh, clean air that helps to improve the indoor air quality and the overall health of the occupants. In addition, an MVHR system can also help to reduce energy bills by recovering heat that would otherwise be lost. As a result, installing an MVHR system is a wise investment for any homeowner.
We got to work
Outpost MGT who owns and runs Enclave KX, decided to reach out to Cool Runnings and lean on our expertise. Due to concerns about the indoor air quality in some of the apartments and the consequences this could have on residents, a complete system servicing of all 91 MVHR units in the building was carried out by our team.
To ensure that the residents in each of the high-end apartments always had access to fresh air, we got to work!
Our Process
The first step we took when servicing Enclave’s MVHR systems was to remove and safely discard the existing filters. We then sanitised the MVHR unit extraction and supply motors, unit body internals and externals to ensure they were clean and free from harmful bacteria or contaminants. It’s no good to have an MVHR system that blows fresh air into your home if the unit is full of pollutants!
We also checked the MVHR unit’s condensate drainpipe and cleared it if it was blocked. This is an essential step as a blocked drainpipe can cause water to build up and potentially damage the MVHR unit. Afterwards, we inserted a pair of high-flow M5 filters (ISO 16890) into each MVHR unit to ensure that only the highest quality air was circulated throughout each apartment.
Finally, after performing a free diagnostic check on fan controls to ensure overall system health, we commissioned and balanced all MVHR systems. This was another crucial step, confirming that the MVHR system could operate at its full potential.
The results
At Cool Runnings, we like a challenge. The timeframe we were given to complete the entire Enclave project was ambitious, but we’re proud to say that we finished the work in 2 and a half weeks. To do this, we had our team on-site first thing every morning. Then, after our skilled technicians had serviced the MVHR systems, they would report to the concierge department daily and upload other important info regularly to the online portal, providing video and photographic information. This kept everybody in the loop and helped to ensure a smooth and efficient overall MVHR maintenance job.
The MVHR systems are now providing the residents of Enclave with a constant supply of fresh, clean air – helping to improve their health and well-being. In addition, the MVHR system is also helping to keep energy bills low.
The feedback from residents has been extremely positive. They are pleased with the constant supply of fresh air and the reduced energy bills. And, of course, they appreciate that they are doing their bit to improve air quality in London!
If you’re interested in discovering more about MVHR systems, or if you would like to discuss your project’s unique ventilation requirements with us, please get in touch. We’re more than happy to answer any of your questions.
