Over the last few years, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted just how quickly viruses can spread in an indoor environment if there’s not enough ventilation.
The UK has become much more aware of how important good air quality is in preventing the spread of infections, however, most households and commercial buildings are yet to invest in effective ventilation units.
People naturally spend more time indoors in the winter months due to the chilly temperatures outside, meaning that diseases such as colds, flu and Covid can easily be transmitted, with people often in close proximity to one another.
Without good, effective ventilation and air flow, respiratory illnesses are allowed to spread very easily in enclosed spaces. As people breathe, they release virus particles into the air, which then move around the space and are easily breathed in by other people.
The likelihood of another individual becoming infected is very high without ventilation - which can prove dangerous, especially if there are vulnerable people such as children or the elderly within your household.
Airborne diseases are essentially bacteria or viruses that are most commonly transmitted through small respiratory droplets in the air. These droplets will enter the air via an infected person when they cough, sneeze or laugh. These infected droplets can linger in the air for some time, meaning that without ventilation, they’re likely to be inhaled by someone else.
Unfortunately, airborne diseases are very easily transmitted. They can travel over six feet and remain infectious in the air for up to several hours, which is why ventilation is absolutely key to preventing illness. For example, if you went into a bathroom where someone had previously coughed a few minutes before, or if you work close to someone who has a cold, you could be in danger of becoming infected.
The most effective way to reduce your risk of contracting illnesses within your home or office environment is through whole-house/whole-office ventilation.
An MVHR system will work to extract dirty, infected air particles from your home or office and replace it with fresh, heated air from the outside via a duct network, working for the full 24 hours in a day.
The central unit of the system will automatically control and monitor air quality, and make any adjustments necessary to ensure a continuous stream of fresh, ventilated air throughout at all times.
Our ventilation experts are on hand to answer any questions you may have, and to provide support and guidance with all of our ventilation systems.
Get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation with one of our team.
The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the need for good, solid ventilation in buildings to help reduce the transmission of disease. As a result, many businesses and households have now invested in it to increase airflow and remove germs from the air.
As experts in ventilation, we’ll explain exactly what it is, how it reduces the spread of viruses, and why now is the perfect time to invest in MVHR.
Put simply, ventilation is the process of introducing fresh air into indoor spaces, while removing stale air. By letting in fresh air, this helps to remove air that may contain virus particles, such as Covid-19, colds and flu. Good ventilation has been scientifically linked to fewer sick days off from work or school, according to GOV.uk.
As the pandemic reminded us all, when someone with an illness speaks, coughs, sneezes or even breathes, they release small particles into the air that contain their virus. These particles can then be breathed in by others, or come into contact with their eyes, nose or mouth. Particles can also land on surfaces, and can be passed on by touch.
In poorly ventilated rooms, the amount of the virus within the air can very quickly build up, significantly increasing the risk of transmission - hence why we weren’t allowed to meet up indoors for so long during the pandemic.
By bringing fresh air in and removing the older air, this greatly reduces the chance of spreading infections. Ultimately, the more fresh air brought inside, the quicker any airborne viruses will be removed from the room.
In winter, home ventilation is often significantly reduced compared to the summer. Keeping windows and doors closed may lock in the warmth on cold days, but it also prevents good air circulation.
Winter also happens to be the season where we are most likely to catch airborne illnesses such as colds, flu or Covid-19, due to temperature fluctuation and spending more time indoors. This combination is why so many more people fall ill during the colder months.
By installing a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system (MVHR) within your home, this will help to reduce the spread of illness whilst keeping your home toasty and warm at the same time. Sounds good? We’ll explain more about how it works…
Our clever MVHR system will extract moist, stale air from your home and replace it with fresh air from the outside through a duct network. These ducts will bring in clean air from the outside, passing it via a heat exchanger, which uses the extracted stale air to heat the fresh air - meaning it’ll be nice and warm when it enters your home.
This diagram will give you a visual idea of how the system works:
The central unit of the system will automatically control and monitor air quality, and make any adjustments necessary to ensure a continuous stream of fresh, ventilated air throughout at all times. By extracting the stale air from indoors, your MVHR unit will also be removing all of the infected particles along with it - helping to prevent the spread of airborne illnesses.
Interested in finding out more about MVHR to stay well this winter? Get in touch with our team of experts today to find out more!
