oliviaaa999

The MVHR shed was our plan for now! I see, I had thought MVHR was expensive upfront but not bad for running costs but is that only if the air-tight aspect is efficient? We were hoping that as it's a bungalow it would be somewhat simple to install, our plan was for fresh air circulated throughout the day, cool air at night in summer and heat retention air in winter. We haven't done an air-tight test yet as we have the old leaky windows, but we're open to ideas! Thank you!

We're not sure how we can figure out the airtightness as we haven't changed over to new windows yet (still have the original leaky windows), and won't be able to change them until we know if we're going ahead with MVHR or not (aka whether we have trickle vents or not). We're definitely open to alternative solutions, with the dMEV and humidity trickle vents is this purely for humidity or will it also allow fresh air in? General air quality was something we were hoping for as we don't really open doors or windows! The plan was for fresh air circulated throughout the day, cool air at night in summer and heat retention air in winter - not sure if it works that well though? I'd definitely prefer a simpler solution - I just don't want to regret our choice either way! Thank you!

Hello! I wanted to check about MVHR systems, I have attached the plan we received and I just want to triple confirm everything before we go ahead with purchasing! We will be self-installing. We chose MVHR mostly for the fresh air aspect, I really don't like having windows open so we would be using it to freshen air inside as well as removing humidity and the risk of mould. Heat retention would be a huge bonus, but we are not expecting it due to not being a self-build with fully airtight walls/ceilings. If there are any alternatives to MVHR which would be more suitable we’re open to suggestions! It is a retrofitted 60s bungalow. We have attempted airtightness as much as possible (airtight membrane under the flooring, sealed around gaps in/out of the envelope such as pipes and back boxes, etc). We have also avoided a letter box in the front door, got a recirculating fan for the kitchen, left a 10mm gap under all internal doors and had no external ventilation in bathrooms. We haven't replaced the windows yet as we need the MVHR system before we can get windows without trickle vents, but that will be our next step. The unit will be in a cold loft, we’d like to insulate it eventually but it will depend on budget and practicality (issues with condensation etc). We can insulate the unit and the ducting/the layer between the floor of the loft and the boarding for the loft if that would work as an alternative? Our current questions are: 1) Can you use an extract with a grease filter in the kitchen or will it still grease up the vents? I have seen some mixed comments on this but our current recirculating extractor fan isn't quite effective enough for ventilation. 2) Is one supply enough for the kitchen/hallway/living room area? This space is relatively open plan with no doors 3) Can you feel a draft/circulation, and if so, is there anything we can do to reduce this? 4) What is the easiest way to insulate the ducts in a cold loft? Would we do a ‘layer’ underneath the loft boarding with the ducts and insulation? 5) What is the best place to have the unit? Roof/floor/wall mounted? Central of the house? Any other comments or opinions are more than welcome! Thank you so much MVHR plan.pdf

we've gone for a super reliable smart system (lutron) so it should be solid, but ended up adding the wiring and boxes for normal switches as a backup With the foam, did you just seal the edges or the holes inside the box as well (back holes and around wires)? Did you find it easy to 'control' the foam as I'd be worried it'd just go everywhere! 😅

Hello everyone! I have read a few posts about this but can’t find much on the actual specifics so I'd really appreciate any help. We currently have plastered/painted walls and the electrician is about to finish the sockets, but we are hoping to make them as airtight as possible first as we are using the plaster for the start of the envelope. I did ask for airtight backboxes to be used but it looks like they’re just the regular ones? So looking for retrofitting advice! Should we try to seal every single gap visible (the small holes at the back/around screws, the gap between the box and plasterboard and the hole around the wires)? What should we use to do this? We are considering orcon-F but we absolutely want to make sure it’s 100% safe. I'm also just not sure if this is most efficient/affordable way to seal or if there's a better product to use? Is it okay to seal around the cables? It seems like a very permanent fix and we’re worried in case something needs to be adjusted in the future? Extra Q, we have put light switch sockets in just in case, but we are going with a smart lighting switch system so will not be using them. Should we just tape over these completely (or cover with membrane and tape around the edges), or seal them in the same method as the plug sockets (which would be a bit more thorough)? I've attached a few photos to show the current state of the sockets. Thank you so much!

thanks for the rec, I've seen this company pop up loads and the doors are beautiful! I just wonder if there's anything specific I need to be asking for (or avoiding)? For example a specific installation technique, or seal around the door? Thanks!

Is it just the steel material that's necessary? I'm also wondering about the gap between the door edge and the frame, does this need a specific seal/installation technique to make it airtight? thanks!

Hello everyone! We are replacing the front door and are looking for something that will work with a MVHR system. Does anyone have recommendations on features to prioritise? At the moment it's low U value, aluminium frame and multi-point locking (I think!) but I'm not sure on the exact terms to look for when it comes to seals/thresholds etc. Any website recommendations or personal experiences would be really handy too! We're hoping to keep it at around 1000-1500, with a website that has good quality and longevity as well as providing measuring/fitting services. Thank you!

Hi all! We're currently working on a 60's bungalow that we're planning on adding MVHR to, but we're a bit confused about the next steps. We're looking to improve airtightness but can only do so much with a limited budget. The current plan is to eventually insulate the suspended cavity from beneath once we've moved in, but we're not sure whether to have an airtight membrane be above or below the floorboards? We're looking at simply screwing plywood to the existing floorboards and airtight-taping those, as well as sealing around any pipes/sockets. Then having the airtight membrane end at the ceiling (not including the loft for simplicities sake as we don't intend on extending upwards). My concern is whether this is at all correct as further reading leads down the path of cavity walls being awful for airtightness, but I have no idea how we could fix that. The floorboards are currently bare and the skirting is all off with the walls and ceilings being skimmed, so I'm hoping now is a good time to work on the airtightness, so if anyone has any steps they followed to retrofit airtightness (especially on a minimal budget) I'd be very grateful! Especially advice on products/methods to use.

Hi Russell! Unfortunately we can't push the rewire back any further or we may lose the builders! But he's just coming in to do sockets, fire alarm, new board etc first fix, nothing to do with an MVHR system yet. Just need to decide if we're going the MVHR so we can tell him to leave out the extractor fans in the bathrooms. We're already spending a ton on everything else on the house so we're hoping to spend the minimum required for the MVHR system (but not skimp out and have it be worthless). Definitely planning on staying long term (at least 10yrs) so we're seeing it as an investment. We've had a quote through for around 1.8k for supply which would be great, but I imagine those are basic models and we may want to upgrade a little (Vent Axia Kinetic BH R/H and a Nuaire unit). Also no idea what the cost would be for airtightness as the house is basically full of holes at the moment. In terms of spending money we're basically looking at costs for each project, figuring out which are priorities/necessary and going from there. Things like replacing windows we're planning on doing at a later stage, installing a boiler and rads is being done now, etc. I was thinking we could worry about the actual MVHR unit later and just focus time, energy and budget on the main building for now (insulation and airtightness) and getting it ready to move in, then install the unit and ducting afterwards (as it's a bungalow we can do it all from the loft). Not sure if I'm mistaken on that assumption though!

thanks for the suggestion! I'll break it down and repost later tonight. To answer your responses, I know we'll (unfortunately) need to open windows still but hopefully a lot less if it's just to get fresh air into the house! ☺️ I'll explore the MEV and dMEV options further to see if they're more suitable for the situation. I imagine it'll come down to how airtight we think we can get the house as the installation shouldn't be too difficult (small bungalow). The door undercuts is really helpful info, I'll make a note of that for when it comes to putting in doors!

Hello everyone, we are currently renovating a 1960's bungalow as our first property and we're hoping to future proof and make it as comfortable to live in as possible. One of the additions we're considering is a MVHR system as I hate having windows open (not a fan of insects!) as well as hopefully the heat retention benefits. I'm researching what we would need to do to to maximise the benefits, especially in regards to insulation and air-tightness. I've tried having some insulation companies round but there aren't really any in our area, the two people we've had round didn't know about anything other than loft and wall cavity insulation. They both said spray foam, one of them mentioned that the new regs for it are improved and that there's a new way of doing it between roof joists so still need to look into that, but a bit wary as he was a bit 'sales-y'. The house is currently been stripped of carpets and wallpaper and the next stage will be rewire, then skim and suites/kitchen fitted. The house has no bathroom vents fitted so I'm hoping to make a decision on the vent system before the rewire so we know whether or not to include extractor fans. We will be eventually replacing all the windows + the doors but I'm looking for an exact list of steps to take to improve the home. For example, what types of insulation are required (loft, floor, wall etc) and how do you retrofit airtightness? Is it something I can do once the skimming is done or is it best done as early as possible? Do I need specific backboxes for the sockets, does it need specific plumbing techniques when putting in rads/bathroom suites, etc. I'm hoping that sealing the house up will also help with reducing the number of insects coming in too, but it's a bit of an overwhelming task to start on as there are gaps everywhere (under doors, between floorboards, where the wall meets ceiling/floor) Some more info: - Location is near a forest and not too close to any main roads - Suspended timber floors with a massive underfloor cavity, 5ft in some areas. Not sure if this would need to be insulated/air-tight? - Only appx 800 sqft so not a huge system is required - I think I've seen some dot and dab plaster on the walls, not sure if this effects what we're able to do? To sum up, here are some Qs I have - Is underfloor insulation necessary, if so then can this be done via the cavity by putting insulation in-between the joists or will we need to lift all the floorboards in each room? - Are we okay to leave the current cavity wall insulation (old and maybe not as efficient but maybe better than nothing), or does this need removing and replacing? - For loft insulation, should we insulate the roof, floor or both? Is there anything specific recommended for MVHR loft insulation? - What are the small details for retrofitting airtightness that are easily missed? - How to retrofit airtightness on the larger areas like roof, walls and floors? Do I just go round with expanding foam for every crack I see? Thank you so much!