DaveAndAnnaUK Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 According to the instructions, the unit should be serviced and the filters cleaned or replaced every 12mths. Well ours didn't reach 12mths, so it has never been opened since commissioning last January. So due to the installer being three and a half hours away, the service including new filters is £305! The five year warranty covers parts and labour for the first year and then only parts for the remaining four years. So when it states five year warranty, always ask if that is for parts and labour. There arn't many installers, so check how close they are to you, as it adds a lot to the cost paying for travel time. So the annual cost of running the unit every twelve months is £305 servicing plus electricity on our tariff is £84, so a total of £389, £7.48 per week. Lets say the unit lasts five years and then needs replacing. Forgetting price increases, the unit costs £831 inc VAT and £305 to install(Probably more as they would probably send two people to install), so a total of £1136! Oh and don't forget a plumber for the condensate drain! So that's £227 per year just to have the unit. How much are these units supposed to save in heating bills? When we have been away on holiday for four weeks(Before all the nonsense!) We would enpty the fridge, turn everything off and leave knowing nothing apart from an outside source could harm the building. Well with MHRV you cannot turn the electric off and if it goes wrong, well you might come back and find something like our video, then add two to three months to get it fixed. We went to a few Building & Renovation shows and attended the seminars. I don't think they would like me turning up and asking questions today! Perhaps there needs to be a new building regulation, which states that all systems fitted into a building must be capable of being turned off without causing damage to or a health risk from the system. This isn't the case with MHRV and as we know all to well, everything fails at some point. On aircraft everything has a set number of hours use and if critical is replaced regardless of condition. So to apply this to MHRV, if it hasn't already had new parts, at five years, its time for a new one and you know the price. Our dishwasher and washer-dryer are both Miele and they weren't cheap, but we have had them both for over twenty years and only needed them servicing once. If either of them fail, guess what they will be replaced with! The MHRV only has a PCB and two motors. I have been told it is common for the PCB to fail and when I reported the the company that it was running on constant boost, the engineer didn't sound at all surprised that either the humidity sensor or the PCB might have failed. Why place the PCB inside the unit? If it has any chance of coming into contact with moisture, then it makes sense to mount it outside the main unit and much easier to replace and less likely to fail. If I put a five year warranty on something, I would want it to last five years! Oh well, what's happening to the Canadian truckers? That might be why we cannot get parts! Cheers Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 These units are for air quality and comfort. Anyone who tells you anything else is talking nonsense. In fact the building industry is guilty of mis-selling on a compulsive level. Even on our DIY install roughly with €3000 in parts and about 4 days in uncosted labour the energy saved per annum is only marginally above the cost of filters and electricity. There is lightly to never be any payback. However we’re very happy with the result. Still looking at your unit i’m not convinced there is anything fundamentally wrong with the install. My guess still is that there was a lot of dirt clogged up the filters and it couldn't cope. It’s not your fault as home owners if you weren’t made aware of this. All terminals should have been dust sealed on install, and filters inspected and changed regularly until all building dust had been removed. Then back to the regular maintenance cycle. However all being as it, you’re situation is far from un recoverable. I would pursue the install company for a remedy at their cost. Make it clear that you weren’t told of the post install requirements if you weren’t. Maybe up to the point of publicly naming them or legal action. I suspect this would be sufficient to get them to move position and replace the unit. If you don’t get any joy from them you can choose how far you want to pursue the case. Thats up to you but in my opinion life can be too short to waste sometimes. I would get a trusted local tradesman with knowledge of ventilation systems to have a look if you are unable to do it yourself. My personal guess is that a set of filters and a new part somewhere will have you up and running. Run the unit on full blast while you’re out of he house for a few days and the ducts will be surprisingly clean. By the way , some cheap car pollen filters fit MVHR units. I currently have some from a fiat Van for €7 each in ours. it’s working fine. Best of luck. As an aside I’d be very surprised if the unit couldn’t be electrically isolated. It surely has a standard 3 pin plug or a fused spur? Failing that a dedicated trip-switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJNewton Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, DaveAndAnnaUK said: So the annual cost of running the unit every twelve months is £305 servicing Don't pay for servicing. All you need to do is replace the filters every 12 months (I choose 6 months) - there's nothing else to do. Depending on what type of filters you've got (form/frame etc) you might be able to buy suitable replacement media by the square metre for next to nothing. P.S. Mods - This thread ought to be in the MVHR section - it risks not being discovered again in here which would be a shame as it's an interesting situation that we tend not to see. Edited January 30, 2022 by MJNewton 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
low_and_there Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Thanks @DaveAndAnnaUK for sharing this story so the lessons can be taken on board. I had been told by a friend that has MVHR that the units are designed to be constantly in operation, which I agree seems like a bit of a design fail - perhaps an improvement in future could be made, to allow for times when a place is vacant. Although I’ve just been told the same about gas combi boilers! The combi in our house, which we’ve just got the keys to after a drawn out conveyance where the place has been empty for around six months, is not working and I’ve been warned it may never work again (we only needed it to work for a few months until the heat pump is installed). In terms of getting visibility inside the ducts, I have seen very inexpensive keyhole camera gadgets online that can be plugged into a smart phone, so perhaps an option if you want to inspect inaccessible ducting. In terms of mould, I’ve been a lifetime user of and believer in white vinegar for cleaning it off, and whilst you obviously need to protect your nose and mouth when disturbing mould, it’s usually very easy to get off (where it is accessible at least!). I’ve seen friends buy expensive mould paint to paint over mould in rooms, when a few minutes with a white vinegar/hot water mix does a better and healthier job. best of luck sorting the issue out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAndAnnaUK Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 22 hours ago, Iceverge said: These units are for air quality and comfort. Anyone who tells you anything else is talking nonsense. In fact the building industry is guilty of mis-selling on a compulsive level. Even on our DIY install roughly with €3000 in parts and about 4 days in uncosted labour the energy saved per annum is only marginally above the cost of filters and electricity. There is lightly to never be any payback. However we’re very happy with the result. Still looking at your unit i’m not convinced there is anything fundamentally wrong with the install. My guess still is that there was a lot of dirt clogged up the filters and it couldn't cope. It’s not your fault as home owners if you weren’t made aware of this. All terminals should have been dust sealed on install, and filters inspected and changed regularly until all building dust had been removed. Then back to the regular maintenance cycle. However all being as it, you’re situation is far from un recoverable. I would pursue the install company for a remedy at their cost. Make it clear that you weren’t told of the post install requirements if you weren’t. Maybe up to the point of publicly naming them or legal action. I suspect this would be sufficient to get them to move position and replace the unit. If you don’t get any joy from them you can choose how far you want to pursue the case. Thats up to you but in my opinion life can be too short to waste sometimes. I would get a trusted local tradesman with knowledge of ventilation systems to have a look if you are unable to do it yourself. My personal guess is that a set of filters and a new part somewhere will have you up and running. Run the unit on full blast while you’re out of he house for a few days and the ducts will be surprisingly clean. By the way , some cheap car pollen filters fit MVHR units. I currently have some from a fiat Van for €7 each in ours. it’s working fine. Best of luck. As an aside I’d be very surprised if the unit couldn’t be electrically isolated. It surely has a standard 3 pin plug or a fused spur? Failing that a dedicated trip-switch? Thanks for your reply, the unit is connected to a switched, fused spur, so is isolated. Does anyone know just what type of mould might be in the unit and how harmful it is likely to be? Anna had a look yesterday and says it looks like it is drying out. The only pipes connected to the unit are those to the vents in the roof. The problem with Portland is it gets very windy. We know from our neighbours, when the wind blows they know about it. They step into our house, close the door and forget all about the weather outside as they cannot hear it. That's another reason for not wanting trickle vents. When the unit was running it did give a nice, pleasant, fresh atmosphere. It was nice to have a bath with no condensation and only a slight increase in noise, as the unit was in boost mode due to the bathroom lights being on. We did have an issue with the way the cooker hood and the bathroom light switch had been wired to the unit. When the cooker hood was opened, the bathroom lights come on! I spoke to an engineer about it at the same time I reported that the unit was continuously running on boost without the summer overide lights and we were going to get her to guide an electrician as to how to resolve the issue. I don't ever remember the unit going into boost without the lights on, while having a bath. So it couldn't have been that humid. Now in order to prevent condensation while having a bath, we open the rear bedroom window and leave the doors open to avoid a draughty bathroom. I haven't had hold of the filters, so don't know what size they are. Interesting point about vehicle pollen filters, but! Of course what does it say in the instructions about maintenance! Filters cleaned or changed every 12 mths and the system serviced. What will the company ask for should a warranty claim be made? Service history please! Oh dear it appears you haven't followed our instructions and had the unit annually serviced! Sorry the cost of the parts required are...! You know when you can tell someone hasn't read all the email! Well it was clear the email stating the unit was commissioned in January 2021 hadn't been read and understood. I am still waiting for the guy I have been dealing with at the installation company to get back to me. Perhaps he didn't like it when I told him, if I had to pay for a new unit to be fitted, I would sell the old unit in the carpark at the next Home Building and Renovation Show! Oh well give them some more time, there aren'tmany installers in the South West are there! Who knows, the two companies might be talking to each other. If I disappear, I love my life and don't feel at all suicidal ! Get Project Veritas on the case! LOL Cheers Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAndAnnaUK Posted February 1, 2022 Author Share Posted February 1, 2022 I have found a very useful channel on YT called Tec Tube, check it out. Cheers Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 (edited) On 31/01/2022 at 11:43, DaveAndAnnaUK said: The problem with Portland is it gets very windy. Having lived in Weymouth, Portland has many more problems than just wind. Have refrained for mentioning the unmentionable. Edited February 1, 2022 by SteamyTea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radian Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 1 hour ago, SteamyTea said: Have refrained for mentioning the unmentionable. You mean - - - Bunnies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 1 hour ago, Radian said: You mean - - - Bunnies? No wonder the MVHR has broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Never heard of this before, but the wikipedia entry for Portland has this: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Used to have a car sticker that said: "Keep Portland Weird" (and I know it is a US import) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliG Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 I have moved the thread to the MVHR forum. Sorry to hear your problems. I often wonder about our units, we have three and two are in lofts even though I didn't want them to be. At some point they will break and we will have to take the ceiling down to replace them. A couple of things spring to mind although they don't really help to get things fixed. Firstly, I mentioned this on another MVHR thread, I turned off the humidity boost function on mine as I found that whenever the humidity rose due to rain etc it kicked in and it was n boost way too much. I switched them all to running constantly at the slowest speed. This hopefully puts less wear on the system. Secondly, I find it very odd that you have condensation dripping from both sets of ducts. Presumably you have extracts connected to bathrooms and kitchen and supply ducts connected to other rooms. Why would the supply ducts drip? This is just the same as all the other air in the house, I don't see why it should be condensing any more than any other air in the loft. Hopefully when you get if fixed you can change the filters yourself. It seems like access is pretty easy and it should just take a few minutes if you can get to the units. Paying £300 a time would really upset me. Watching the video again a couple of things spring to mind to check. Could there be a problem with the condensate drain. If this is set up correctly surely it should catch all the condensation inside the unit and it should not get wet. Could the unit be sloped so water is gathering at the other end from the drain or the drain be blocked. Maybe it is blocked internally as it seems only wet on one side. One of our units didn't have the drain fitted initially and it started to create a wet patch in the ceiling in days. I think quite a lot of water condenses inside the units. If it cannot drain away would the whole system just keep getting wetter. Similarly could water be getting into the exhaust or air inlet where they go out through the roof. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hb1982 Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 with the amount of mould growth I would imagine the heat exchanger inside is gutted. hate to say it but mould spore is hard to remove from duct surface. Physical brushing / cleaning / wiping is required in my experience. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 9 hours ago, hb1982 said: with the amount of mould growth I would imagine the heat exchanger inside is gutted. I suspect you're right. The only time I've ever seen mould in ours was when we had some issues with condensation buildup. It was in a patch on the heat exchanger, and it was a nightmare to clean even though it was just along an edge. That said, I understand that many of these units share a heat exchanger, so with luck it might be cheaply replaced if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAndAnnaUK Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 On 04/02/2022 at 09:34, jack said: I suspect you're right. The only time I've ever seen mould in ours was when we had some issues with condensation buildup. It was in a patch on the heat exchanger, and it was a nightmare to clean even though it was just along an edge. That said, I understand that many of these units share a heat exchanger, so with luck it might be cheaply replaced if needed. Latest update, contacted the MD of the MHRV company, who had his top man contact me and replied back with a list of things that are wrong with the installation. The main one that could have caused the problem being the drain is fitted in the wrong position. The plumber fitted it after the T junction and it should be between the machine and the T junction. I sent the reply to the installation company, who have contacted me this morning and will let me know what can be done. Hopefully it will be working again soon as having to open windows when having a bath and then jumping out to close it when rain starts being blown in is a pain. The only place we have found any mould while the unit hasn't been working, is right at the bottom of the rear bedroom window. We shall see what happens! Cheers Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJNewton Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 13 minutes ago, DaveAndAnnaUK said: Latest update, contacted the MD of the MHRV company, who had his top man contact me and replied back with a list of things that are wrong with the installation. The main one that could have caused the problem being the drain is fitted in the wrong position. The plumber fitted it after the T junction and it should be between the machine and the T junction. Do you know what he meant by that? What's are the branches of the T-junction connected to/from? Are they suspecting water (condensation) build up to be the cause of the unit failing to run (PCB/motor damage presumably)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blooda Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 As other have said check the condensate drain is working, and is connected in the right place, not sure of your model, but our vent-axia has two outlets one for top mounted inlet / outlet models and a different one for side mounted. Both pipes are there in the unit, but you have to connect the right one. Its easy to connect the wrong one, with a top mounted, as it there straight in front of you when you take the front panel off to get tot the control panel, but you have to take the rear panel off to get to the right one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAndAnnaUK Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 On 07/02/2022 at 15:00, Blooda said: As other have said check the condensate drain is working, and is connected in the right place, not sure of your model, but our vent-axia has two outlets one for top mounted inlet / outlet models and a different one for side mounted. Both pipes are there in the unit, but you have to connect the right one. Its easy to connect the wrong one, with a top mounted, as it there straight in front of you when you take the front panel off to get tot the control panel, but you have to take the rear panel off to get to the right one. On 07/02/2022 at 15:00, Blooda said: As other have said check the condensate drain is working, and is connected in the right place, not sure of your model, but our vent-axia has two outlets one for top mounted inlet / outlet models and a different one for side mounted. Both pipes are there in the unit, but you have to connect the right one. Its easy to connect the wrong one, with a top mounted, as it there straight in front of you when you take the front panel off to get tot the control panel, but you have to take the rear panel off to get to the right one. The installation company has contacted me again and stated they are acquiring the parts to repair the system and will return it to working order. I await a date for them to carry out the work and will let you know how it goes. Thank you for all the interest and advice. Cheers Dave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAndAnnaUK Posted March 3, 2022 Author Share Posted March 3, 2022 On 16/02/2022 at 09:47, DaveAndAnnaUK said: The installation company has contacted me again and stated they are acquiring the parts to repair the system and will return it to working order. I await a date for them to carry out the work and will let you know how it goes. Thank you for all the interest and advice. Cheers Dave The installation company are booked to repair the system on the 6thApril. Cheers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 44 minutes ago, DaveAndAnnaUK said: The installation company are booked to repair the system on the 6thApril. Cheers That's great news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now