Kitchen smell transfer via MVHR fresh air vents

[Russdl]

Can you reject it under the sale of goods act as ‘…not being of merchantable quality…’?  

[JohnMo]

I was thinking "not fit for purpose" it's not a ventilation unit as required by building regulations. So therefore not compliant with BR or manufacturer installation instructions.

 

Several reasons as you have detailed before, recirculation of smells, high humidity etc.

[Jolo]

Exactly right @Russdl and @JohnMo!

 

I've gotten a template letter from the government's consumer authority, and I'm going to send it shortly.

 

It gives them two weeks to repair or replace it, and if that doesn't happen then I can terminate the purchase agreement unilaterally and they have to give me the money back.

 

I'd really prefer that it didn't have to come to this, but I don't see any other option as nothing is happening.

[Russdl]

19 minutes ago, Jolo said:

and I'm going to send it shortly.

Hopefully that will be sufficient to concentrate their minds. Good luck. 

[Mike]

6 hours ago, Jolo said:

On 20/11/2025 at 13:43, torre said:

You mentioned a smoke test earlier, has this been done? It sounds the obvious next step.

Not yet!

Why not get some smoke pellets & test it yourself? Take a video of of any problems. And disable your smoke detectors...

[Jolo]

15 hours ago, Mike said:

Why not get some smoke pellets & test it yourself? Take a video of of any problems. And disable your smoke detectors...

 

I might try this, though I'm not sure if it will hurry Brink up at all. I feel like I've dotted every i and crossed every t, and asked here and elsewhere to test my sanity!

[Adsibob]

On 20/11/2025 at 12:28, Jolo said:

we're running the unit at around 0.45ach

This sounds very low to me, but I may well be wrong. If you increase the ventilation to at least 1 ach you will drop the humidity. You might also improve the smell issue.

[Adsibob]

Actually, ignore me. I’ve just checked approved doc F off the Regs, and that only requires 0.3ACH so 0.45 is fine.

 Have you had works done recently (eg poured slab or screed or plasterwork which could still be wet, that would explain the excess humidity?

[Jolo]

Nope nothing like that! I'm very sure that the high humidity is because of a leak inside the MVHR unit, so there's extracted moisture being blown into the house along with the smells.