With new continuous decentralised ventilation boasting near silent operation, silence really is golden for electrical contractors, Lee Nurse Marketing Manager at Vent-Axia explains
Electrical contractors now have a new great opportunity to upgrade their customers’ existing extract fans with the launch of recently developed continuous decentralised ventilation, such as Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon™ Centra. A near silent dMEV solution with the lowest specific fan power in its class the Centra complies with Building Regulations Part F for continuous mechanical extract ventilation (System 3) and is capable of achieving up to 80% energy savings and a 62kg carbon reduction. So offering customers not only literal peace and quiet, but also peace of mind that electrical bills won’t hit the roof.
Traditionally intermittent ventilation systems have been the extract of choice for households since noisy fans have deterred them from opting for continuous systems. However, with the Government keen to cut carbon emissions the ventilation industry has been working hard to understand more about building performance than ever before. As a result, at Vent-Axia we are keen to develop sympathetic ventilation systems which are designed to fit in homes and also the way our customers live their lives. This means that Vent-Axia’s new range of decentralised ventilation systems fit discretely into homes and provide near silent energy efficient ventilation in a more comfortable way.
The principle behind opting for continuous ventilation systems, such as the Centra, is that air infiltration, especially in our existing housing stock will occur naturally and this can be used successfully as air replacement to aid ventilation systems. Traditional intermittent ventilation systems (see graph) often provide peaks of high extract airflow which exceeds the natural infiltration rates, this means we are simply warming indoor air and extracting it to the atmosphere, which is not energy efficient.
Instead, the new continuous ventilation systems from Vent-Axia are designed to work with the natural air infiltration and control the air path from the building thus preventing the migration of damaging humidity and pollutants. This is achieved by using continuous low speed running extract fans in the wet rooms (bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms) with a boost via the light switch, an integral pull cord or sensor when higher ventilation rates are required. The Vent-Axia Centra is one such fan, a LoWatt continuous running axial fan offering trickle ventilation and comprising the boost feature which can be utilised as necessary based on specific room requirements.
By providing ventilation in this way the extract systems can run at a much lower rate all the time, rather than at a high rate for one or two hours a day. As a result the systems are energy efficient, so saving on carbon and fuel bills for customers. Meanwhile, the lower speeds mean very low noise levels which in turn means customers will be happy to have the fans running continuously. Finally there are no trickle vents required as the low rates mean that adequate replacement air is available naturally.
The Centra’s energy saving Vent-Axia LoWatt DC motors improve its efficiency and carbon reducing capabilities, providing up to 80% energy savings when compared to traditional AC driven fans. It also minimises running costs and maximises the longevity of the product.
By incorporating the latest Low Watt DC motor technology the new Centra extract fan delivers the lowest specific fan powers in its class. Offering virtually silent operation, a fresh design and a reduction in the requirement for trickle ventilators, the Centra not only helps improve efficency, but fits discreetly in modern homes and is simple to install.
The Centra is 20% smaller than other dMEV fans available and has a shallow profile, which will make it popular with contractors and customers alike. The Centra also offers convenience for contractors since it features adjustable ‘Normal’ running speeds making it suitable for continuous extract in kitchens, bathrooms, en-suites and utility rooms, resulting in contractors only requiring one fan type for any dwelling. Fitted with 100mm spigots, common to traditional intermittent extract fans, makes the Centra easy to install as a replacement when contractors are upgrading customers‘ extract fans. All in all - the Centra proves that silence is golden.
Centra is part of the Vent-Axia Lo-Carbon™ collection of energy saving ventilation solutions. The aim of the Lo-Carbon initiative is to offer the latest low carbon ventilation technology in order to reduce building energy consumption and so carbon emissions. For further information on the Centra product click the following link: http://www.vent-axia.com/range/lo-carbon-centra.html
