Ventilation specialist EnviroVent has won a major new contract with Birmingham City Council to supply and install 200 of its Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) Wall Mounted units in five blocks of 12 storey flats on Jarvis Road in Edington, Birmingham.
EnviroVent and one of its competitors supplied and installed their own PIV systems to four separate flats which were suffering severe issues with condensation and mould growth.
Following a rigorous four month trial comparative tests were carried out by Birmingham City Council of the two ventilation systems, which included closely monitoring running costs, performance rates, the quality of the installation, warranties and their maintenance periods. As a result of these trials, EnviroVent was selected, with the company scoring highly on the effectiveness of its PIV system in addressing condensation and mould growth.
In addition, EnviroVent demonstrated the low noise levels and running costs of its PIV units and that minimal maintenance is required, with a full service needed just once every five years. EnviroVent was able to demonstrate its extensive experience in working in the homes of tenants living in social housing.
Max Barratt, Ventilation Specialist for EnviroVent, said: “This is our first major contract win with Birmingham City Council, which we hope will deliver very positive benefits for its tenants. It was very satisfying to see the results of the in-depth trials by the council, which proved the effectiveness of our PIV systems and the fact that they are an affordable solution for the long term. We are currently in the process of installing the units in the 200 flats, which should have immediate health benefits for tenants and for the fabric of the buildings.”
EnviroVent is installing its Wall Mounted Units in the hallway of each property to draw atmospheric air in from outside into all rooms in the flat to control the levels of relative humidity throughout. The flats, which date back to the 1960s/70s, were refurbished in the early 2000s, as part of the Government’s ‘Decent Homes’ programme, which aimed to make them more airtight, with better insulation and new doors and windows. By carrying out these works, the properties were effectively sealed and therefore less draughty, so it is not as easy for natural ventilation to occur, which has led to issues with condensation and mould growth.
Birmingham City Council took the responsible approach to protecting its tenants from the risks of poor indoor air quality, as mould has been classed under the Housing Health & Safety rating as category one risk to health.
EnviroVent’s Wall Mounted Units work by drawing fresh air into the dwelling from outside, filtering and pre-warming the air before delivering it into the property. This has the effect of diluting the moisture-laden air without having to open the windows, displacing and replacing it with clean, tempered and filtered air. EnviroVent’s Wall Mounted Units are renowned for their quiet and effective operation, quickly eliminating issues with condensation and providing a much healthier level of indoor air quality. The unit is optimised to ensure minimum energy consumption and offers a low maintenance and trouble free solution.
EnviroVent employs its own team of accredited engineers and installers that install the systems across the UK. This means that the company has complete control over the installation process, ensuring they are correctly installed to meet the required standards.
Darren Beazley, Contract Works Officer for Birmingham City Council, said: “EnviroVent’s PIV system has made a huge difference to tenants and as a maintenance team we have not received any call-outs for issues with condensation and mould growth since they have been fitted. The feedback from tenants has been very positive, with many commenting on how their indoor environment feels much fresher and some even saying that their symptoms of asthma have been reduced.”
EnviroVent is one of the pioneers of Positive Input Ventilation (PIV). The company also manufactures a range of other/ alternative whole house ventilation systems, such as MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) as well as producing a wide choice of single/multiple room mechanical extract ventilation solutions and a full selection of extract fans.