FAQ's for Heat Pump Ventilation and Heat Recovery Ventilation from Genvex
We have listed some of the more frequently asked questions below regarding heat pump and heat recovery ventilation systems from Genvex. Please browse through them.
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CAN A GENVEX HRV SYSTEM BE FITTED INTO EXISTING HOMES? Yes. It is fairly simple to install in properties of any age or size. If the Genvex appliance is to be located in the loft, it is normally very simple to ventilate the upstairs rooms as you can utilise any of the loft space for your duct route. Getting to the rooms on the lowest floor can be a challenge, but there are plenty of natural voids within the property to use to drop down in: You would then just have the ceiling terminal either directly below or along the same joist run, but further into the room.
The only real “building work” is making the holes in the ceiling to allow the ductwork to be connected to the terminals and the external break-out points for the intake for the fresh air and the expulsion of the stale air.
You need to bear in mind where your controller should be placed, as low voltage cable will need to connect it to your Genvex appliance. Strictly speaking, the Genvex appliance will need to be connected up to your house electrics, although if you have a handy socket nearby, the 13amp plug may just be plugged-in there. Please speak to a qualified electrician to qualify this last point.
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is it noisy?
With the two fans contained within the insulated ventilation appliance (typically in your loft), noise from the ceiling terminals is virtually silent.
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how many ceiling terminals will I require?
Generally, only one discreet terminal is required in each room of your house (you ignore hallways and landings). However, rooms over 30m² may require an additional terminal. Conservatories being warm in summer and cold in winter may require both a ‘supply’ and an ‘extract’ terminal within the room.
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g can I turn the system off?
Your Genvex is highly efficient and designed to run continuously, as it is the most effective way to ventilate your property. There is a control panel to adjust your ventilation requirements with 10 temperature modes per day, a 24/7 timer, optimum airflow settings (supply & extract adjustable in 3% steps) and periodic ventilation boost of up to 6 hours.
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g HOW MUCH DOES A SYSTEM COST TO RUN?
Running throughout the year, a Genvex Standard appliance for a four bedroom home consumes about £40 of electricity and saves a great deal more in terms of reduced heating bills. For the Genvex Enhanced (with heat pump) appliance you are looking at about £180, although with putting 1kW of energy into the appliance you do get up to 5kW out making it far more efficient than using your oil or gas fired central heating system all the time.
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DOES IT HELP TO RELIEVE ASTHMA?
With a whole house air-change every couple of hours, things in the air that might usually trigger such conditions like Asthma are regularly removed from the internal environment.
Each Genvex appliance also incorporates a special pollen filter on the fresh-air intake, to enhance summer ventilation. There is also an optional electrostatic filter, that traps particles down to 0.01microns, fitering out a large number of viruses. Additionally, reducing the humidity of the air will also discourage dustmites from breeding quite so rapidly and they are usually a regular cause of allergies. |
DO I STILL NEED A CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM?
The Genvex Enhanced range of appliances, may well be able to provide the rest of your heating requirements if your home has the following: very good insulation properties
a wood-burning stove
electric under-floor heating in your kitchen and bathrooms
heated towel rails in the bathroom.
If you specify a Genvex Standard appliance (just HRV) within your home, you will most probably still require a full central heating system.
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IS THERE ANY MAINTENANCE?
Filters
A red light will flash on the controller panel to indicate when the bag filters on the fresh air intake need cleaning (perhaps twice a year). You can vacuum them up to three times before they will need replacing. The flat sponge filter on the extract air can be pulled out of its frame and washed in warm soapy water and again replaced after about three washes.
Condensate
The condensate drain should be checked for dirt etc each autumn before temperatures fall below 5°C. |
IS IT LIKE AIR-CONDITIONING?
No, air-conditioning uses high speed fans and re-circulates about 80% of the stale air in the home, in order to reduce temperatures down to a set level.
A Genvex Standard appliance replaces the air in your home with 100% fresh air at all times. In winter it recovers heat and in summer it can bypass this facility, which can result in a slight cooling effect on summer evenings.
A Genvex Enhanced appliance not only has the automatic summer bypass, but the heat pump can also be reversed to further reduce the temperature of the air coming into your home by about 2-3°C.
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g CAN I LINK MY COOKERHOOD TO A GENVEX APPLIANCE?
We generally recommend that the Genvex system is kept separate.
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DOES IT COVER BUILDING REGULATION REQUIREMENTS?
All Genvex appliances meet and exceed 2007 Building Regulations (Part F, ventilation & Part L, energy efficiency). This means that you don’t have to have ugly, draughty trickle-vents in your window frames or noisy and inefficient extractor fans in your bathrooms. Genvex is also listed in the products section of BRE’s passive house website at http://www.passivhaus.org.uk/.
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