Can I Wash MVHR Filters?

Not at all, MVHR serves to extract humidity from the air it processes. But not all of it, but doesn’t that make MVHR ineffective? Not exactly. So why does MVHR remove excess humidity rather than all the humidity possible?

As people, we need a level of moisture within the air we breathe every day, without it you can feel a variety of effects. These differences are more pronounced when you breathe through your mouth on a hot day vs on a cold day.

Colder days mean that air is generally less humid, so you can feel effects similar to no humidity in the air. If you breathe from your mouth constantly in the cold, here are some of the effects you could eventually experience.

• Respiratory ailments such as asthma can be influenced by dry air.
• Sore throats / inflammation can be directly attributed to air that is too dry and cold.
• Irritation in the eyes as a result of the eye’s tear film being affected by the dry air.
• Nosebleeds
• Dry skin.
• Dehydration

MVHR systems removes the excess humidity that can develop into condensation and eventually mould. They do this without compromising the optimal humidity that we need to breathe.

Breathing through the nose vs the mouth

It can be argued that nasal breathing is the optimum way to breath, but why is this? Essentially, your sinus system essentially does the job of a MVHR unit.

Your nose extracts the air, your sinuses help to filter the air, and make the temperature optimal for your body to use by the time it reaches your lungs.

This is why cold temperatures can lead to sore throats more often. Due to mouth breathing, the air bypasses the aforementioned processes, which can in turn disrupt your throat.

This isn’t to say you should never breathe through your mouth, but nasal breathing in dry and cold environments could be quite helpful.

Multi and single room MVHR

Multi-room MVHR units provide ventilation, and heat recovery to multiple rooms, which is ideal for larger, particularly older houses. Newer homes are build with insulation in mind, so although they can be used in newer homes, they are sometimes not entirely needed.

Single room systems are more suited for rooms that you know are a problem when it comes to ventilation, heat recovery and/or humidity. They can be installed in bedrooms, utility rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens.

The one you choose is purely subjective to your needs and issues you are facing. If you require a second opinion, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

What is the difference between a MVHR unit, and air conditioning?

Air conditioning does not require ventilation to operate, air conditioning simply extracts the air within its vicinity, and expels it after running it through a heating or cooling mechanism depending on your needs.

On the other hand, MVHR units require ventilation in order to work, as they extract indoor air, to the outside whilst keeping the heat from the indoor air. At the same time, the unit also obtains fresh outdoor air and mixes it with the heat that was extracted from the indoor air.

This simultaneous process allows for fresh air without a compromise in temperature, in addition to preventing the environment required for mould to live. In terms of which is the best? MVHR wins, purely due to its multiple functions and benefits provided.

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