Does MVHR Reduce Condensation?

Neglecting to remove condensation in your home creates the perfect environment for mould to thrive.

Mould, otherwise known as damp, is a kind of fungus that grows on wet surfaces. Mould comes in a variety of colours: Black, Green, Brown, Grey, and White. It can be difficult to identify mould by colour, as it can occur in many shades. Some of the most common mould strains in the home are:

• Black Mould – Also called Stachybotrys chartarum, black mould is commonly found in bathrooms and wet rooms but can also occur on cold exterior walls in habitable rooms such as the bedroom or living room.
• Cladosporium – Commonly found in bathrooms, under sinks, and around taps, but it can grow on surfaces like carpets, furniture, walls, and floors.

Mould reproduces from tiny spores. The spores float through the air and deposit on the surfaces. Under adequate temperature, moisture, and nutrient conditions, the spores can form new mould colonies.

If you have found mould in your home, you need to assess if this is your landlord’s responsibility (for example, it could be from a leaking roof that needs repairing). Or if improper ventilation causes the dampness. To assess your options, click here.

You should not be amongst mould and aim to get rid of it immediately, as it can be known to affect people’s health or intensify health conditions if you have a mould allergy.

Treating mould

It is alarming to understand how quickly mould can spread and become a hazard in the home. This is why you should treat it beforehand whilst it is still just condensation.

If you leave it too late, it can become extremely difficult to remove, mould can live in grouting, in the walls, almost anywhere. So how can you treat it before it becomes almost impossible to remove?

Purchasing mould treatment products is the first step to take, if this fails, consider employing a local mould cleaning service to give you the best possible guidance, especially if the mould isn’t going at all.

Alternative methods for condensation treatment

In terms of mechanisms, there are little to no alternatives that provide the same level of help that a MVHR system can. However, there are non-mechanical options that could help ventilation issues in your home.

If your home is too humid, you should…

• Consider employing a basic ventilation routine daily.
• Open windows when cooking/showering
• Keep fluffy items out of rooms such as bathrooms or kitchens, as moisture can catch onto these surfaces.
• Use your central heating at specific times, such as when you wake up, when you arrive home from work, and before you go to bed.

Does air conditioning get rid of condensation?

Essentially, yes. Air conditioning systems can help to remove the humidity in the air, thereby reducing the likelihood of condensation from appearing.

Aside from that, air conditioning units pale in comparison to MVHR units. MVHR units will replace the indoor air with fresh outdoor air, whereas an air conditioning system only alters the temperature of the air within the room.

To emulate a similar effect to a MVHR system, you would need to have a window open with

 air conditioning on, which can defeat the purpose of having an air conditioning unit anyway.

Although MVHR doesn’t control the temperature like air conditioning systems, it keeps the air comfortable and warm, without losing heat, whilst also providing you with fresh air. You could use both machines in conjunction with each other, but you’re essentially just directing the air from the MVHR unit to a specific area, which can be redundant.

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