Design Service

We provide design for your desired system, and installation or provide support for DIY installs if required and we will commission and balance your system and provide a commissioning cert.

At Airwave Heat Recovery we use manifold Ø75mm & Ø90mm radial duct systems and not PVC or metal teed-off systems. It is critically important that the correct size duct is used as the pressure within the distribution system will determine noise, airflows, electricity consumption and HRV fan longevity.

Some installers quote and install Teeed-off systems and do not make this clear in their quote. Teeed-off systems have the following setbacks.

  • Cross talk, you can hear noise from other rooms in the house. (no privacy)
  • Harder to balance, and can be difficult or impossible to get the required airflow to the furthest away valve, like old heating systems, the furthest away radiator was always the coldest.
  • More noise at the closest valves.
  • We suggest a location for the MVHR unit or extract fan, manifolds and wall/roof cowls.
  • All systems will require a power supply adjacent to the unit/fan to be supplied by your electrician.
  • An internal waste connection of Ø32mm is to be provided by a plumber for heat recovery units.
  • All internal doors should have an undercut of a minimum of 10mm.

We design a bespoke system for every individual project as no two projects are the same.

We aim to provide solutions that are not overspecified, but rather good practice and surpass minimum building regulations and meet best practice criteria.

Building regulations TGD document part F provides the following equation for guideline purposes for air supply/extract requirement and sizing the required MVHR unit, providing there is not a more accurate calculation available.

The MVHR unit should be running at as close to 50% of its capacity in the normal setting as possible and achieve the required airflow rates for the following reasons.

  • It keeps electrical running costs to a minimum, typically €180 per year or less.
  • Ensures maximum heat recovery efficiency. (thermal efficiency)
  • Less noise from the unit.
  • It will prolong the life of the fan motors.
  • All MVHR manufacturers advise the above scenario.
  • It is imperative that a calculation is completed to avoid having the wrong size/cheaper MVHR unit installed for every single project.

Our duct is registered as approved on the SAP appendix which is a BER requirement however it has advantages over rigid uPVC or metal duct as it does not have taped or glued joints that will be compromised over time when the adhesive dries out or inadvertently dislodged.

The radial duct is designed for installation in floor screed and is therefore very sturdy.

As our duct is semi-flexible it requires fewer bends and connections, which will eliminate extra friction and pressure.

Where a joint is necessary with the radial duct the joint has a rubber seal with a locking mechanism which ensures its air tightness cannot be compromised.

The inside material of the duct is anti-static and completely smooth and allows for cleaning from manifold to ceiling valve without restriction, unlike metal and uPVC ducts.

Metal and uPVC ducts are likely to be prone to the accumulation of unwanted particles in your ventilation system.
It is recommended to clean the extract ducts every 15 years or less.

Radial duct is manufactured in Europe and is fire-rated & certified.

Video of our air excellent duct is at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpUacNV3KiM

Here at Airwave Heat Recovery, We use proper wall and roof cowls and not louvres/vents as I’ve seen commonly and incorrectly used.

Louvres/vents will restrict airflow and will be susceptible to water ingress.

Our wall cowls are powder-painted aluminum with rust-free fixings and roof cowls are German engineered.

In fact, all our materials are manufactured within the EU or UK.

We select MVHR units that meet the following criteria.

  • Greater than 90% thermal efficiency.
  • Energy efficient with a specific fan power factor of less than 1.0
  • Registered on SAP Appendix Q.
  • Humidity Stat fitted.
  • Automatic Summer Bypass.
  • Installer friendly.
  • Value for money.

The humidity sensor and summer bypass ensure ventilation is completely automatic. The HRV unit will automatically boost itself when it detects relative humidity levels greater than 70% or whatever setting you want it adjusted to. This unit will satisfy best practices and surpass building regs which are only a minimum guide anyway.

We install the following. Komfovent, Zehender, Vent Axia, Ubbink, Brink, Aerauliqua, Airflow, Aldes, Renson , etc.

NOTE: If the unit that is fitted regardless of supplier is not registered on the SAP appendix, The BER assessor will have to use a default efficiency and specific fan power. This will have a detrimental effect on your BER.

If our quotation, is more expensive than a competitor, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any discrepancies in the design and specification. If we quote “like for like” we are very competitive.

All our systems are correctly balanced at the manifold and we provide a commissioning cert to the owner guaranteeing the required airflows.

Airwave does not recommend the fitting of boost switches in different locations around the dwelling, the units we use are fitted with a Humidity sensor and will boost automatically once Relative Humidity surpasses 70% or whatever percentage the homeowner requires.

Most MVHR units are now fitted with Humidity stats therefore making boost switches a useless gimmick that will purge the whole house, decrease efficiency make your home lose heat unnecessarily, they can cause problems at a later time and add cost.

As stated above, our systems are completely automatically controlled and are fitted with summer bypass for comfort during the short periods of warm weather we get.

We at Airwave Heat Recovery include two valves for the kitchen to ensure >28 l/s @ 80% of capacity on boost as should be for good practice. We can also provide a ground-level supply in the utility as well as an extract to facilitate clothes drying. A valuable extra to have given our climate.

We are fully insured and a copy of our insurance schedule is available upon request. We will provide you with a commissioning certificate on completion.

If you are planning to install it yourself, we are there to support balance and commission when complete if required.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me regardless of how trivial. It is always better to ask questions than make assumptions and I welcome your interest in any case.

Here at Airwave Heat Recovery and Ventilation, we aim to provide a healthy, comfortable and efficient environment for your household.