It has been a changeable summer this year in terms of the weather, however, we have seen a bumper season for pollen. If you have either MVHR or PIV systems installed, now would be a good time to check your filters. These can become clogged up with pollen collected over the spring/summer months and with the consistently high pollen counts we have had this year; it is likely your filters require some attention. Clogged filters can put undue strain on your ventilation systems by obstructing the flow of air into the property, which in turn leads to unnecessary pressure on the fan motor. Many manufacturer’s filters are reusable and simply require a rinse, but make sure to allow them to fully dry before re-fitting them to your ventilation system. If your filters are not reusable, purchasing replacements is not usually an expensive option and will help to maintain the smooth running of your ventilation system. You can find our range of filters here. 

As we near the end of August there are several other habits that we may need to change regarding our ventilation. As the reasonably hot weather (and occasional heatwave) we have enjoyed over the last few months starts to fade, remember to close bathroom windows to minimise drawing in cooler external air when your extractor is operating. This will minimise the draw of cool air into the bathroom, slowing down the condensation of steam in the room from showers and baths, and help to maintain the indoor temperature. 

It may also be necessary to re-adjust humidistats, especially if you recently installed a fan with this function over the summer. As the air temperature cools, the ambient humidity content will start to naturally rise which may cause nuisance triggering if the humidity sensor has been set to a higher sensitivity position - especially at night. This may not have been troublesome with the lower ambient humidity levels during the warmer summer months, but this can become problematic with the changing weather. A good tip to setting your humidity trigger point is to adjust your humidity setting to the least sensitive setting - usually about 90% - and run a hot shower. Once the steam/humidity content in the room has risen, slowly lower the trigger point until the fan kicks in. This should allow the fan to be triggered only by the higher humidity percentage created by the running hot water and not be affected by the natural rises in humidity content as the weather turns.