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Heat exchangers that an average-sized room requires at least one air change per hour when occupied. However this varies and is dependent on such factors as the number of occupants and the number and nature of the sources of pollution. the use of air bricks and infiltration were the traditional methods.; however, as our energy conserving becomes more sophisticated, we need to develop a correspondingly more sophisticated ventilation strategy. Before listing the possible measures in a strategy, we shall look at ventilation for combustion and heat exchangers. The proofing membranes used for rising damp treatment is that chemical DPCs are almost always installed with a recommendation to re-plaster the wall at least to a height of 1.2m with a dense plaster and with a salt retardant additive in the plaster mix. Is there any way we can save the heat lost through controlled ventilation? Heat exchangers are designed to do just this. They are a relatively new method of recovering the heat from warm air before it is exhausted to the outside, and are being used increasingly as part of an overall strategy for ventilation and energy conservation. The principle is simple: the outgoing air is extracted through a matrix of hollow tubes and fins which warm the incoming air contained within them. In larger systems, warm air is collected via ducts from various places around the house, such as bathrooms and kitchens, and the warmed fresh air is delivered to the living rooms. It is a statutory condition that heating appliances which require air from inside a room for safe operation should have a permanent ventilator. The danger is that the fuel does not burn efficiently without sufficient oxygen; if toxic products of combustion are not exhausted, they can build up in a room and possibly prove fatal. In old houses the original ventilators are often papered over and it is obviously important that either they are unblocked or an alternative route is found for the incoming combustion air. One way of providing this alternative route is via a purpose-built duct delivering air directly to the appliance. Many modern appliances overcome this problem by having a balanced flue which draws air from the outside and expels it through the same fitting. The heat exchanger can be placed anywhere in the house but the roof space is the usual location. Expert advice is essential if you are thinking of installing a heat exchanger. Once you have identified individual problems in each room of the house, such as a heater requiring combustion ventilation or a room with too much humidity, it is necessary to draw up a ventilation strategy. Perhaps the most important decision you should make at the very beginning is whether to install a heat exchanger with ducts to various parts of your home. If you decide this then the problem is more or less solved in one go. This should be the most energy-efficient option. If not, consider all the measures below and try to balance the air flow in each room of the house so that you have an inflow and an outflow. If this seems complicated, persevere and find ways of simplifying the problem in your mind: for instance, if you fit controllable trickle ventilators to all your windows, leave gaps round the internal doors and install extractor fans in the bathroom and kitchen, this would be suffi¬cient.
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