Manrose Ventilation for the Bathroom

We have recently encountered this problem and there was a question from many of our customers: do I need a bathroom fan with a humidistat function, or will a fan with a timer do? You could say that it all depends on what you need the fan for, what are the conditions the bathroom is in, what is the weather, what you use the bathroom for, etc. But in general, for the majority of people, a bathroom fan with a timer is more recommended than a fan with a humidistat. Unless there are special conditions with extreme humidity being constantly in the bathroom, all you need is a timer fan. Let us explain why. How Does a Humidistat Fan Work? What does this "humidistat module" do in a ventilation fan? Whether it is from Manrose, Vent-Axia, Envirovent, or Airflow, most of the bathroom fans come both in a basic version and in the version with a timer, humidistat, or even with timer and humidistat together (of course, the price is also higher). A humidistat is a sensor within a certain module in the fan that detects the level of humidity in the air, and then switches ON or OFF the fan. The humidistat can be set and adjusted as needed so that when there's a lot of humidity in the air, the fan will automatically be ON until the humidity is eliminated.Buy Humidistat Fans at Sparks How Does a Timer Fan Work? A timer bathroom fan is pretty straightforward and simple: you can set the time delay for the fan to continue to run once someone has used the bathroom and left (switching off the light). In other words, the fan will continue running for a period of 30 seconds - 3-4 minutes (according to your settings) after someone has taken a shower or has used the bathroom for more than 2-3 minutes. This is the most common use of the bathroom fan, and most bathrooms are not completely and properly ventilated unless a ventilation fan with a timer is installed. Why are the Timer Fans Better? Airflow Quietair 100 with a humidistat sensor incorporated Again, we don't prefer or replace a humidistat fan with a timer fan, but in general use, people rather need a bathroom fan with a timer than one with a humidistat. If your bathroom is in an area with a lot of humidity, it is good to get a humidity timer and set it on a not-so-sensitive setting. If the humidity level in your bathroom is always up and ventilation is needed all the time, a fan with humidistat is a must. But if you don't have huge problems with the humidity and all you need is a fan that would ventilate the air and make sure you have fresh air while the humidity and odors are eliminated a regular timer fan is the best solution. If you are planning to leave your house for a while and you know that the humidity can be up while away, you definitely need a bathroom fan with a humidistat. But if you're at home or your family is regularly using the bathroom during the day, you don't need a humidistat fan but a fan with a timer.Buy Timer Ventilation Fans Tip: Don't Fiddle Too Much with the Humidistat A humidistat is a very sensitive module within the fan, and not everyone understands how it works. The mere fact that you see that the humidistat doesn't turn the fan ON when you think that the humidity is high doesn't mean that you need to regulate it and adjust it all the time. Unless there are special humidity conditions in the bathroom, setting your humidistat on 60% or so should solve all the problems (see the manufacturer's specs and ask your electrician for more precise advice). But tinkering with the humidistat may cause it to be damaged - you simply have to "trust it", that it will work whenever the level of humidity is higher! Do You Have a Similar Experience? Did you install a humidistat fan? What is your experience with it? Maybe you want to share something you've learned while setting up, using, maintaining, and taking care of your humidistat fan (or timer fan) - please do so in the comments. You can read more technical details on how the humidistat works here, here, and here. To purchase bathroom fans with a timer, please visit the Ventilation Systems at Sparks Direct.

Recently, Beijing citizens have been advised to stay indoors as the air pollution breaks all known records. In light of this, we thought it was high time to talk about air pollution inside the house - which is often overlooked in favour of what happens outdoors. In fact, studies have shown that the air quality in the kitchen can be up to [three times more noxious] than a traffic-lined street, so there's a clear need to keep the indoor air quality (IAQ) at a breathable standard. What is Indoor Air Pollution? Because IAQ is so often overlooked, you might not be completely aware of what the term "indoor air pollution" means, exactly. It's a mixture of pollutants from inside the building with those that come into the building through windows and other sources of ventilation. Cooking appliances and tobacco smoke are among the worst offenders, as you might have already guessed, but there are other, more surprising sources of air pollution inside the average UK house: Pollutant Sources Nitrogen Dioxide (NO?) Heating and cooking appliances Carbon Monoxide (CO) Heating and cooking appliances Particulate matter Cooking and aerosols Radon Natural ground gases Environmental tobacco smoke Cigarettes, cigars, pipes Allergens Moulds and house dust mites Volatile organic compounds and ozone Cleaning products, paints, and printers With a list this long, it might seem as though there is nothing to be done - after all, if natural ground gases are a hazard, what can we do about that? Achieving Good Indoor Air Quality A good IAQ rating can be achieved through demand-controlled ventilation, among other things such as air-filtering plants and, well, only smoking outdoors (which, we understand, is one of the greatest joys a smoker can have in a world that increasingly shuts them out). Simply fitting an extractor fan in the most problematic areas of the house will ensure a constant air turnover: the replacement of interior air with exterior air. Pollutants vary from room to room: allergens and moulds tend to build up in the bathroom, whereas tobacco smoke is more common in living rooms and bedrooms, for example. This means that some rooms will require more ventilation or a more rapid airflow exchange.Best indoor Ventilation Fans Generally, there's a "trade-off" between airtightness and energy efficiency: very energy-efficient houses tend not to be very well-ventilated, and houses with a lot of ventilation are not very airtight. That said, there are a number of low-energy extractor fans in the Sparks Direct store, including models with incorporated motion sensors. If you're concerned about the air quality of your home, speak with an HVAC contractor about extraction fans, or take a look through our store. Better yet: why not ask one of our staff at our Archway showroom? Header image via How Stuff Works

Some people are OK with a random not-so-good-yet-functioning air extractor fan, while others "don't care about the brand but want a good ventilation at home". But we all need to know that the effect of not having a good-quality air in the home is dramatic. Most people spend 90% of their time indoors and many times 70% of this time is in our own homes! If we have clean air, ventilated air, and even purified air at home, we have a chance at living longer and at not being affected in our health. The indoor living environment is crucial to the health of the occupants. What Air do we have In our Home? It is a proven fact that half of all illnesses are either caused or aggravated by poor indoor ventilation. In conclusion, what kind of air do we have in our home? Of course, we don't see with our eyes what's in the air we breathe, but there is lots of stuff in there! Besides to the general moisture build-up in the home (created from washing, bathing, cooking, breathing, and being there), a large compound of many other pollutants and contaminants is present in the indoor air both at work and at home. Here are some of the things we may daily breathe in: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) created from the use of aerosols and formaldehyde found in furniture and carpets CO, Carbon monoxide, from smoking and combustion appliances Odors from cooking and pets Humidity and vapors created from cooking, showering, washing, and ironing, all amounting to 16 pints a day in an average family home Allergens from house dust mites Mould spores found in household dust Carbon dioxide from household appliances and people Without any intention to scare you or myself, it's pretty nasty. What's the solution for all these pollutants in the air? Is there a way to actually live in your own home without being negatively affected by the air in home? Solution: Correct and Proper Ventilation! The solution to all these problems is simply to ventilate properly and correctly! In other words, you need to calculate what kind of volume of air your room has and you need to get an air ventilation fan that will insure at least 3-4 changes of air per day in the room. One of the most recommended ranges of energy-saving and low-cost air extractor fans is the EnviroVent ENV range.Recently we added the ENV1T12V 100mm low voltage centrifugal fan with a timer, ideal for the kitchen.Note: this fan is no longer available on our website; here is the Envirovent range of fans. With a quiet operation (you can barely hear it) and with a full IPX4 rating, this fan also comes with a timer module incorporated. Excellent for domestic use and with automatic backdraught shutters, this fan meets all the building requirements! Note: the above info is inspired from EnviroVent's own documentation on ventilation.Best Ventilation Fans for Home

Whether we work in an office, travel for work, or work from home, residential ventilation systems are critical for our health, for we all return home and we need fresh air in our homes. At Sparks, we distribute a wide range of ventilation systems, most of which are for residential applications. In this article, we are inspired by the Residential Ventilation Systems via Airflow, and we would like to highlight the following:the importance of residential ventilation, how to choose the residential ventilation system, what are the benefits of such systems, what are the available residential ventilation systems at Sparks. The air we breathe at home needs to be of good quality, which means that we need to work on improving the air quality so that there are lower and lower levels of pollution in the air we breathe. Since the air we breathe has an impact on our health and our overall well-being, we need to analyze what are the factors that affect the quality of the air we breathe at home and how can we properly ventilate our home. Residential Ventilation is Important - Here's WhyWhy is it important for residential buildings to be properly ventilated? Especially as we live in the UK with a high level of rain and humidity, it is easy for us to close our windows and make sure we stay safe and sound inside the comfort of our own homes. However, there's the possibility of mould being formed, which leads to respiratory illnesses, allergies, and an increased risk of cardiovascular issues. Plus, we feel tired and have no appetite for life, for the quality of the air we breathe has an effect on our mental health. As we live a modern life in our modern home, it is easy to expose our home to a range of pollutants, fuel-burning combustion appliances, building materials and furnishings, and cleaning products we use to clean our home. It is recommended to have proper residential ventilation since these pollutants can remain in the air and we actually breathe in the air! When we open the window and have a proper residential ventilation system, we eliminate pollutants in the air and minimize the health risks associated with them. However, if we don't properly ventilate or if our system is leaking and there are condensation issues, mould growth can happen and pollutants will remain. In conclusion, it is critically important for there to be a proper residential ventilation system and for us to properly ventilate our home. Factors to Consider in Choosing the Right Type of Residential Ventilation for Your HomeMany people realize there's a need for proper ventilation at home but they do not know what is the right type of residential ventilation for them. Sometimes they go overboard and order an expensive yet wrong ventilation system, and there is inefficient ventilation or worse, the building and health of those in the building is affected or damaged. There are a few factors to consider in choosing the right type of residential ventilation for your home. 1. What do you need to ventilate?If you need ventilation for the bathroom, a particular residential ventilation system is required, but if ventilation is required for the kitchen, a different system is needed. Depending on the room to be ventilated and the volume of that room, particular residential ventilation systems can be recommended. 2. Is your building new or old? By this we mean, is the property you live in a new build or an existing building? Some older homes won't be able to accommodate some of the new residential ventilation systems. Some of the new builds are more airtight, and they rely upon mechanical ventilation methods. It is important to know this when considering what residential ventilation system to purchase. 3. What's the volume of air to ventilate? Depending on the volume of air that needs to be ventilated (which can be calculated based on the dimensions of the room to ventilate), different residential ventilation systems are available. The size of the system depends on the volume to be ventilated and the settings you apply to it. 4. What are the current regulations regarding residential ventilation? It is good to know what are the government requirements for residential ventilation to make sure we meet the current regulations. Furthermore, it is good to know more about the latest plans to achieve the Future Homes Standard and Future Building Standard via the UK government portal. 5. What's the cost of the residential ventilation system we need? For many, this is the first consideration, especially in these days of high inflation and increased household costs. Budget is something we can't ignore; however, a good residential ventilation system will last you for many years, so it is worth it investing in a good quality system. What are the Benefits of Good Residential Ventilation Systems?Here are some of the benefits of choosing and installing good quality residential ventilation systems:Better quality of air to breathe leads to less suffering from allergies, respiratory and skin conditions, fatigue, and other health issues.Higher quality of air means less volatile organic compounds, less radon, and a lower likelihood for mould to develop in the home. Good quality air and ventilated air in a building lead to preserving the fabric of the building and not damaging it, and there are less mould, dampness, and condensation issues. Proper residential ventilation systems at home lead to significant economic advantages, especially when a dMEV system is installed and there is mechanical ventilation with a heat recovery system. The best Residential Ventilation Systems available at SparksAt Sparks, we are delighted to distribute some of the highest-quality residential ventilation systems in the UK. The ventilation manufacturers we distribute have decades of experience in the residential ventilation industry and they operate according to the highest standards. Here are some of the best residential ventilation systems available at Sparks (bearing in mind the factors you need to consider for a residential ventilation system in your home above):Airflow Bathroom Fans: excellent fans for extracting the air in the bathroom, from the Airflow iCON range to the Aura bathroom fans. Airflow iCONstant continuous air extractor fans: quiet, dMEV fans that are extremely economical to run. Envirovent Bathroom Extractor Fans: high-quality bathroom ventilation fans from Silent fans to the Design extractor fans for extracting air in the bathroom. Envirovent ECO-dMEV continuous running fans: ideal for constant volume, continuously running decentralised extract fan. Manrose Ventilation fans for Bathroom: good quality bathroom fans for extracting moisture and pollutants, low voltage and mains voltage fans. Manrose Kitchen ventilation fans: 100mm, 125mm, and 150mm duct fans for kitchen air extraction and ventilation.If you need help with deciding what residential ventilation system you require for your home, do not hesitate to contact us. Buy Residential Ventilation Systems at Sparks