Intelligent home air solutions with Polypipe Ventilation’s new HRX-aQ MVHR systems

Polypipe Ventilation has announced its next generation of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) appliances – the Silavent HRX-aQ, which intelligently manages air conditions for maximum homeowner comfort, whilst also being easier to design-in.

Properties come in different design styles, fabrics, locations and orientations, all of which have an impact on their thermal behaviour. Furthermore, occupants’ comfort levels can vary significantly, with one person’s comfortable temperature being another’s overheating point. The HRX-aQ has been designed by Polypipe Ventilation to take these factors into account, matching ventilation rates to the internal environment and occupants’ requirements for maximum comfort, whilst also being the quietest and most compact Silavent MVHR unit available.

This is achieved through advanced AMIE (Air Management for Indoor Environments) technology including features such as digital humidity control, automated summer bypass and accurate system balancing.

Unlike conventional humidity sensors, the HRX-aQ enables occupants to have direct control over managing the humidity levels in their home to suit personal comfort levels. By accurately measuring air humidity, the HRX-aQ’s extract speed automatically changes from background to boost as the level of humidity increases, thereby providing optimal ventilation performance.

Similarly, the HRX-aQ features advanced bypass control, programmable by occupants based on time or temperature. In standard mode the MVHR units work by warming fresh air drawn into the building using the heat from waste stale air extracted from the kitchen and wet rooms. In conjunction with multiple time controlled bypass options (night time free cooling), the HRX-aQ also detects when the air temperature reaches a pre-set level and intelligently activates the bypass mechanism allowing in cooler, fresh and filtered air.

Control of these features is achieved via a compact Bluebrain control, which also provides homeowners with helpful maintenance reminders for cleaning and replacing filters to ensure performance of the unit is maximised and air quality maintained.

From just 199mm in depth the HRX-aQ MVHR unit is the smallest Silavent ceiling/void mounted unit of its type and weighs down to just 7.9kg, making it compact and light enough to be easily installed in the most restrictive of ceiling voids. This is particularly important for many new build developments where space is at a premium. The unit which incorporates 204x60mm off-set socket connections, can be simply designed-in with a straight in-and-out duct run, making the specification and design process much quicker and simpler. This also enables any duct crossover to be more easily designed and allows the unit to be directly fitted to Polypipe Ventilation’s Domus 204x60mm ducting, for an air-tight connection.

The HRX-aQ is also exceptionally quiet. With background (normal) ventilation down to 24dB(A) (typically no louder than a whisper), the HRX-aQ is one of the quietest MVHR units in the market. Manufactured from high density EPP (expanded polypropylene) material for optimum sound reduction, combined with integral flow straighteners for reduced internal resistance, the highly efficient HRX-aQ ensures that break out and induct noise is minimised.

As with Polypipe Ventilation’s previous Silavent MVHR ranges, the new HRX-aQ remains extremely efficient. When used with a kitchen and one wet room, at typical installation, the HRX-aQ provides an 88% heat exchange performance and boasts a very low Specific Fan Power down to 0.66W/(l/s).

There are eight HRX-aQ models available to suit a wide range of residential properties, including units with a specialist heat exchanger technology to further improve air quality and provide comfortable humidity levels. HRX-aQ ‘Total Heat’ exchangers will not just extract wasted heat from wet rooms but also the latent energy in the humidity. By specifying this heat exchanger, the HRX-aQ will become an Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) system, allowing optimal air comfort.

These specialist heat exchangers will also remove the need for a condensate drain; providing extra flexibility on where to site the unit.

Through a process called diffusion, the HRX-aQ ‘Total Heat’ technology allows for the exchange of heat and optimum levels of moisture to be transferred, so that the incoming air is able to harmoniously react with the home environment – whether it be summer or winter.

The Silavent HRX-aQ has been designed to work most efficiently when used with Polypipe’s Domus duct systems, including its new Flow Control Plenum and High Efficiency Green Line Bends, which reduce duct bend resistance by up to 60%. Domus duct systems offer improved system performance through the exacting tolerances and engineered fit of the system, whereby pressure drops are minimised and air leakage virtually eliminated.

Polypipe Ventilation has a well deserved reputation for quality, supported by excellent technical support, from a market leading manufacturer and designer. It is well placed to offer immediate, practical solutions to Building Regulations Parts F & L. The company continues to provide differentiated solutions in the private and social housing sectors, transforming the way developers, specifiers, installers, home owners and distributors meet emerging environmental standards.