We were invited to take a look at a clients property in Chatham, Kent.

They were certainly feeling the pain from the condensation in the property! They were fighting back black mould on the ceilings, walls, and bathroom tiles on the constant. They needed a solution and they knew we'd be able to help. 

We decided a PIV unit was the best course to take for them. PIV's work very similarly to extractor fans - and can be coupled with extractor fans to tag team the moisture load inside a property.

And on the flip side of the coin - they also work oppositely to extractor fans. Where extractor fans remove moisture-laden air from the property, a PIV pumps dry, fresh air into the property. If you take one our famous in-loft inline extractor fan builds, and compare it to a PIV, their performance is quite similar - both deliver good results.

There are some differences offered in the pros and cons to each of these....

PIVs don't deal with moisture-laden 'sticky', 'dusty' air - and don't get half s clogged up as time goes on. Extractor fans require cleaning and maintenance every year. PIVs should have their air filters serviced every two years, and won't be half as mucky.

PIVs offer filtered air into the property - removing nasties produced from road traffic and industry (and anything else going on outside). Extractor fans, do not.

PIVs offer a more general ventilation approach, and provide whole-house ventilation. Whereas extractor fans deliver a more 'local', or concentrated approach, but they can be rigged up to run constantly, which will deliver a defacto whole-house ventilation, especially if it's one of our well-built extractor fan systems.

If not built properly, extractor fan systems in the loft (like our favourites) can be susceptible to letting water collect and pour back down into the property, causing damp patches on ceilings and pools of water on the floor. PIV's don't suffer from this risk.

Because PIVs pump fresh air in from the outside (even if it has been warmed up slightly in the loft), there will be a slight but noticeable cooling effect, mostly on the landing which is where most PIV outlets are sited. Extractor fans do not cause this cooling effect.

We went through these exact pro's and con's with this client, which led to the decision to go for a PIV first, and if they still require more ventilation they can look at an extractor fan at a later date. Good Call!

Because of the cooling effect, this client opted to have a PIV with an integrated heater fitted. Although these heaters do not remove the entire cooling effect, it does take the chill off a little bit.

Measuring twice and cutting once, we set off to install their new PIV. We positioned the PIV and the vent to optimise our clients requirements as best as possible. Not in the way too much up in the loft, and more over the stairs than directly pointing on the landing. Power brought to site, PIV unit commissioned to our customers preferences, and away they go!

From the client....

"Thanks for the amazing work on Monday from both of you, there is a considerable difference to the condensation on the windows and an overall difference to the freshness of the house."

"Hey Kev,
So far, we are still seeing great results so all good there."

Would you like to check out our other PIV projects?
Would you like to see what else we've been doing to help combat condensation, damp & mould?
Would you like to see what else we've been up to for your neighbours in Chatham?