Top 3 Benefits of Continuous Extract Fans in Domestic Properties

For many years, the most popular method for maintaining good levels of indoor air quality in kitchens, bathrooms and utilities has been through intermittent extract models. These will be familiar to anyone who has had to turn the fan on after burning their Sunday breakfast, or aired the utility after a particularly muddy dog walk.

However, continuous extract fans have a number of features which provide benefits to both installers and homeowners alike, and offer an alternative solution for domestic ventilation.

Here are the top 3 benefits of continuous extract ventilation:

1. Compliance with the latest Building Regulations

This is something that all ventilation strategies need to think about, and it has been brought sharply into focus following the introduction of the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Approved Document F sets out the minimum ventilation rates that must be achieved, which vary depending on a number of factors, such as number of bedrooms and overall size of the property.

Continuous extract fans operate at what is known as a ‘trickle speed’, which must be at the level that the latest Building Regulations state. Some of the latest models, such as Elta’s MORI dMEV II 150HT, have much higher trickle speeds than their predecessors, meaning this method of ventilation can be used even when ventilation requirements are high.

2. Comfort within the home

Domestic ventilation needs to provide a comfortable living environment for occupants, and although indoor air quality is the biggest part of this, the practical considerations of living day-to-day with fans is also important. Intermittent fans, by their very nature, need to be operated manually. This means that if a home is unoccupied for a lengthy period of time, such as if the resident is on holiday, or even just out at work, it will remain un-ventilated until someone is home.

Continuous fans do not need face-to-face interaction, and can operate without user input. When necessary, most continuous fans have a boost mode, which can be activated when a higher rate of ventilation is needed (without going into too much detail about why that might be!).

Plus, continuous fans are much quieter than intermittent fans, which are often quite noisy due to the amount of air they have to move just to be compliant with Building Regulations. This gives occupants the choice of having to tolerate the noise or suffer from poor indoor air quality, but with continuous fans occupants can enjoy peace, quiet, and good quality air!

3. Installation considerations

We’ve already said that intermittent fans have been the most popular choice for many years, which can often mean a reluctance to undertake challenging installation work can prevent continuous fans being introduced.

It’s true that fans come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and intermittent fans tend to be larger than continuous – particularly in kitchens. However, the latest models of continuous fans address this problem, with Elta’s 150mm dMEV perfectly designed to be a direct replacement for existing 150mm kitchen extract fans. Not only is this more aesthetically pleasing, but it also means that installation is both quicker and easier.