Those looking to ventilate their homes may have come across the option of a positive input ventilation unit. These PIV units are a popular technique of improving the home ventilation system relatively inexpensively – but are they worth having?
With tips from the PIV Team here’s what you need to know.
What Is a PIV Unit?
A PIV unit is a positive input ventilation unit. It works to eliminate condensation issues in a home by introducing fresh and filtered air into the property. Typically, a PIV unit will be installed in the loft space and will draw in external air at a continuous rate. This fresh air is then pumped throughout the property, forcing stale air out of the home using positive air pressure before it can cause condensation issues.
By replacing the stale air with fresh air, a PIV unit also improves the indoor air quality, removing pollutants from the air within the home too.
What Are the Benefits of A Positive Input Ventilation Unit?
As with any home improvement product, it’s important to know what the benefits of a positive input ventilation system are before you look into the logistics of actually having one installed in your home.
Reduce Condensation
A lot of British homes really struggle with condensation issues. The stale air in the home, often moisture-laden air, lands on cold surfaces like windows and external walls and forms a layer of moisture. This condensation issue can go on to develop into a mould and mildew issue.
Homes with single glazed windows or in particularly cool parts of the country will benefit particularly from the installation of a positive input ventilation, as these properties are particularly prone to condensation.
Easy Installation
The PIV unit is a quick and relatively inexpensive product to have installed. A professional can do the job, but a huge benefit of a PIV unit is that most homeowners would be able to do it themselves without worrying about the positive input ventilation PIV unit being installed correctly – it’s that straightforward! All you need is an electrician to connect the system to the mains.
Improve Indoor Air Quality
Since PIV units remove old moist air from the home, they also remove any pollutants, too. This means any carbon dioxide in your property and other impure air is forced out and replaced with fresh, clean air.
Low Maintenance
Once installed, a PIV unit works on its own. It doesn’t need adjusting or fiddling with. It will need a new filter every few years, but aside from that, it is an incredibly low maintenance piece of equipment.
Continuous Operation
A positive input ventilation unit will work 24/7, and will do so without needing to be programmed to. Some positive input ventilation units come with the ability to change the settings and controls to work differently according to the season or weather, but generally, the PIV unit will work continuously to provide your home with filtered air.
What Are the Downsides to A Positive Input Ventilation Unit?
Knowing all the plus sides is great, but as with any home improvement product, there are a few downsides, too.
Initial Cost
When you get a PIV unit installed, you will have to pay out for at least the positive input ventilation PIV unit itself. Depending on the product you opt for, this PIV system could cost several hundreds of pounds.
Impact on Heating Bills
PIV units use outside air to replace the air in your home. In a poorly insulated home, this could lead to cold air being pumped around the home and lowering the temperature.
How Much Will a PIV Unit Cost?
There are a number of PIV systems on the market, and each will cost a different amount. Likewise, whether you opt for installation or not will impact the price of the PIV units. You can expect lower-market products to start at around £300-£400, and higher-market PIV systems to cost anywhere around £800-£1,000.
Once installed, the cost of a PIV system is minimal. It is not like a heating system or air conditioner that uses lots of power to work, which makes it one of the most cost effective solutions when it comes to healthier indoor air quality and condensation. Generally speaking, a PIV unit can cost as little as a penny or two per day. This will vary depending on model and the size of your home, but the cost of use per day will always be relatively low.
Are Positive Input Ventilation Units Noisy?
Since they serve a similar purpose to dehumidifiers and air conditioning units, lots of people have concerns that a PIV system is going to keep them up at night with the sound of mechanical ventilation. But this is far from the truth.
PIV systems use a fan to move the air around your home, but the fan works in such a way that it should be practically inaudible.
What Makes a PIV Unit Worth It?
When the other options on the market, like dehumidifiers, are a little cheaper, what is it that makes PIV systems worth the investment?
Well, there are a few things. For one, the cost of PIV systems is much lower than the cost of repairing damage caused by long-term moisture in a property, and the daily cost of running them is so low that it soon makes up for the initial price. The systems are silent, and can be installed in a wall of loft space, meaning they take up no floor space in a property – a large part of their appeal.
In essence, they are the most cost effective solution to moist air and poor air quality in a home, and while they may be a bit more of an investment than a dehumidifier, the benefits are worth noting for the long run.