MVHR Myth-Busting: Separating Fact from Fiction About Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery

If you're planning a new build, chances are you're thinking about insulation, airtightness, energy efficiency, and long-term comfort. But there's one system that often gets misunderstood - or even forgotten about - during the design phase: MVHR - Heat Recovery Ventilation. 

Despite being an essential part of an airtight home, MVHR is still surrounded by myths and misunderstandings that can lead to poor decisions being made at the crucial time. Let’s set the record straight and answer some common questions around MVHR!

Fact - Opening a window might feel like you’re improving your indoor air quality, but it is very unpredictable. You never know what you’re letting in - pollen, dust, exhaust fumes or other outdoor pollutants.

A BEAM MVHR system provides a constant supply of fresh air into the home while extracting stale, moist air. Plus, the incoming air is filtered to remove harmful pollutants, giving you full control over your indoor air quality. 

However, it doesn't take away your freedom to enjoy an open window on a sunny day or let in a breeze when you feel like it.

The key advantage of a BEAM MVHR system is that it provides continuous ventilation without the energy loss typically caused by opening windows (a real bonus during winter months), helping to maintain indoor comfort, air quality, and efficiency.

Fact - Airtight homes are required by building control regulations to have adequate ventilation. 

With high levels of insulation and triple gazed windows, natural ventilation (trickle vents, hole in the wall ventilation) and extractor fans aren't always effective forms of ventilation, which can lead to condensation and mould.

A BEAM MVHR system ensures that your home is constantly supplied with fresh, filtered air while also extracting stale, moist air, preventing mould and condensation! 

When building a new home it’s important to remember – Build tight, Ventilate right!

Fact - BEAM MVHR systems are designed for near-silent operation.

BEAM’s expert design and high quality installation ensures minimal noise from the system. Our experienced technical advisors will carefully consider unit location and our installation engineers ensure the use of smoothflow rigid ducting and silencers for less resistance to airflow and less noise.

Fact - MVHR systems don’t produce heat - they recover it. 

They work by extracting warmth from the outgoing stale air and transferring it to the fresh air coming in.

BEAM MVHR systems are engineered to optimise this heat recovery process, reducing the strain on your central heating and helping to lower your energy bills, while ensuring your home stays fresh, comfortable, and well-ventilated, even in the colder months.

Each home will still require a heating system as normal.

Fact - Heat Recovery Ventilation (MVHR) systems are considered the most energy efficient method of ventilating an airtight dwelling and are designed to recover up to 92% of heat from the extracted air.

No draughts - just fresh, filtered air. A smarter way to ventilate for comfort and efficiency! So not only does it supply clean, fresh, filtered air, it also helps you save on heating bills.

Fact -  It is important to stress that MVHR is a ventilation system designed to give changes of air - it is not a cooling system. MVHR systems help keep things comfortable with a clever feature called Summer Bypass (Counterflow Range), and Summer Cooling (HERU Range).

In cooler months, MVHR systems recover heat from outgoing air to warm incoming fresh air. But in summer, you can manage your Beam MVHR System when you want to avoid extra warmth.

Summer Bypass / Summer Cooling reroutes the incoming air around the heat exchanger, so it flows into your home without picking up unwanted heat.

As we’ve explored, many of the common misconceptions about MVHR systems simply do not hold up. 

Far from being an optional luxury, MVHR is a fundamental component of a well-designed, energy-efficient new build home. It ensures a constant supply of fresh, filtered air, protects against condensation and mould, and makes the most of your airtight build by recovering valuable heat.

The Ultimate Guide to Heat Recovery Ventilation (MVHR) explains how an MVHR system can improve your new build home from day one - enhancing comfort, reducing energy waste, and supporting healthier living.