Build Comply

Ventilation Testing and Commissioning

Part F Ventilation

Intermittent Extract Fans, Continuous Centralised and Decentralised Mechanical Extract Fans, MVHR Commissioning, Inspections and Air-flow Testing

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Are you looking for Ventilation Testing and Commissioning?

Ventilation testing is a crucial requirement to ensure compliance with Part F of The Building Regulations. As homes become increasingly airtight to enhance energy efficiency, proper air flow is vital. Ventilation serves the primary purpose of replacing polluted or stagnant indoor air with fresh air. With improved construction standards, increased insulation, and reduced air leakage, pollutants can accumulate, posing potential harm to both the building and its occupants. Efficient ventilation systems are essential to reduce these pollutants, which can vary significantly in industrial and commercial properties compared to domestic ones.

In domestic settings, moisture is a significant pollutant, with the average family producing about 6 litres of moisture per day. This moisture promotes mould growth and can affect the health of occupants. Part F of the Building Regulations (2010) introduced the requirement to test the practical performance of ventilation systems in new dwellings.

Along with your Ventilation Testing we can provide a full suite of inspection and commissioning services. Design reviews coupled with tailored specifications can avoid unnecessary failures.

If your project requires Ventilation Testing to meet Compliance, Building Control request, New-Build or Retrofit, feel free to reach out to us at 01621 493594 or visiting our contact page. Building Compliance Testing commits to providing a quote within 24 hours. Upon acceptance we can dispatch a tester to your site within 48 hours for Ventilation Testing in London, Home Counties and East Anglia. Secure Expert Professional Ventilation Testing services today by booking with us.

Testing and Part F Compliant Report for as little as £145+VAT

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Part F Building Regulations

Part F of the Building Regulations (2010) introduced the requirement to test the practical performance of ventilation systems in new dwellings.

Since Building Compliance Testing also offers air tightness and sound insulation testing, we are well placed to carry out ventilation testing whilst on site. This is part of our Compliance Package.

Expert Ventilation Consultants

We have experienced engineers who have completed hundreds of tests across the country. Our engineers are all fully accredited, having completed the Domestic Ventilation course.

Get in touch with us today to arrange a hassle-free, no obligation quote for your dwelling and find out more about our ventilation testing services.

If you’re on this page, you’ll likely also need some of our other services. If you’re not sure which services you need, you can check here.

What is a Ventilation Test?

Ventilation testing and ventilation commissioning are actually two different things. Testing refers to extractor fans, like you would find in a toilet, bathroom or kitchen. These are tested to see how much air they extract. Commissioning refers to more complicated ventilation systems, such as Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR). These need to be balanced, to make sure the correct amount of air is either being extracted from or supplied to every room in the house.

The tests must be undertaken using UKAS calibrated equipment and should be conducted by an engineer registered with a competent scheme. All our engineers have successfully completed a industry recognised domestic ventilation course and all of our equipment is fully UKAS calibrated. As part of our service, we offer our expertise from the very start of any project to give your property the best chance of passing.

What types of Ventilation System are there that we test?

There are 4 different types recognised in building regulations part F. Testing and/or commissioning has to be carried out on Types 1, 3 and 4. The Types are:

Type 1: Intermittent extract fans with background ventilators – This is what is found in most houses – Extractor fans in kitchens, toilets and bathrooms and trickle ventilators on the windows.

Type 2: Passive Stack Ventilation – This is very rarely seen. It is a system which uses a combination of cross ventilation, buoyancy (warm air rising) and the venturi effect to ventilate. It is rarely used because it’s very much weather dependant. This is no longer a recognised ventilation strategy to meet the minimum performance targets under the Building Regulations.

Type 3: Mechanical Extract Ventilation (MEV) – This can either be a whole house system or a localise system for specific rooms. Multiple ducts will run from a constantly running unit to wet rooms (kitchen, WC, bathroom) continuously extracting stale air. When these rooms are in use, the system will boost up to extract a larger volume of air.

Type 4: Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) – This is similar to Type 3, except that it also supplies fresh air to all non-wet rooms (bedrooms, dining room, living room). The heat from the stale extracted air is kept in the central unit and used to heat the fresh air from outside before it is supplied to the house.

Why do properties need Ventilation Testing?

Ventilation is incredibly important in all dwellings.

A property without sufficient ventilation is far more likely to have problems with mould, condensation and damp.

In addition to this, pollutants in your home’s air can cause poor indoor air quality, which in turn may cause dizziness and headaches, plus aggravate allergies and asthma.

With a sufficient ventilation system, you’re ensuring a good supply of fresh air and improving yours and your dwelling’s well-being.

How do I pass a Ventilation Test?

System 1 (bathroom and kitchen extractor fans with background ventilation) – Sadly, the fans very rarely do what they say on the box. They are tested on what’s called a ‘bench test’, which is essentially laboratory conditions – no back-draft from wind and no resistance from lengthy ductwork. All this means that in the real world, we’ve seen ’24 litres per second’ fans only pulling two or three litres per second. To give yourself the best possible chance of passing the ventilation testing, you can:

  • Buy fans with a high capacity (30l/s plus)
  • Place the fans as close to an external wall as possible
  • Where you have to install ducting, keep the run as short as possible, with as few bends as possible
  • We recommend using semi-rigid ducting. This is because it holds its diameter through turns, causing minimal resistance
  • If you do use flexible ducting, make sure there is no excess ducting. Cut it as taught as possible
  • Where possible, put fans on a wall rather than a ceiling: gravity isn’t your friend

 

System 3 and 4 (MEV and MVHR) – These tend to work a lot better than system 1 fans, but as they run constantly, they can be noisy. We recommend purchasing a system with excess power for what you need so that it’s not running on a high power setting, and therefore is quieter. After that, the same principles apply with regards to ductwork:

  • Keep duct runs as short as possible, and with as few bends as possible
  • We recommend using semi-rigid ducting. This is because it holds its diameter through turns, it causes minimal resistance
  • If you do use flexible ducting, make sure there is no excess ducting. Cut it as taught as possible.

What is needed for a Ventilation Test?

In order to complete these tests, we will need:

  • The Design Air Permeability (DAP) or the actual air permeability score following an air tightness test. Get in touch with us if you need a quote for an air permeability test.
  • Which ventilation system you’re installing – Intermittent Extract Fans with Background Ventilators, Passive Stack Ventilation, Mechanical Extract Ventilation (MEV), or Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR)
  • Floor plans of the dwelling, ideally with ventilation duct plans
  • If your  supplier has provided flow rates for the ventilation system, we’d ask you to send these to us
  • Finally, the system in question will need to be fully installed and operational

Have a project in mind? Let’s get to work.

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