Reply With QuoteHow much did you pay for yours?
I'm looking into this at the moment and prices are all over the place. As far as I can tell, you buy the unit then just have to wire it in and create the hole in the upstairs ceiling for the vent.
I recall reading a post within the sales section of a dehumidifier that some TZ members discussed the humidity within their homes. I installed a Nuaire PIV system at home last autumn and thankfully this has reduced the humidity levels in the house from 80%+ to high 60%/low 70% depending on the % outside.
This has in turn reduced the amount of condensation on the windows from being completely covered to basically nothing at all.
I have no affliction with this company but a Pistonheads forum member works there and they setup a discount option. Last I checked, if you call them up and use H1901004 HP to order a system over the phone you get it discounted.
https://www.nuaire.co.uk/residential...ems-piv-nuaire
The Pistonheads thread I refer to is below. Thought its time I contribute something more than just for sales posts lately!
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/...=1848815&i=760
How much did you pay for yours?
I'm looking into this at the moment and prices are all over the place. As far as I can tell, you buy the unit then just have to wire it in and create the hole in the upstairs ceiling for the vent.
I’ve had one in place for seven years,fitted ones for a couple of friends.They work well.
I have the flatmaster installed at home as my loft is boarded up and there isn't sufficient airflow up there. Flatmaster just went in the upstairs hallway with a duct straight through the bricks to outside as it's inlet. I think the item was around the £200 mark and I paid another £60 to have it installed with an off switch.
There are 3 settings on mine, usually set to lowest/off during spring/summer and I bump it up to highest setting during winter when the temperature drops for a few days before putting it in the middle once. It does draw in a breeze and its noticeable at night since we keep the bedroom doors slightly ajar, but its not that different to having a window open and some airflow.
Before I got this installed, I use to use the Karcher window vacuum and would fill the tank on that twice over if not more every morning.
Looks pretty good - I’ll read up on it. Thank you for posting.
Thanks for that. We could put ours in the loft so nice and easy.Originally Posted by EmilA
I'm meeting a mate for beers tomorrow and he's had one for a while so I'll pick his brains.
Seems almost too good to be true but we have terrible condensation on the upstairs windows so I'm willing to give it a whirl for a few hundred quid.
Lack of ventilation?
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
We could leave the windows open but it's a bit chilly. Actually, I do sometimes leave the little bathroom open a bit overnight.
I think it's a combo of having a bath every night, wooden window frames, and not very thick double glazing.
Downstairs is generally fine.
Not thinking windows TBH
You have any closed off fireplaces?
Bathrooms/shower rooms, toilets have ceiling vent fans?
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Had one in the last house for ten years. Removed all condensation and the only thing you need to do is change the filters every five years.
Circular hole cut in the ceiling and an electrician wired it in for me.
How do these work better than having an extractor fan running continuously? Volume of air or they can be heated?
I have just installed secondary glazing 2mm acrylic sheets with magnetic strip fixing
So far a big improvement to both condensation and heat retention.
But hearing OPs results I think we might go PIV route as its a small price to pay and running costs are pence a day.
One secret we have found is leaving all blinds up overnight surprisingly reduces condensation massively.
They used to sell a heated version.
Think they still do.
Will be lot of heat lost.
I have no problems in my place apart from the wet room toilet condensation on the cistern is a pain in the arse it drips like hell from this time of year until march april.
My plumber reckons lagging on the tank I don’t think so would look bloody ugly.
Increase the ventilation in the room to lower the humidity. The cystern is only dragging out the moisture.
Fish tank heater in the cistern.
Much quieter than an extractor and continually pushes fresh air into the house. In the immediate vicinity it does feel a little cooler and there is a heated version but that puts running costs up a little.
Apart from ceiling lights and the shower no electric and I don’t fancy running cables through a wet room. It’s a bind, the bloody water is never in the tank long enough to get any any heat into it.
The pipe comes up to the first floor on the outside of the building which dosent help in the winter, before I had the wet room done it was a plastic tank may go back to that.
Wasn't entirely serious, know the problem though - ours was terrible when we had an ancient metal cistern.
Hopefully you've a small/large flush valve, small flush means less cold water introduced every time.
Last edited by Kingstepper; 16th November 2023 at 22:14.
this is because of airflow, leaving blinds open helps with that. I leave ours open with the curtains closed when needed, only because my wife is against bumping the PIV system up due to the fast circulating air.-
Reading that long running thread on Pistonheads it comes down to airflow. The PIV is pushing the air out with some force and this is the key difference between a window being open for one room vs a PIV that’s circulating air across the house.
I nearly went down the aircon route and install a unit in each bedroom to dehumidify, approx £4000 to do as I got quotes, and thought a £200 unit may fix my condensation issue which thankfully it did. Can stick to my portable AC during summer which is sufficient.
According to my phone it was 89% humidity outside vs 68% in my bedroom.
I didn’t buy the heated version of mine as I was told it doesn’t make much difference. The loft versions have a few different types to install and are meant to be good
Forgot to say the filters also purify the air too.
Bathroom wise, the PIV has a challenge here so it’s a case of windows open post shower. Its generally the wettest place for us but having a dehumidifier in there it would run constantly ha
I installed the heated nuaire piv a couple years ago and it has made a very noticeable difference. There is virtually no condensation in the mornings compared to puddles on the window ledges before. There was a lofty smell upstairs for a while but it’s either gone or we’ve got used to it. Installation was easy, I just wired it to a plug and use the socket in the loft. Jigsaw a hole in the ceiling, hang from a loft beam and your done.
I'm curious as to how much these thing cost to run?
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
How does it supply fresh air when it has no access out it’s just in the loft am I missing something obvious ?
According to the website,pennies a year.
Most lofts are ventilated
- - - Updated - - -
As above pence…never noticed any difference in elec bills
Hmmm, well I guess that depends on how long they’re running, but if something is using a heater…
I’m considering getting one so I’ll do a bit of research later.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
They are generally running all the time (I switched mine off in Summer when condensation wasn’t a problem)
Obviously a heated version costs more to run (I believe around £1per day 400w unit) but non heated is circa 10p per day. The temp when the heat comes on can be set.
Whilst I had a heated one installed in our last house I’m not sure it made that much difference and I’d just have a non heated version if I were to install again.
They don't all have a heater (though w/o a heater air pushed out still best heated somehow) but 'pennies' does still seems rather optimistic.
Personally I'd go for a dehumidifier and at least the energy used isn't wasted.
A dehumidifier is way louder if running overnight and much more expensive to run. We only put on the dehumidifier if drying clothes inside
Dessicant dehumidifiers aren't particularly noisy. Can be as little as 300W so similar to a heated PIV (and that not wasted).
I’ve tried various types of dehumidifiers and all of them were noisy and the air in the room felt dry. Certainly couldnt be used overnight when you need it to make the difference.
The flatmaster doesn’t cost much to run IMO, since I run mine over Autumn/Winter the heating costs etc go up but it’s nothing excessive
More expensive to run, noisy and can’t cover the whole house. Until you’ve tried one you have no idea what a difference PIV can make with virtually no condensation and a better quality of air in the house.
I installed MVHR in my new build and would recommend it to anyone in a similar position, although expensive to retrofit in an existing build.
Minimal running costs.
100% agree with you
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