Airflow’s Airflex Pro flexible ductwork is described as providing a fast, hygienic and zero-leakage method of installing ductwork for central extract ventilation and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. This flexible ductwork is 75 mm in diameter and supplied on a roll. Its flexibility enables it to be readily threaded through joists without the need for cutting and taping. It can be run vertically down walls to connect with low-level wall and floor grilles. It can even be buried in a concrete screed.

Xpelair’s Xcell 300 range of MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) units comprises three models for houses with three to five bedrooms. Features include a counterflow cell with up to 92% efficiency and a specific fan power as low as 0.6 W/l/s, meeting EST best-practice compliance. An Xcell 300 unit is claimed to save up to 480 kg of carbon dioxide a year compared to a traditional heat-recovery system.

Above the suspended ceiling and inside the ductwork could lurk all manner of undesirables. It is a problem that concerns Ian Wall.

Energy-efficient ventilation for Fitness First at Baker Street in London is provided by heat-recovery units supplied by Fastlane Ventilation Equipment. The units enable heat from the shower areas to be recovered and used in other areas of the building. Fastlane worked with distributor Air Conditioning Suppliers and H&V contractor TBS to design a system specifically to meet the needs of the club, supplying eight bespoke units.

An unusual application for Crowcon’s CellarSafe detection and control system for oxygen and carbon dioxide is being used in artificial mountains — enclosed endurance training chambers that simulate oxygen at high levels. Generators filter oxygen molecules out of the air feeding the chambers to achieve concentrations of 14%, or even less. The effect is to simulate altitudes up to 6000 m. The chambers are made by Höhenbalance of Germany.

Wayne Aston expounds the benefits of natural ventilation for optimum indoor air quality.

Optimising indoor air quality requires attention to very detail, not just filtering out airborne particles. Dean Ward considers the role of humidification.