Smart home and IoT technology, that is the interconnection of household appliances over the internet, is without doubt the prevailing trend of the times. And now Ventilation is the latest addition to a growing crop of traditional domestic electrical products to get the smart home makeover.
The bathroom is commonly the most used room in the house and is by default a naturally damp space that requires proper ventilation more than any other room. Keeping fresh air flowing through a bathroom helps reduce the harm of condensation on surfaces that can cause mould and the premature ageing of furnishings like plaster and paint.
Smart ventilation is set to transform the UK ventilation market with new technologies like odour sensing and humidity controls that can deal with these issues in a ‘smart’ way. New build properties are more airtight and modern construction has meant mechanical ventilation is now a building requirement as less natural ventilation occurs.
Ventilation brands like Vent-Axia have followed the lead on home automation from other electrical manufacturers in areas like lighting and heating to offer smart solutions for homeowners and property developers. It will be a useful upselling tool for electricians too if they can communicate the benefits to their customer: cheaper, cleaner, more efficient ventilation. Research from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau shows ‘saving money’ and ‘being more energy efficient’ are the most appealing benefits of smart technology for consumers.
Traditional Fans vs Smart Ventilation
By definition a smart product is able to self-monitor and respond to changes in its environment. This is no different for smart ventilation which effectively can monitor air moisture and humidity and change how it runs in response.
For example, if someone is taking a hot shower the humidity in the bathroom is going to increase. The result is more condensation on surfaces and therefore a greater need for ventilation. Where a traditional fan wouldn’t be able to increase its speeds in response to increased humidity, smart fans are able to do just that. The fan will boost when it senses a rise in humidity and ventilate at a faster rate.
Being able to increase and decrease ventilation speeds is useful for a number of reasons. One is that the fan is intelligent enough to know when and when it can’t reduce humidity levels. This reduces the nuisance of the fan running at all times, in turn reducing running costs too.
Smart fans will also run on varying settings controlled by the user. Some fans like the Vent-Axia PureAir Sense can be controlled by a purpose-built smartphone app that can also be used by the electrician on install to configure its settings.
A key driver of the smart home revolution is giving homeowners more control over their appliances. Every home is different and homeowners use their appliances in slightly different ways. Smart ventilation can adapt to what the homeowner needs without any manual effort on their part. This helps keep running costs low too whilst improving the energy efficiency of the product.
‘Vent-Axia PureAir Sense’ Smart Fan
The latest model from Vent-Axia’s range of smart fans, PureAir Sense, is now available from independent electrical wholesaler, LEW Electrical Distributors. The fan comes with built-in humidity controls, PIR sensors and Vent-Axia’s own odour sensing technology to introduce a smarter, greener alternative to the UK’s ventilation market.
Smart ventilation is a recent addition to our range of smart products and home automation. Smart technology continues to bring technological benefits for both homeowners and electricians in new ways. Vent-Axia’s smart range of domestic fans offers new-benefits with customisation features that can bring tangible cost benefits when installing and running the fan.
The PureAir Sense fan is supported by the purpose-built Vent-Axia Connect app which is available free from the AppStore and GooglePlay. Vent-Axia Connect can be used by the electrician to easily configure the fan whilst installing and then by the homeowner to control humidity, fan-speed and PIR settings.
For the eco-conscious homeowner, the PureAir Sense is the smart, greener solution for ventilation, too. It’s built-in features for odour-sensing, humidity controls and it’s LED touch panel earned recognition at the 2019 Reddot Design Awards 2019 for outstanding innovation and design quality.
Vent-Axia ranges are now available from LEW Electrical Distributors. Contact us today or visit your local LEW branch.
