Ventilation Southampton: Extractor Fans, PIV, MVHR

Southampton has thousands of homes where moisture builds up fast. Student houses in Portswood and Highfield put five or six people through one bathroom and kitchen, and flats with no outdoor space leave washing to dry on radiators.

Getting that moisture out before it settles on cold walls is cheaper than treating mould after it appears.

Southampton at a glance

Flats: 34.7% of households lived in a purpose-built block of flats in 2021, and about 41% in flats of any kind. Source
Energy advice: Southampton Healthy Homes, funded by Southampton City Council and run by the Environment Centre, helps residents find grants for heating and insulation and gives advice on condensation and mould. Source

Get free advice before you buy

Southampton Healthy Homes, funded by the city council and run by the Environment Centre, advises residents on the causes of condensation and mould. A call can tell you whether you need new equipment or just different habits and a better fan setting.

Fans in shared houses

In a house in multiple occupation, nobody remembers the pull cord. A bathroom fan with a humidity sensor and an overrun timer runs whenever it is needed and keeps going after the shower stops.

Kitchen hoods that recirculate air don't remove moisture. If the kitchen has an outside wall, a ducted extract is worth the extra cost.

PIV and MVHR

Positive input ventilation from the loft suits houses: a single unit pushes filtered air into the landing and displaces damp air. Flats need a wall-mounted version, which means a hole through an outside wall and possibly the freeholder's consent.

MVHR, which recovers heat from outgoing air, belongs in airtight homes and is best added during major refurbishment.

Southampton homes and what they need

Interwar and postwar semis

A loft PIV unit takes about half a day to fit. Top up the loft insulation at the same time so the loft stays dry.

Victorian and Edwardian terraces

Rear extensions with a kitchen and bathroom back to back need strong extraction in both rooms, ducted to the outside.

City-centre and waterfront flats

Many newer blocks already have MVHR. If yours does, change or clean the filters as the manual says; clogged filters are a common reason it stops working.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Southampton work across areas including Shirley, Portswood, Bitterne, Woolston, Highfield, Bassett, Sholing, Swaythling, Hedge End and Totton.

View Southampton on Google Maps

Questions people in Southampton ask

Does PIV raise the electricity bill much?

Running costs are low, comparable to a light bulb for most units, though models with a heater element cost more when it switches on.

Who pays for ventilation in a rented Southampton home?

If damp and mould is a hazard, the landlord must deal with it, and better ventilation is often the fix.

Sources

Also nearby: Ventilation installation in Portsmouth, Ventilation installation in Bournemouth, Ventilation installation in Reading

All ventilation installation locations →