The Methodist Chapel on Grove Road may be his most ambitious project yet, but local property developer Mark Hinchcliffe is not phased by the scale of it and is set to feature on Channel 4’s Restoration Man. 

Mark has specified an EnviroVent energiSava 400 Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) unit for the six bedroom conversion. The extensive 6,500 sq ft building is currently undergoing sympathetic restoration and, once finished in summer 2016, Mark and has family will enjoy the benefits of improved indoor air quality as a result of an EnviroVent ventilation system. 

Towards the end of 2014, Mark completed the restoration of the property next door, a former 3,500 sq ft Sunday School which dated back to 1929. Here he created a contemporary, high specification interior, which was complemented by an EnviroVent MVHR system.

Mark Hinchcliffe said: “I was really happy with the EnviroVent ventilation system for the first conversion and even though the Chapel has a less contemporary design, we want to experience the same indoor air quality benefits in our own home.” He adds: “The unobtrusive design of the energiSava 400 and low noise means it is perfect for a family home.” 

EnviroVent installed two energiSava 400 units which will provide sufficient ventilation for the whole property. The installation of the units was more complex than usual as the building has extremely high ceilings – almost five metres high in (one room) and 12 metres high in the living area. The design challenge for Mark’s builders was to create a loft space in which the two energiSava 400 units could be installed, then scaffolding had to be erected to enable EnviroVent’s installation engineers to climb to ceiling height and hoist up the two ventilation units.

From the loft space, the MVHR system works via a series of ducts that collect stale moist air from inside the building from areas such as the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. This stale contaminated air passes through the Heat Recovery unit and is expelled to the outside. Clean fresh air is then drawn from the outside and, as the two air streams pass each other, the heat is transferred from the outgoing stale air to the fresh incoming air. There is no mixing of air streams. The system is able to capture over 90 per cent of the energy from the outgoing stale air before delivering it as warm, filtered, pre-conditioned air into the living areas of the property through the ducting. 

EnviroVent’s Quality Director Darren Chadwick said: “This is one of the highest ceilings we have ever fitted with a ventilation system. It required careful planning to ensure that the energiSava units were able to cope with the large volume of living space in this property, ensuring that all areas were adequately fed with a constant stream of fresh, pre-warmed air. I’m pleased to say the project ran smoothly and the unit is now up and running.” 

The low energy consumption system creates an all-year-round, healthy indoor environment, which has been proven to help homeowners who suffer from asthma, hay fever and bronchia-related conditions.

Mark Hinchcliffe explains: “It made perfect sense to go with an MVHR system again. I chose EnviroVent because they are a UK manufacturer and their technical knowledge is second to none. The system also works architecturally and doesn’t detract from the beautiful interior design or period features of the Chapel.” 

The energiSava 400 is the latest addition to EnviroVent’s range of award-winning products. It is a whole house heat recovery system, which provides all-year-round healthy indoor air quality. The system is extremely easy to use, with its ‘set and forget’ controls and it intelligently tracks and monitors humidity levels, detecting any rise in humidity and increasing the extract rate. The system is renowned for its energy efficiency, silent operation, whilst efficiently controlling condensation and maintaining a healthy indoor environment.

EnviroVent’s range of MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) systems use multiple extract points throughout the home to draw moist air out of the kitchen, bathrooms, and utility room. The MVHR system recovers around 90 per cent of the heat from this outgoing stale air, before feeding it back into the living room areas of the house as warm, fresh, filtered air, controlling relative humidity in the process. 

The magnificent Chapel dates back to 1896 and has a wealth of period features. It was built to serve the suburbs on the north side of Harrogate in the late Victorian period and was designed to hold up to 1,000 people. Grade II listed, it has a bold Italianate design and high quality, lavish architectural embellishments, complete with a gallery and stained glass windows. 

EnviroVent, which has its headquarters in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of ventilation systems. The company has over 25 years’ experience in delivering sustainable products that are built to last the life cycle of a building.

As a UK manufacturer, EnviroVent has a network of approved installers throughout the country. The company offers a complete service from survey, design and manufacture, project design, supply, installation and commissioning. 

For more information on improving the air quality in your home, find your local EnviroVent Specialist Ventilation Advisor, via the website www.envirovent.com or by calling 0845 27 27 807.