Two Sussex-based firms, low-carbon ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia and ventilation contractor Service Vent have teamed up with Berkshire-based ventilation specialist, Manrose Manufacturing, to improve the indoor air quality of the home of Georgina Smith, a five-year old girl from Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, who has a rare heart condition. All three companies were only too happy to help and donate their products, skills and time when Alexandra Smith, Georgina’s mother, approached them and explained how better ventilation could benefit her daughter.
Georgina Smith was diagnosed with Ebsteins Anomaly in February 2010 when she was two years old. As a result of the condition Georgina has low blood oxygen levels. When Alexandra Smith saw Vent-Axia’s Sentinel Kinetic Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system featured on a home improvement television programme she was keen to have the system installed in her house to improve its ventilation and so help Georgina who suffers from breathlessness.
The three construction firms therefore worked together to provide Georgina’s home with an MVHR system to improve the indoor air quality of the property, filtering out the pollutants from the busy road while providing vastly improved air circulation, removing moisture that can lead to excess humidity, condensation, damp and mould. Vent-Axia therefore donated its energy efficient Sentinel Kinetic BH MVHR unit to provide fresh pre-filtered air to the home. Meanwhile, Manrose Manufacturing donated the ductwork and insulated pipework to deliver the fresh filtered air from the unit around the house. The whole system was then installed by Service Vent who donated their skills and time, conducting a survey pre-installation to assess the property’s needs and to ensure minimal disruption in this retrofit project.
We are absolutely delighted and overwhelmed by the generosity of Vent Axia, Service Vent and Manrose and their response to our little girl’s story. Georgina has a rare heart condition called Ebstein's Anomaly and because of this she has low blood oxygen levels. We saw the Vent Axia MHVR system on TV and the huge health benefits it gave, we therefore thought it could really help Georgina too.
“We live by a railway line and main road so pollution levels (both noise and airborne) can be high. This prevents us opening the windows so that the house becomes damp. We are therefore really excited about the prospect of clean, fresher air in our home and seeing the benefits to Georgina’s health. We are going to keep a diary and note her progress as she benefits from the purer air helping her sleep at night, and we will keep you posted!
“We are delighted that we were able to help Georgina. Good indoor air quality can have huge health benefits so we were happy to help when Alexandra approached us. We hope the Sentinel Kinetic MVHR system will improve Georgina’s comfort at home,” said Lee Nurse, Marketing Director at Vent-Axia
“At Manrose we are very pleased to be able to support Georgina by providing the ductwork and pipework for this project. Georgina is affected by Ebstein’s Anomaly on a daily basis becoming breathless and tired. We hope the improved air quality will have a positive effect on Georgina’s health,” said Clive Britton, Sales Director, Manrose Manufacturing.
“The reason Alexandra wanted the MVHR system was because it would improve the indoor air quality and so may improve Georgina’s day-to-day life. We don’t think there is any better reason to offer help to someone. We are pleased we were able to assist and really hope the system makes a difference,” said Madeleine Corbett, Service Vent.
Manufactured in the UK, the flexible Sentinel Kinetic is a whole house heat recovery system. This SAP Appendix Q range combines supply and extract ventilation in one unit. Warm, moist air is extracted from ‘wet’ rooms through ducting and passed through the heat exchanger before being exhausted outside. Fresh filtered incoming air is preheated via the integral heat exchanger which recovers up to 88% of the heat energy that would otherwise be wasted. The unit’s energy saving Vent-Axia Lo-Carbon EC DC fans further improve efficiency and carbon reductions.
In addition, heat recovery ventilation reduces excessive moisture in the air, combating condensation and subsequent mould growth, saving money on maintenance and decoration in the long and short-term. Home owners or tenants are further aided through better indoor air quality which has the duel health benefits of reducing microscopic fungal growth and eliminating the conditions in which house dust mites thrive, both of which are linked to allergic reactions and asthma.
Georgina’s heart condition went undiagnosed for two years despite Alexandra expressing her concerns to medical professionals. Following this difficult time, Alexandra understands the importance of early diagnosis and so is championing the Children’s Heart Federation (CHF) Think HEART campaign. This campaign aims to inform parents of the warning signs of a possible heart condition and empower them, giving them the confidence to raise concerns about their child’s health with their doctor.