Positive Input Ventilation opinions please?

Soldato
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Our house is approximately 200yrs old and stone built, we've just had a damp proof course installed, and I'm looking to control the dampness in the long term.

I've been told to fit a PIV, does anyone have any recommendations as to which one is best please, or any other options?

It's just a relatively small 2 bedroom house, double glazed, 600mm thick walls, and very little ventilation as it stands.

Thanks in advance.
 
Soldato
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How did they retrofit a DPC in stonework out of interest?

I think a popular choice of PIV is the Nuaire Drimaster that sits in the loft, how appropriate that would be for an older property I'm not sure.

It'd maybe be worth considering a unit that has heat recovery built into it so you aren't blowing cold air in during the winter months.
 
Soldato
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How did they retrofit a DPC in stonework out of interest?

I think a popular choice of PIV is the Nuaire Drimaster that sits in the loft, how appropriate that would be for an older property I'm not sure.

It'd maybe be worth considering a unit that has heat recovery built into it so you aren't blowing cold air in during the winter months.

A copy and paste from the Peter Cox survey :-

'We will install the Peter Cox Drywall horizontal damp proofing system into the correct mortar joint to the walls shown on the attached sketch plan.

We will form the Peter Cox Drywall wall floor joint at the junction of the wall and floor to the walls shown on the attached sketch plan.

Our quotation covering re-plastering allows for the following:
Hack-off and remove existing plaster from the areas and heights indicated on the attached sketch, and clear resultant debris from site. Apply Peter Cox porestop coating to 500mm in height to the walls shown on the attached sketch plan. Re-plaster these areas in accordance with our specification for ‘DryWall Coating’.'

Hopefully that makes sense. I've looked at the ones with the built in heater, but they're supposed to be extortionately expensive to run?
 
Soldato
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Soldato
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Don't these things just make your upstairs really cold in winter and smell of musty loft?

no. The air in most old houses loft is constantly changing as they are ventilated. The small amount of cold air that it blows into the house far out weighs the damp and black mould problems that arise from poor ventilation.

as i said before ours has been great and we went from having to dry the upstairs windows with towels in the morning to almost 0 condensation on the windows.
 
Soldato
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How much extra heating does a house need using these. I currently use a dehumidifier for a couple of hours a day in winter.
 
Soldato
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How much extra heating does a house need using these. I currently use a dehumidifier for a couple of hours a day in winter.

tbh i Havent noticed our heating being on anymore than it was before we installed the unit our heating bill didnt go up.

Undoubtedly if you stand in the hallway under the unit you can feel a slight cold breeze but how often would you stand in the hallway.

you can get piv’s with heated returns but they use loads of electricity, its like Running a electric heater constantly.
 
Associate
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We also have the nuaire one above, we were constantly getting condensation on the windows, 2 days after installing the unit it had gone, it has 6 speeds but only have it on number 2, it turns itself off during the warmer months, and yes its a bit cooler on out landing where it is but nothing major, for me its worth it for not having to suck up the water every day with the karcher
 
Soldato
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Nuaire drimaster here and has worked wonders, no more condensation in the winter! I have the heater but it rarely kicks in, you can feel a slight cool in the winter but as above the benefits far out weight the cost.
 
Soldato
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Have a read of heritage-house.org, it has a whole section on damp and condensation, they seem to rate PIV highly

Lots of marketed solutions can be very bad for periods properties, including damp proof course injection

https://www.heritage-house.org/damp...p-con-collection/injection-damp-proofing.html

I've just read through that, the reason that we've had the DPC installed is to buy the house, and that link reads word for word what our survey report said, wish I'd seen it earlier, but hey ho! :cry: :mad:

Thanks for all the replies, looks like the Nuiare is the one to go for, I'll get looking now
 
Associate
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Just bought the Drimaster eco hc which is linked above, thought about these a couple of years ago but ended up moving house. Awful condensation on the windows in winter (probably need changed). House was built in 1996 so will be nice to see what effect it has!
 
Man of Honour
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I'm not thinking it'd benefit the whole house so would make sense to install on into the landing, however i do wonder if it's be possible to take a small feed, like a hosepipe, off to the two cupboards that have the damp issues so i can finally keep them closed!
 
Soldato
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I put in a Nuair Drymaster in the upstairs landing area also. 1930s single block construction house which suffers condensate in the winters. Works very well and other than cutting the hole in the ceiling was very easy to install. My hole cutting exercise was difficult owing to a lathe and plaster ceiling, straight forward plasterboard will be easy!

I considered the heat version but did not bother in the end. Don't really notice any issues with lower temperatures. I don't have hall control but for me it was a set and forget system.
 
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