When the housing association Domea started a renovation project of 112 apartments, it chose to combat a humid indoor climate, which has led to severe mould problems, with Nilan’s ventilation solution Comfort 300 Top.

A healthy indoor climate is not just for new builds. In the city Frederikssund in Denmark sit four apartment houses from the 1970s with 112 newly renovated apartments that are proof of this.

Each of the apartments now breathes mechanically 24 hours a day through the Nilan Comfort 300 Top. In addition to ensuring fresh and clean air in the homes, the solution comes standard with a humidity sensor that provides automatic regulation of the humidity level.

A high humidity level carries the risk of mould building up, consequently affecting the health of both residents and the building. The housing association Domea knows the consequences of this all too well and is happy to conclude that humidity and mould now have been thrown out of the 112 apartments.

– We have experienced many problems with mould in the buildings, because it was difficult to ensure a sufficient air exchange in the 110 and 140 m2 apartments by means of natural ventilation. The new ventilation units automatically increase or lower the ventilation level depending on the residents’ needs at all times of the day, explains Brian Hartman, Project and Client Design Advisor of Domea.

Centrally monitored but individually adjusted

The residents are able to individually adjust the unit according to their specific needs because the 112 Comfort 300 Top systems constitute a decentralised solution with each apartment having its own ventilation unit. However, this comes with the risk of the units being turned off by accident by the residents, leaving the door open to humidity and mould again.

– Many housing associations find it difficult to choose between a centralised ventilation solution with a ventilation system fitted on the roof or in the basement, thus allowing for easy monitoring of its performance, or a decentralised solution, where all apartments are equipped with its own ventilation solution that normally is not easily accessible to the housing association staff, states Nilan Project Manager Lars Bek.

In Frederikssund, this issue has been solved by a feature that triggers an alarm when a unit is turned off, providing the housing association staff with the possibility of reaction to it. In other words, Nilan has combined the best of the two solution types, making a decentralised solution centrally monitored.

Learn more about decentralised and centralised solutions in our brochure on the subject