Modern buildings a problem ?

[Ihavenojob]

With the need for energy reduction, new builds are highly efficient,but maybe too efficient? With the constant "improvements" new builds are more airtight than before, but there's now talk that more ventilation may help reduce covid. The Germans have a word for it, schlimmbesserung.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/uk-could-urged-keep-windows-060018032.html

 

[conny]

As is so often the case.
I worked for GEC for 10 years were we made, from scratch, commercial/industrial distribution boards. Originally they contained basic things like switches, air circuit breakers and may a meter or two on a front panel. Over the years they tried to get more and more stuff inside the panels and despite us saying it would mae things difficult if repairs were needed we were ignored. We built a very large, bespoke array of panels, all bolted together and also with the large busbars connected with fishplates via apertures between each cabinet. Six months after installation a fault developed which needed 2 of us to go to Norwich to attempt a repair. Because the faulty component was tucked away behind the busbars and other bits of equipment the job took 3 days to rectify. If they had listened to our suggestions about a separate cabinet for these modules it would have taken less than an hour and could have been talked through over the phone to one of their own maintenance guys.

 

[Notch7]

the window in my bedroom is open 365 days a year.

I cant stand a stuffy house


I think one problem with modern houses is the lack of thermal store -houses are mostly built with the insulation on the inside -which is rather reliant on no ventilation to maintain temperature.

 

[bernardgreen]

Modern airtight buildings can be a health nightmare. Mould and dampness being a serious problem.

The classic lack of forethought was a group of airtight houses which had letter boxes on posts so that there could be no leakage of air that might happen with a traditional through the door letter box. When the front door was opened to collect the letters a couple of cubic metres of warm air was lost.

 

[IT Minion]

Mechanical heat recovery ventilation is the textbook answer isn't it?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Mechanical heat recovery ventilation is the textbook answer isn't it?

That can at best manage 50% efficiency. I do agree that modern buildings have little in the way of thermal mass, quite to warm up and quick too cool if the heating should fail. Whether that is good thing or a bad, I am not really sure. My own home already had a lot of thermal mass, but I added to that with several tons of stone. My heating can be off for a couple of days without the temperature falling drastically. In summer's heat, if door remain closed, it can hold the temperature down for a few days before it overheats.

 

[bernardgreen]

That can at best manage 50% efficiency.

50% when it is passive but adding a heat pump can result in far better efficiency. This is effectively an air source heat pump using the extracted air as the low grade source.

It is when there is a power failure and no openable windows that life in the house becomes uncomfortable

My own home already had a lot of thermal mass,

as has my cottage, cool in summer and cosy in winter