Smart Air Bricks

RHemmings

Hi all. Does anyone have any experience with smart air bricks? I've seen claims of 10-15% energy savings. And, to be honest, I've always felt that air bricks are a massive loss of energy, though I understand why they are needed. 

This sort of thing: https://www.wates.co.uk/articles/innovation-partners/airex

Are there better technologies that can replace standard air bricks without major engineering? 

MultiFuelBurner

Any manufacturer that states 12-16% energy savings for an passive air brick then correct itself down to 10-15% on the same page needs putting in the same category as the magic clay electric heaters.

matelodave

I agree with MFB above, just like snake oil and other exciting stuff designed to part you with your money based on random promises which seldom if ever are achieved.

RHemmings

matelodave said:

I agree with MFB above, just like snake oil and other exciting stuff designed to part you with your money based on random promises which seldom if ever are achieved.

Yes, this is often the case. Which is why I asked if anyone has experience with them. 

Dolor

RHemmings said:

matelodave said:

I agree with MFB above, just like snake oil and other exciting stuff designed to part you with your money based on random promises which seldom if ever are achieved.

Yes, this is often the case. Which is why I asked if anyone has experience with them. 

As the BRE logo is shown on the website, I suggest that if anyone is seriously thinking of these air bricks then BRE should be able to confirm if it has independently validated the claimed savings.

QrizB

Airex brochure here:

https://www.wates.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/AirEx-product-presentation_.pdf

Includes estimates of the savings that can be made, but doesn't say what tariffs these are based on.

There's a technical report here:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2021-09/Completed DA Independent Report - AirEx Smart Ventilation Control.pdf

FreeBear

Dolor said:

RHemmings said:

matelodave said:

I agree with MFB above, just like snake oil and other exciting stuff designed to part you with your money based on random promises which seldom if ever are achieved.

Yes, this is often the case. Which is why I asked if anyone has experience with them. 

As the BRE logo is shown on the website, I suggest that if anyone is seriously thinking of these air bricks then BRE should be able to confirm if it has independently validated the claimed savings.

If you pay enough, BRE will conduct tests to your specification and produce a report. There is no peer review before (or even after) publication, so you need to treat these things with a good dose of skepticism.

mmmmikey

I certainly agree that a healthy dose of scepticism is never a bad thing but I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss this product.

There's no doubt that a lot of heat is lost through the floor and air bricks carrying that warm air away will contribute to that heat loss. The principle of minimizing that air flow whilst ensuring adequate underfloor ventilation sounds good to me. I can certainly believe that significant savings could be made in some houses.

Whether that is enough to justify the cost is another matter, but it's certainly a technology I would be happy to take a bet on if I had a house with suspended ground floors and the smart bricks weren't too expensive.

RHemmings

I saw a quote of installation costs for AirEx being about £450. If the figures in the documents linked above (thanks) are correct, then about 2 1/2 years to pay back that cost for a home heated by electricity, but much longer (7-9 years) for a house heated by gas. Not as fast payback as some other insulation/energy saving measures, but if the report is accurate, worth it I think. 

lohr500

I wonder if the same effect could be achieved for next to nothing using some exterior plywood cut to size?

Just block the air vents for 5 out of 7 days each week when the external temperature is very low and/or the prevailing cold winds are blowing directly onto the air bricks. Open them for a couple of days during these periods to allow some ventilation to the underfloor space.

No idea if this would work or if it would lead to further complications, but if the quoted heat losses are true then it might be worth consideration. And without the complexities of wi-fi connections and dependency on one business that may or may not remain trading in the future.

QrizB

lohr500 said:

I wonder if the same effect could be achieved for next to nothing using some exterior plywood cut to size?

I would have thought that the first question should be, "why was this property built with air bricks and does that reason still apply?"

Air bricks might have been installed to provide essential ventilation for open fires or unsealed gas appliances. If these have been removed and replaced with central heating, it may be possible to simply block them off. No smart device required.

If the ventilation is still needed, then you can look at ways to manage it. I like your suggestion of manual dampers, and I'm sure there are other options short of a "smart device".