This page contains handy information for the Vent Axia Heat Recovery System. It contains manuals, links to suppliers for spares and cleaning guides.
Heat recovery units, by their very nature, require regular maintenance
p40 Operations Manual
The Sentinel Kinetic has been designed to facilitate access to enable maintenance to be carried out easily. Vent Axia have confirmed a competent person can carry out the annual cell cleaning. If your get any error codes as described in the manual you should contact your builder if under warranty or a qualified electrician.
Not keeping up with your maintenance of your MVHR may cause pollution in your home. The research from the NHBC Foundation below discusses the issues which should hopefully encourage you to clean it!
Indoor Air Quality in Highly Energy Efficient Homes Review
Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery in New Homes Final Report
Manuals
Operations Manual – The full manual for users
Information Sheet – The basic one page information sheet
Service and Installation Manual – The full manual for for installation and commissioning
Cleaning Guides
To clean the cell follow this step by step guide. There is also a pdf version of the guide in case there is a problem with iFixit. Refer to the information sheet for cleaning the filters.
Spare Parts and Repairs
Here are a list of suppliers and part numbers. Only the SENTINEL KINETIC Summer Bypass version are listed here as its the most common and as far as we know only version used on our development. The other models spares can be found in the installation manual above.
| Part Number | Description |
| 441768 | Main Power Board |
| 441767 | Control Panel |
| 443430 | Temperature Sensor T1 (Extract air from room) |
| 443431 | Temperature Sensor T2 (Supply air from outside) |
| 438222 | Filters, 2 per pack (Summer Bypass fit) |
| 438222A | Filters, 2 per pack (Hypoallergenic, Summer Bypass fit TBC). |
| 438222A | Heat Recovery Cell (bypass version) |
| 441759 | Supply Motor |
| 441760 | Exhaust Motor |
| 441776 | Summer Bypass |
| 438378 | Spigot, one per pack |
The following suppliers have been tried for spares such as replacement filters. Although the filters can be hoovered we found after a couple of years they were past their best so but new ones in. The below suppliers have been tried and tested by residents
i-sells – http://www.i-sells.co.uk
epicair – http://www.epicair.co.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I adjust the vents in the rooms?
No, the vents should be set to the correct position. If you want to clean them which is advisable as they do get dirty. Simply turn them down the way counting how many rotations you make. Wipe or hoover before then turning them the same number of turns back up so they arrive in the position they were originally set to. Taking a photo may help.
My machine is very noisy
This is usually because either the fan boost switch is on or it needs a clean. Turning this off and waiting around 15 minutes for it to reset will fix the issue. You will also know its on if the screen says ls on the screen when the star like button is pressed. If it needs a clean then simply follow the instructions on cleaning the filters. You can also do the cell if you have not done it within 12 months. It is especially important to clean the machine if you hear it straining as this will wear the machine out prematurely.
How often should I clean the filters?
Vent Axia offer there own advise in the guide however we were told while the builders are on site every month.
Why is turning the machine off so bad?
Your house or apartment is air tight. This means air needs to constantly flow to allow the property to breath. If you don’t keep the machine turned on 24/7 stale air can build up which can cause mold. If the machine is not maintained research has shown that pollution levels can build up in the dwelling.
How do I clear the clean filter message?
To clear the clean filter message after cleaning simply hold the up and down arrows together for 5 seconds to reset the message.
How do I put the system in summer mode?
If you have the summer bypass fitted you can put the system in summer mode. to do this
1. Press the up arrow until you reach summer mode
2. Press set
3. Press the up arrow until you find on
4. Press set
To turn if off simply repeat these steps selecting summer mode to off instead of on.
Manuals copyright Vent-Axia. Research papers copyright NHBC foundation.