Ventilation maintenance in Waterloo

Waterloo is mostly detached houses, often well insulated and fitted with recent mechanical ventilation. These systems work well, provided someone looks after them, which is not always the case once the first few years have passed.

The municipality lies in the Walloon Region: ventilation requirements there come from Walloon EPB rules, carried by the project's EPB officer, a different framework from the one applying a few kilometres away in Uccle.

The housing came in waves: the 1960s and 1970s villas of Joli-Bois and Chenois, the 1980s and 1990s developments towards Mont-Saint-Jean and the centre, then the homes of the last fifteen years, far more airtight. The first still ventilate through windows or a bathroom extractor; the last rely entirely on their heat-recovery unit, and feel it as soon as the filters clog. Many of these houses have also gained an extension or a conservatory whose ventilation was rarely tied into the existing network. Here the service is less a repair than a reset: filters, exchanger, fans and a check that each room still receives its share.

The heat-recovery units found in these houses are often Zehnder, Renson, Brink or Vasco, placed in the attic or the garage, with ductwork serving four or five bedrooms. Owners who took over a recent house often do not even know a unit is there, until the first winter brings fogged windows. An unconverted attic or a cluttered plant room lengthens the visit; mentioning it when booking helps us plan the right slot.

With a private driveway in front of every house, access is never an issue. An appointment on a weekday evening, Monday to Friday, or at the weekend takes a few clicks to arrange; the report is sent to you afterwards. If the unit is in the attic, a clear path to it is all we need.