ᐅ Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Ventilation Systems
Created on: 12 Jun 2025 09:10
O
Olypen01
Hello everyone,
we are considering building a house and are currently having initial discussions with various providers. So far, we have spoken with three companies, and each offer includes a different ventilation concept:
Danwood: Central ventilation system with heat recovery
Heinz von Heiden: Central exhaust system with passive air supply without heat recovery (air is actively extracted outdoors via fans in the bathroom, kitchen, and utility room; in other rooms, air is passively drawn in through corresponding openings)
Scanhaus Marlow: Standard equipment only includes window frame ventilation. For an additional cost, a decentralized ventilation system with heat recovery is available.
At the moment, we are quite unsure about the advantages and disadvantages of the different systems and do not really know which direction to take. Therefore, we would appreciate expert feedback.
Specifically, the following questions arise for us:
What is the noise level like with the different systems? Especially with the decentralized system, I wonder how noticeable the fans are, since they are installed in every wall. I imagine it could be quite unpleasant, especially in the bedroom, if there is a constant humming or buzzing sound.
How significant is the impact of heat recovery? The system from Heinz von Heiden lacks this entirely. Does heat recovery noticeably affect heating costs, or can it be considered negligible in a new build?
Are there potential hygiene issues with central systems after several years? These systems have relatively long ducts throughout the house that cannot be easily cleaned if any dirt or mold develops.
Is it possible to install filters for pollen or even activated carbon filters in decentralized systems? Or is this feature exclusive to central systems?
How would you assess the fact that Scanhaus Marlow only installs window frame ventilators as standard? According to their advisor, ventilating twice a day should be sufficient to prevent mold issues. However, I am rather skeptical after reading up on the topic and tend to favor building with a ventilation system.
we are considering building a house and are currently having initial discussions with various providers. So far, we have spoken with three companies, and each offer includes a different ventilation concept:
Danwood: Central ventilation system with heat recovery
Heinz von Heiden: Central exhaust system with passive air supply without heat recovery (air is actively extracted outdoors via fans in the bathroom, kitchen, and utility room; in other rooms, air is passively drawn in through corresponding openings)
Scanhaus Marlow: Standard equipment only includes window frame ventilation. For an additional cost, a decentralized ventilation system with heat recovery is available.
At the moment, we are quite unsure about the advantages and disadvantages of the different systems and do not really know which direction to take. Therefore, we would appreciate expert feedback.
Specifically, the following questions arise for us:
What is the noise level like with the different systems? Especially with the decentralized system, I wonder how noticeable the fans are, since they are installed in every wall. I imagine it could be quite unpleasant, especially in the bedroom, if there is a constant humming or buzzing sound.
How significant is the impact of heat recovery? The system from Heinz von Heiden lacks this entirely. Does heat recovery noticeably affect heating costs, or can it be considered negligible in a new build?
Are there potential hygiene issues with central systems after several years? These systems have relatively long ducts throughout the house that cannot be easily cleaned if any dirt or mold develops.
Is it possible to install filters for pollen or even activated carbon filters in decentralized systems? Or is this feature exclusive to central systems?
How would you assess the fact that Scanhaus Marlow only installs window frame ventilators as standard? According to their advisor, ventilating twice a day should be sufficient to prevent mold issues. However, I am rather skeptical after reading up on the topic and tend to favor building with a ventilation system.
W
wiltshire13 Jun 2025 10:15Tolentino schrieb:
In my Vaillant system, this is subtly integrated by the manufacturer by simply not including an off switch. That shows good foresight from the manufacturer. From now on, I will pay attention to this feature when comparing systems. Does anyone here with expertise have some kind of feature checklist that can help with the selection process? So far, it’s always been a simple "yes" or "no" question, but those who choose "yes" still haven't gained much useful insight.N
nordanney13 Jun 2025 10:25wiltshire schrieb:
Does any expert have a kind of feature checklist that could help with the selection? So far, it’s always about “yes” or “no” – but those who decide on “yes” are still not really much further ahead. There isn’t a specific checklist. However, there are plenty of tips available online (separated into decentralized or centralized systems). Any feature beyond “automatic ventilation with adjustable intensity” is just nice to have and doesn’t really change how the ventilation units function.
For decentralized systems, I would add the choice between swing ventilators and crossflow heat exchangers as a key point (although the latter are rare but function almost like centralized systems).
In the end, it’s not just about the device itself but also about the correct choice and design of ducts. Comparable to underfloor heating.
W
wiltshire13 Jun 2025 10:29nordanney schrieb:
In the end, it's not just about the device itself, but also about choosing the right pipes and proper design.Well, there’s another good tip to ask the original poster.N
nordanney13 Jun 2025 10:35wiltshire schrieb:
Look at that – another useful tip for the original poster to ask about.Practical example from my own experience: Since I installed only decentralized ventilation units during the renovation, I had a ventilation plan created accordingly. It was designed for a single occupant (my three kids are not always home). This allows the sufficient number of installed fans to run almost continuously on the basic ventilation setting = lowest level. The noise is only noticeable when the house is completely silent. Even a quiet PC fan is loud enough to cover the sound of the ventilation fans. Therefore, my decentralized units are practically inaudible. If I had installed only half the number of units, they would have to run at higher power = louder noise.
wiltshire schrieb:
Well, here’s another good tip for the original poster (OP) to ask about. Unfortunately, this won’t help the OP in two ways: firstly, because the sales representatives from the home builders are usually not the most knowledgeable when it comes to explanations, and secondly because ventilation systems, as mentioned before, are not a reliable criterion to eliminate any option. The OP will have to become a much better informed potential customer first. Even if we phone-a-friend here and reached a unanimous conclusion about which system is the best, it wouldn’t really help to clarify the diverse and inconsistent range of options being compared.
By the way, it would be nice if those asking questions would engage in the discussion again. I find “burn and run” questioners—those who disappear soon after posting their question—as frustrating as those who complain “doesn’t anyone really have an opinion?” just two hours later.
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