Our construction supervisor (BU) is very honest, and we, as well as others, trust him a lot.
However, he is not a fan of ventilation systems.
Here are the prices he quoted. Are there
1. Solutions that are more integrated into the wall or similar, to avoid additional height increases, and
2. Is the price reasonable?
Total area is 187 sqm (2013 sq ft), including about 40 sqm (430 sq ft) of an extension. The rest is spread over two levels in a town villa style.
There is a ceiling opening of about 9 sqm (97 sq ft) to the first floor, which is not included in the 187 sqm (2013 sq ft).
Attached is the text from the BU.
Pluggit Avent fresh air unit with heat recovery included.
Aluminum cross counterflow heat exchanger
Including air ducts, supply and exhaust air outlets, silencers, distributor, cover grilles in standard white plastic, supply and install 14,192.58 €
Blower door test mandatory when installing ventilation system 476.00 €
Increase of total floor construction height from 14 cm (5.5 inches) to 18 cm (7 inches) on the upper floor
By adding 3 cm (1.2 inches) more styrofoam insulation 2,988.97 €
Enthalpy exchanger and summer bypass
No costs yet
However, he is not a fan of ventilation systems.
Here are the prices he quoted. Are there
1. Solutions that are more integrated into the wall or similar, to avoid additional height increases, and
2. Is the price reasonable?
Total area is 187 sqm (2013 sq ft), including about 40 sqm (430 sq ft) of an extension. The rest is spread over two levels in a town villa style.
There is a ceiling opening of about 9 sqm (97 sq ft) to the first floor, which is not included in the 187 sqm (2013 sq ft).
Attached is the text from the BU.
Pluggit Avent fresh air unit with heat recovery included.
Aluminum cross counterflow heat exchanger
Including air ducts, supply and exhaust air outlets, silencers, distributor, cover grilles in standard white plastic, supply and install 14,192.58 €
Blower door test mandatory when installing ventilation system 476.00 €
Increase of total floor construction height from 14 cm (5.5 inches) to 18 cm (7 inches) on the upper floor
By adding 3 cm (1.2 inches) more styrofoam insulation 2,988.97 €
Enthalpy exchanger and summer bypass
No costs yet
W
WilderSueden12 Dec 2023 08:40Musketier schrieb:
This is a classic cost comparison calculation for evaluating an investment. But if you believe that you can completely ignore business administration, then there’s no point in continuing this discussion. By doing so, you disqualify yourself. Is a home you live in an investment? That would be a prerequisite for considering it as an investment analysis. If we open that can of worms, much more has to be scrutinized, starting with the location (here in the village it’s nice, but certainly not an ideal investment location) all the way down to the tiles. For every feature, you have to ask yourself whether it either saves costs or sustainably increases the value. Money invested in the house must then be discounted with an appropriate rate of return, which means you need to factor in a notional market rent. If you do that, a house will rarely be profitable as an investment.
Tolentino schrieb:
But one thing I noticed: you rarely find reports from opponents who have actually had one. Mostly just experiences from people who would not want to be without it anymore. Of course, it’s easier to be against something when you only know it secondhand 😉
H
HeimatBauer12 Dec 2023 08:50Imagine explaining the benefits of underfloor heating and an induction cooktop to someone who only knows oil-fired individual heaters and wood-burning stoves. The response might be a simple "Hmm, interesting, maybe I'll try it sometime," or a strange mix of outright rejection and made-up counter"arguments." A good example is the shift from the icebox (the wooden chest where naturally harvested ice was stored for cooling) to the refrigerator (the familiar compressor fridge): Back then, icebox manufacturers seriously argued that refrigerators were incredibly unhygienic because they didn’t have the constant flow of meltwater from the ice block to clean them (even though that meltwater often contained very unpleasant debris, since it was naturally harvested ice, not manufactured ice).
How many of you still have an icebox at home today?
How many of you still have an icebox at home today?
Oh man, you mean I should have harvested the snow that all the rain has now washed away? Argh, missed opportunity.
I seriously doubt that a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery would ever be economically viable in a privately owned single-family home (you also have to consider maintenance, wear and tear, and consumables). But you can always adjust the calculation one way or another.
I’m not saying that it’s impossible to do without it. I’m just saying that I wouldn’t want to be without it, and if I ever build a new house, I will plan to include it again. For existing homes, I would somehow try to retrofit it. Not at any cost, but if necessary, through some DIY effort before I leave it out entirely.
I seriously doubt that a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery would ever be economically viable in a privately owned single-family home (you also have to consider maintenance, wear and tear, and consumables). But you can always adjust the calculation one way or another.
I’m not saying that it’s impossible to do without it. I’m just saying that I wouldn’t want to be without it, and if I ever build a new house, I will plan to include it again. For existing homes, I would somehow try to retrofit it. Not at any cost, but if necessary, through some DIY effort before I leave it out entirely.
We have a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery in our new build, and one thing I didn’t consider beforehand is the dry air in winter, which is not good for the hardwood flooring (which we have in almost every room). Otherwise, I enjoy not having to think about opening a window at all.
Malle Zwabber12 Dec 2023 10:16My energy consultant calculated my energy consumption with and without a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.
All in all, such a system is usually not economically worthwhile. For my 144m² (1,550 sq ft) of living space, the annual savings amount to only about €430 minus €43 for the system’s electricity consumption, resulting in just €387 per year.
Since I installed the system myself, my costs were only around €6,200.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t want to be without the system anymore.
The increase in comfort is quite significant. Not only does it provide fresh air, but there is actually less dust in the apartment. It’s also a nice bonus that no flies get into the apartment anymore.
All in all, such a system is usually not economically worthwhile. For my 144m² (1,550 sq ft) of living space, the annual savings amount to only about €430 minus €43 for the system’s electricity consumption, resulting in just €387 per year.
Since I installed the system myself, my costs were only around €6,200.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t want to be without the system anymore.
The increase in comfort is quite significant. Not only does it provide fresh air, but there is actually less dust in the apartment. It’s also a nice bonus that no flies get into the apartment anymore.
H
HeimatBauer12 Dec 2023 10:23Perhaps it is finally time to price heating energy in a way that holds people accountable for the consequences of their actions. That would make it more financially worthwhile sooner. Until then, it’s "just" about avoiding completely unnecessary heated air being ventilated out. This is called environmental protection. It can also be done even if it doesn’t pay off within ten years.
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