ᐅ Controlled ventilation system manufacturers – Which ones are recommended and where can you arrange the design?
Created on: 14 Sep 2020 20:23
M
Mateo84
Hello everyone,
Next year is the time, and we will start building.
The building permit (planning permission) will be submitted next week before the electrician begins with the conduit planning and the structural engineer starts. I have the following questions for you experts:
Key data:
"City villa" 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft)
Summer bypass
Enthalpy system
Now to my request...
We want to install the ducts for the mechanical ventilation with heat recovery ourselves and possibly have the mechanical ventilation system installed and commissioned by a professional company or dealer.
Since we have not yet decided on a heating manufacturer or specialist company and want to remain independent in this regard, we are now looking for information:
1. Which manufacturer would you recommend given the key data?
2. Should we request professional planning directly from the manufacturer or the dealer? Does anyone have an idea of the approximate costs?
3. Should everything be done through Selfio.de? Is the planning good? Has anyone gained experience there? Is the material of good quality?
4. If there are other options, please share them...
I am sure I have forgotten something, but this should be enough to start.
Best regards,
Mateo
Next year is the time, and we will start building.
The building permit (planning permission) will be submitted next week before the electrician begins with the conduit planning and the structural engineer starts. I have the following questions for you experts:
Key data:
"City villa" 200 sqm (2,150 sq ft)
Summer bypass
Enthalpy system
Now to my request...
We want to install the ducts for the mechanical ventilation with heat recovery ourselves and possibly have the mechanical ventilation system installed and commissioned by a professional company or dealer.
Since we have not yet decided on a heating manufacturer or specialist company and want to remain independent in this regard, we are now looking for information:
1. Which manufacturer would you recommend given the key data?
2. Should we request professional planning directly from the manufacturer or the dealer? Does anyone have an idea of the approximate costs?
3. Should everything be done through Selfio.de? Is the planning good? Has anyone gained experience there? Is the material of good quality?
4. If there are other options, please share them...
I am sure I have forgotten something, but this should be enough to start.
Best regards,
Mateo
Hello,
we also have a Zehnder Q350. We installed it entirely ourselves. It takes some time, but technically it’s not a big challenge. You don’t need an electrician, as the unit simply has a plug that you connect to a power outlet.
The total materials cost us about 8000 Euro, while quotes were around 20,000 Euro, which was clearly overpriced. I only had the builder install the heat exchanger. In our case, these are simple KG 2000 (the green ones) wastewater pipes with a diameter of 200 mm (8 inches). About 40 m (130 feet) of these are buried in the garden.
You don’t need core drilling if you inform the ceiling constructor about the necessary openings. These will already be planned for in the precast concrete ceilings. This has the big advantage that the openings are considered in the structural calculations, and you won’t accidentally hit any lines during core drilling.
The overall planning was done for us by Mr. Schliebe from .......... (just google the words “lüftungs” and “net”). I also bought the materials from him; his prices were very, very good at the time. Overall, this worked out very well, but you only get a general plan with the flow rates, etc. The detailed execution plan—how to install the pipes on the raw floor slab—is done by yourself, with him reviewing it occasionally. So you should be able to use AutoCAD.
Overall, this is a trade that you can handle quite well yourself and save a lot of money, but:
Best regards,
Andreas
we also have a Zehnder Q350. We installed it entirely ourselves. It takes some time, but technically it’s not a big challenge. You don’t need an electrician, as the unit simply has a plug that you connect to a power outlet.
The total materials cost us about 8000 Euro, while quotes were around 20,000 Euro, which was clearly overpriced. I only had the builder install the heat exchanger. In our case, these are simple KG 2000 (the green ones) wastewater pipes with a diameter of 200 mm (8 inches). About 40 m (130 feet) of these are buried in the garden.
You don’t need core drilling if you inform the ceiling constructor about the necessary openings. These will already be planned for in the precast concrete ceilings. This has the big advantage that the openings are considered in the structural calculations, and you won’t accidentally hit any lines during core drilling.
The overall planning was done for us by Mr. Schliebe from .......... (just google the words “lüftungs” and “net”). I also bought the materials from him; his prices were very, very good at the time. Overall, this worked out very well, but you only get a general plan with the flow rates, etc. The detailed execution plan—how to install the pipes on the raw floor slab—is done by yourself, with him reviewing it occasionally. So you should be able to use AutoCAD.
Overall, this is a trade that you can handle quite well yourself and save a lot of money, but:
- Don’t underestimate the time needed for planning and coordination with other trades. You have to do the execution plan and familiarize yourself with it first. That quickly takes several days, so you need to be willing to invest the effort.
- We have 270 sqm (2900 sq ft) of ventilated area (ground floor, upper floor, and basement). The installation took about 10 to 11 man-days in total. I made some mistakes in parts, but next time it would definitely take only about two thirds of that time.
- Coordination in the construction schedule is critical. You have to lay the pipes at a very specific time, and the other trades must stand still during that period. Your general contractor needs to cooperate, and you also have to be reliably available at that time. Any delay will cause subsequent work to be delayed as well...
Best regards,
Andreas
Cool, that’s some useful input. Are you satisfied with it, or have you experienced any noise or other issues?
I am the general contractor myself, and the architect is an acquaintance. That’s why I’m also planning the trades and can include a buffer in the schedule.
How many square meters of living space do you have, regarding Q350–Q400? (If it’s 270m² (2900 ft²), wouldn’t the 350 be too small?) Many here in the forum use Zehnder systems—does that have a particular reason? (I was originally recommended the Vallox system.)
What I’m mainly missing at the start is the decision about which manufacturer I should choose.
Best regards
I am the general contractor myself, and the architect is an acquaintance. That’s why I’m also planning the trades and can include a buffer in the schedule.
How many square meters of living space do you have, regarding Q350–Q400? (If it’s 270m² (2900 ft²), wouldn’t the 350 be too small?) Many here in the forum use Zehnder systems—does that have a particular reason? (I was originally recommended the Vallox system.)
What I’m mainly missing at the start is the decision about which manufacturer I should choose.
Best regards
I don’t think a 400 model exists; the next size up is the 450.
The 350 also seems a bit small for 270m² (2900 ft²). We have the 450 for 225m² (2420 ft²) and are satisfied with it. Ours is installed in the attic, separated by a concrete ceiling. I can set the system to the highest level, and we don’t hear anything even at night.
I am somewhat disappointed with the enthalpy heat exchanger. When we moved in March, while it was still cold outside, the indoor humidity was about the same low level as in our previous rental apartment with controlled ventilation without an enthalpy exchanger. We’ll see how it performs during winter.
The 350 also seems a bit small for 270m² (2900 ft²). We have the 450 for 225m² (2420 ft²) and are satisfied with it. Ours is installed in the attic, separated by a concrete ceiling. I can set the system to the highest level, and we don’t hear anything even at night.
I am somewhat disappointed with the enthalpy heat exchanger. When we moved in March, while it was still cold outside, the indoor humidity was about the same low level as in our previous rental apartment with controlled ventilation without an enthalpy exchanger. We’ll see how it performs during winter.
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