ᐅ Controlled Residential Ventilation – What Should You Consider When Choosing One?
Created on: 13 Feb 2018 16:38
J
junge_familie
I’m torn when it comes to the topic of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. My wife is very skeptical; partly because she worries about drafts (she is quite sensitive to that) and also (and I partly agree with her here) because of concerns that mold or similar could eventually build up inside the extensive ductwork.
1) Does anyone here have long-term experience with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery? At least around 10 years?
2) What are established or reliable brands that you would recommend? Are there any manufacturers you would advise avoiding?
3) What should you pay attention to (manufacturers, building-specific details, etc.) if it is important to avoid feeling any airflow?
1) Does anyone here have long-term experience with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery? At least around 10 years?
2) What are established or reliable brands that you would recommend? Are there any manufacturers you would advise avoiding?
3) What should you pay attention to (manufacturers, building-specific details, etc.) if it is important to avoid feeling any airflow?
Dark_Templar schrieb:
I have also chosen a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery for the house I am yet to build. Can anyone share their experience regarding the following question:
Usually, the supply air is in the bedroom, and the exhaust air is in the adjacent bathroom. The bedroom is usually around 18°C (64°F), while the bathroom is about 23°C (73°F) → Is this even possible, or does the bedroom cool down the bathroom or heat it up? Can rooms have different temperature levels?
When standing wet and unclothed in the bathroom: is there a draft? I have also read that some people have installed a damper that temporarily blocks the bathroom exhaust.Temperature differences do work—even if others claim otherwise. I often adjust the temperature in our office when I want to work out there. You can definitely tell a difference between 19°C and 20°C (66°F and 68°F). I also spend a lot of time in the bathroom (mostly because of hot baths ). In the bedroom, you can also notice when the door is consistently closed in the evening: it definitely gets cooler there. We only feel drafts in the living room...
J
junge_familie24 Feb 2018 11:38ypg schrieb:
- What about your wastewater drainage, for example in the bathroom? Or in the kitchen? That’s a concern, isn’t it? No? Why not?
- What about household waste that stays in the kitchen for several days?
- The toilet?
- Have you ever thought about legionella?
- Do you have any water containers somewhere, for example a coffee machine or water filter?
- Entrance area: Dirt from outside.
- Counterfeit money...
- What about the potting soil of your plants?
- I’ll leave electromagnetic pollution aside... positive results probably only come if you can eat the food you heated in the microwave while it’s still warm.
- So, what can be simply sucked in from outside? Exhaust fumes from your running engine? Or just the smell of horse manure nearby (one reason people move to the countryside), which can really be annoying...
I don’t want to defend controlled residential ventilation systems, but just to open some eyes on the topic of civilization.Wow, nice list. Unfortunately, it largely misses the point.
- Wastewater in the bathroom and kitchen goes outside, away from me.
- We have only a small household waste bin, which is emptied at least every other day.
- The toilet waste also goes out.
- Legionella? Sure, but the water is regularly heated for that reason.
- Water filter: Yes, our refrigerator has a water dispenser/ice maker. We never used it and have since turned it off. So, we don’t need that chlorine(?) filter.
- We use a standard vacuum cleaner for dirt in the entrance area.
- ...
It has been pointed out several times here that this ventilation technology is long established in offices/commercial buildings, but honestly, that is quite a discouraging argument. Professionally, I know many offices and the ventilation systems there are quite dirty, even though they probably have a maintenance contract in place in most cases...
The dirt is usually not INSIDE the ducts in the office but ON the surfaces immediately following the ducts, such as valves, ceilings and ceiling panels, walls, etc.
Somewhere, I once posted pictures showing what a mechanical ventilation system looks like after 3 years of continuous operation.
Here: I have found it again:
Somewhere, I once posted pictures showing what a mechanical ventilation system looks like after 3 years of continuous operation.
Here: I have found it again:
Mycraft schrieb:
Yesterday, I was working on my mechanical ventilation system... and in case anyone is interested, this is what the fans look like after 3 years of continuous operation:
So, I have no concerns regarding hygiene or similar issues with a mechanical ventilation system.
Even if these cases of contamination occur, the question remains what the greater risk is.
With a controlled residential ventilation system, you have optimal air circulation throughout the house and excellent protection against mold. With appropriate filters, you can remove fine dust, pollen, tobacco smoke, and other particles from the outside air and supply the indoor space with "clean" air.
If you are still concerned about contamination in the ductwork, you can have it cleaned.
With a controlled residential ventilation system, you have optimal air circulation throughout the house and excellent protection against mold. With appropriate filters, you can remove fine dust, pollen, tobacco smoke, and other particles from the outside air and supply the indoor space with "clean" air.
If you are still concerned about contamination in the ductwork, you can have it cleaned.
I met with the heating/plumbing specialist on Saturday to discuss the quote.
They plan to install a Zehnder ComfoAir 350. I agreed to include the optional humidity recovery feature. Now they are also trying to sell us the option of a ground heat exchanger or brine heat exchanger (keyword "pre-cooling in summer" – I understand this is not air conditioning) for an additional 2500€.
Does anyone have experience with this? Is it necessary? I read somewhere that the humidity recovery module alone prevents the controlled residential ventilation system from freezing in winter.
I think I could invest the 2500€ more effectively elsewhere, for example, in the plumbing area.
They plan to install a Zehnder ComfoAir 350. I agreed to include the optional humidity recovery feature. Now they are also trying to sell us the option of a ground heat exchanger or brine heat exchanger (keyword "pre-cooling in summer" – I understand this is not air conditioning) for an additional 2500€.
Does anyone have experience with this? Is it necessary? I read somewhere that the humidity recovery module alone prevents the controlled residential ventilation system from freezing in winter.
I think I could invest the 2500€ more effectively elsewhere, for example, in the plumbing area.
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