ᐅ Enthalpy Heat Exchanger for Central Controlled Residential Ventilation

Hello everyone,

We have a central mechanical ventilation system from Tecalor (THZ 180/280) with, according to our heating technician, an enthalpy heat exchanger installed.

In winter, we now notice that the indoor humidity in the living area averages around 40%, which is relatively low—but not uncommon during winter.

Nevertheless, we specifically had an enthalpy heat exchanger installed to prevent this. My question is: How can I tell if the enthalpy heat exchanger is actually installed?

In my operating manual, there is a guide for replacing the “heat exchanger.” Is this usually an enthalpy heat exchanger, or can it also be a “standard” heat exchanger? How can I distinguish between the two?

I just want to be sure whether it has actually been installed (I have a few slight doubts due to past experiences with my heating technician 😀).

And now the question: Is this level of indoor humidity in winter normal despite having a mechanical ventilation system with an enthalpy heat exchanger, or should the humidity be significantly higher under these conditions?

The easiest way to tell the difference is probably this: An enthalpy heat exchanger has plastic fins, while a cross-flow heat exchanger (which is the other option) has metal fins.
At least, that’s how I know it. But it should also be indicated on some kind of nameplate.

But 40% is completely acceptable and also achievable with an enthalpy heat exchanger. It always depends on how much humidity is generated inside the house.

debaser schrieb:

The easiest way to tell the difference is probably this: an enthalpy heat exchanger has plastic fins, while a crossflow heat exchanger (which is the other option) has metal fins.
At least, that’s how I know it. But it’s probably also indicated on some type plate.

But 40% is perfectly fine and can also be achieved with an enthalpy heat exchanger. It always depends on how much humidity is generated inside the house.

Well, 40% isn’t particularly good – even with some humidifying plants around.

I thought you might get better results with an enthalpy heat exchanger. I will take a closer look and check if everything was installed correctly.

Hello,

40% in winter is quite normal. Without an enthalpy heat exchanger, it would drop to about 25%. But you mean last winter, right? At the current temperatures, you should still be easily around 50%.

There should be a nameplate with a part number on the exchanger. You can use that to easily check if it’s the correct one.

Best regards,

Andreas

40% is not bad; without enthalpy, the situation would look completely different. A few plants don’t change that.

Here are the pictures of what has been installed.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information online. Any ideas whether this might be an enthalpy heat exchanger or not?