ᐅ Floor vents (fresh air supply) located under sofas and desks?

Created on: 14 Jul 2018 01:03
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cybergnom
Hello,

we currently need to decide whether to have floor outlets or wall outlets for our mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.

According to our installer, it doesn’t matter if a piece of furniture (sofa, desk, etc.) is positioned over the outlet, as long as there is some clearance underneath, for example by the legs. So the sofa just shouldn’t completely cover the outlet.

Is this really the case? Would a sofa approximately 10cm (4 inches) above the floor, positioned over the outlet, not affect the airflow?
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cybergnom
14 Jul 2018 11:42
Mycraft schrieb:
In terms of functionality, floor outlets are absolutely equivalent to wall or ceiling outlets with proper planning.

That would have been my next question.
Originally, the system was planned with ceiling and wall outlets.

Here is the manufacturer’s plan, with the outlets we would now position on the floor marked in green (the sofa is schematic, it will be approximately 80cm (31 inches) away from the left wall).
Does this require a new plan? (The exhaust outlets in the ceiling of the kitchen, pantry, and restroom are still present.)

Floor plan of an apartment: hallway, living room, pantry, kitchen/dining, terrace; colored lines indicate pathways.
Mycraft14 Jul 2018 12:08
I see no reason not to do it this way. It can be done without any concerns.
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Alex85
14 Jul 2018 19:44
Mycraft schrieb:
Sometimes even cheaper, because you can save on piping since two floors can be supplied on the same level.

The system installed in the floor is usually a flat duct, which costs about twice as much as an equivalent round pipe. The outlets are also significantly more expensive (plastic disc vent vs. metal grille).
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Bieber0815
14 Jul 2018 22:17
The metal covers are definitely more homely compared to the plastic disc valves. However, this should actually be possible regardless of the pipe type in a competitive market.
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Curly
14 Jul 2018 23:10
I would not place the air vents under the sofa. I think you can hear the airflow when lying on the sofa, and you might also feel a draft on your legs. We made sure that the air vents are not located directly at a seating area.

Regards,
Sabine
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Traumfaenger
14 Jul 2018 23:31
Bieber0815 schrieb:
The metal covers definitely look much more homely than the plastic diffuser vents.
I find those built-in yogurt cup vents absolutely hideous... but that's just my personal opinion. How about the dirt buildup around the exhaust and supply air outlets? Over time, wouldn’t those areas get darker than the rest of the wall or ceiling due to dust particles carried by the air? You don’t see it on the floor because it’s cleaned regularly by wiping or vacuuming. Or am I mistaken?