ᐅ Installing a Mechanical Ventilation System with Heat Recovery Yourself: Timeline and Costs?
Created on: 12 Jan 2016 12:57
A
andimann
Hi everyone,
We will be building in a few months. The building permit / planning permission was submitted last year to take advantage of the previous energy-saving regulations. So far, so good.
Originally, we planned to build without a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. Based on our experience in our current house, we considered such a system unnecessary.
However, for various reasons, we are now reconsidering. A mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery will never really pay for itself, but as a comfort upgrade and to improve marketability in case of a future sale, it might be worthwhile after all.
We are talking about a central system with heat recovery for nearly 180 sqm (approximately 1,940 sq ft) of living space over two floors plus basement.
The general contractor is quoting completely insane prices. I’m still waiting for the detailed offer, but initial estimates were between 15,000 and 18,000 Euros (around 10,000 to 12,000 USD, depending on exchange rate) for a system from Helios, and even more with the basement. So, a classic deterrent offer...
In a thread here, I came across a supplier who designs, plans, and assembles the materials for these systems, delivering everything ready for installation. The installation itself would then be done by us. According to the advisor, it’s truly no rocket science and for a house of this size, two people could easily do it in 4-5 working days (which equals 8-10 man-days).
It would also be a Helios system (specific model to be confirmed) with about 6-7 supply air and 6-7 exhaust air ducts. Installation is done within the impact sound insulation layer, that is, on top of the finished concrete ceiling. The supplier also provides plans for the necessary ceiling penetrations etc., so these can be incorporated directly during the concrete pour.
What caught my attention was his initial rough price estimate for the materials, which was about one-third of the general contractor’s price. So for around 10,000 Euros (about 11,000 USD), I might just take a week off work...!
But is it really that simple? This is a trade that happens right in the middle of construction, so our own work must be absolutely punctual, otherwise the overall schedule collapses...
My question is: How realistic is it to install such a system yourself within one week?
Has anyone done this before and could share some of their experiences?
Best regards,
Andreas
We will be building in a few months. The building permit / planning permission was submitted last year to take advantage of the previous energy-saving regulations. So far, so good.
Originally, we planned to build without a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery. Based on our experience in our current house, we considered such a system unnecessary.
However, for various reasons, we are now reconsidering. A mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery will never really pay for itself, but as a comfort upgrade and to improve marketability in case of a future sale, it might be worthwhile after all.
We are talking about a central system with heat recovery for nearly 180 sqm (approximately 1,940 sq ft) of living space over two floors plus basement.
The general contractor is quoting completely insane prices. I’m still waiting for the detailed offer, but initial estimates were between 15,000 and 18,000 Euros (around 10,000 to 12,000 USD, depending on exchange rate) for a system from Helios, and even more with the basement. So, a classic deterrent offer...
In a thread here, I came across a supplier who designs, plans, and assembles the materials for these systems, delivering everything ready for installation. The installation itself would then be done by us. According to the advisor, it’s truly no rocket science and for a house of this size, two people could easily do it in 4-5 working days (which equals 8-10 man-days).
It would also be a Helios system (specific model to be confirmed) with about 6-7 supply air and 6-7 exhaust air ducts. Installation is done within the impact sound insulation layer, that is, on top of the finished concrete ceiling. The supplier also provides plans for the necessary ceiling penetrations etc., so these can be incorporated directly during the concrete pour.
What caught my attention was his initial rough price estimate for the materials, which was about one-third of the general contractor’s price. So for around 10,000 Euros (about 11,000 USD), I might just take a week off work...!
But is it really that simple? This is a trade that happens right in the middle of construction, so our own work must be absolutely punctual, otherwise the overall schedule collapses...
My question is: How realistic is it to install such a system yourself within one week?
Has anyone done this before and could share some of their experiences?
Best regards,
Andreas
S
Sebastian7925 Jan 2016 22:56Once again: You should have an experienced designer or planner do this – it’s no use asking a few questions in a forum. Unfortunately, you’re not even asking specific questions...
Don’t get me wrong, but first get advice from a company, and then you can present it here.
Don’t get me wrong, but first get advice from a company, and then you can present it here.
I had to hang the unit 3cm (1.2 inches) away from the wall because the centerlines of the unit and the filter box did not match. According to the information provided, mounting hardware for the silencer was not supposed to be included. However, I specifically purchased rails and threaded rods for the support beams, but the silencer came with mounting materials. I completed the calculation using the Helios tool.
S
Sebastian7925 Jan 2016 23:02I didn’t have those problems – only a few parts were missing in the piping, but that was quickly resolved.
I know the tool, but I prefer to trust someone who does this professionally. After all, it’s a decision for life and basically cannot be changed later on.
I know the tool, but I prefer to trust someone who does this professionally. After all, it’s a decision for life and basically cannot be changed later on.
satisfied schrieb:
Yes, I had a similar feeling..
What should be considered during planning, and what would you change? Maybe Vitalio has some suggestions?It doesn’t make sense without knowing the floor plan. In my case, the system was planned before the house floor plan was finalized. Shafts need to be planned, the location of the system, whether floor, wall, or ceiling outlets, condensate drainage, and so on.B
Bieber081526 Jan 2016 07:26satisfied schrieb:
I spoke with a structural shell contractor over the weekend, and he recommended routing the pipes on the ceiling (within the screed). What I don’t understand is how the ventilation outlets can be designed effectively in this case? I want to have them in the ceiling. How did you solve this? Not within the screed, but directly on the structural ceiling in the insulation layer. Ceiling outlets to the lower floor are then created using core drilling. The floor area connected to that lower level is ventilated through floor outlets or exhausted through wall outlets. If you want ceiling outlets everywhere in a two-story building, this requires a bit more effort.
You should also consider the ventilation pipes in the floor construction and therefore their impact on the structural floor-to-ceiling height.
This is how our setup is as well: ceiling/wall on the ground floor and floor/wall on the upper floor... however, we decided against using distribution boxes because they were simply too large for us.
But as Sebastian already said, without proper planning, it won't work... once you have the plan, even a gardener can install it—in other words, it doesn’t really matter, some basic understanding and a plan are enough.
But as Sebastian already said, without proper planning, it won't work... once you have the plan, even a gardener can install it—in other words, it doesn’t really matter, some basic understanding and a plan are enough.
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