ᐅ Technical room in the attic, issues with soundproofing?

Here is a little anecdote: The founder and owner of a company that manufactures fuel cells installed one of his own fuel cells in his house. For some reason, a certain resonance frequency seems to have been triggered, causing a strong humming sound to spread throughout the entire house. No idea if this issue has ever been resolved.

Otherwise, decoupling is good and correct because it helps control structure-borne noise, and airborne noise is reduced by using as much mass as possible, for example, an enclosure made of heavy material. This can also be a combination of OSB boards and mineral insulation.

It is possible to achieve a sound insulation rating of 70 dB between two home theater rooms using lightweight construction alone (gypsum board on a stud frame with mineral insulation). So, all of this is manageable.

Is it now a confirmed finding that a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery does not become a gathering point for all kinds of dirt and contaminants? That is, not only the central unit but also all ductwork remains clean and free of build-up in the long term?

Pianist schrieb:

Is it now a well-established fact that a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery does not become a collection point for all kinds of dirt? In other words, that not only the central unit but all ductwork remains clean and free from contamination over the long term?

That depends on the design and execution. What is certain is that a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery delivers significantly cleaner air into the house compared to an open window, since the air passes at least through a coarse filter and, if applicable, a heat exchanger. This pre-treatment is completely absent with manual window ventilation, so everything flying around outside can enter the house without obstruction.

I can agree with that so far. But what happens to the particles we exhale inside the house, whether with or without Corona? What settles on the walls of the ducts in the long term?

It’s exhaust air and is only of secondary concern since it never comes into contact or mixes with the supply air anywhere and is vented directly outside (except for rotary heat exchangers).

However, filters on the exhaust air vents are also helpful here.

Here is an example of a supply air vent in a living room after about 9 years of use. No cleaning was done during all those years.
Visual condition: looks like it was installed yesterday.

I need to take a closer look at the topic of controlled residential ventilation. In principle, it is good to always have fresh air while not losing too much heat during the winter. There will surely be microbiological studies on this as well.

There are certainly greater risks in the bathroom, toilet, and kitchen than from the ventilation system. There are also areas behind cabinets and boxed-in sections that may not be cleaned for decades.

If you look at the dirt in the filters, you’ll be glad you didn’t breathe it in.

Oh, how I wish I had a controlled mechanical ventilation system.