Controlled domestic ventilation: fresh air & lower heating costs

Why ventilation is important

All Topics at a glance

Modern homes are well insulated - this saves energy, but can also worsen the air quality. Controlled home ventilation automatically provides fresh air, prevents moisture and mold growth and helps you to reduce heating costs.

IS WINDOW VENTILATION THE SOLUTION?

The most obvious solution is window ventilation, but this only works really well in theory.

In practice, we are usually too inconsistent, so that the air exchange required every three hours easily falls by the wayside. In addition, it can easily happen that we ventilate for too long, resulting in unnecessary energy loss.

If you want to avoid these problems and do something good for both your health and your home, installing a ventilation system is highly recommended.

How home ventilation works

1. AUTOMATIC AIR EXCHANGE FOR A HEALTHY INDOOR CLIMATE

A ventilation system automatically regulates the air exchange in your home. It brings fresh air into the house and directs stale air outside - without you having to constantly open windows.

2. HEAT RECOVERY: SAVING ENERGY MADE EASY

Modern ventilation systems use heat recovery to save heating energy. The heat from the exhaust air is used to preheat the fresh supply air. This keeps your home warm and reduces your heating costs.

3. CLEAN AIR THANKS TO FILTER TECHNOLOGY

The fresh air is cleaned by filters before it enters your living space. Dust, pollen and pollutants are kept outside - ideal for allergy sufferers and anyone who wants to enjoy clean air.

Your benefits with ventilation

✔ Always fresh air - without constant ventilation
✔ No moisture & no mold - protects your home
✔ Lower heating costs - thanks to efficient heat recovery
✔ Better air quality - filters pollutants, dust & pollen
✔ More comfort - quiet, reliable & easy to control

Centralized or decentralized domestic ventilation - which suits you better?

Ventilation systems ensure the regular exchange of air fully automatically and also filter pollen and other pollutants out of the air. In this way, controlled domestic ventilation saves valuable energy, protects the building from mold growth and makes a massive overall contribution to a pleasant and healthy indoor climate.

But not all ventilation systems are the same: two distinctions are particularly interesting for us in this context, namely the question of the construction method and the question of the type of heat recovery.

A ventilation system can be designed centrally or decentrally, i.e. either a central device ventilates the entire building via ventilation ducts or individual rooms are ventilated separately with small devices.

Heat recovery can be passive using a heat exchanger or active using a heat pump.

CENTRAL ROOM VENTILATION: PERFECT FOR NEW BUILDS

With central ventilation, fresh air is distributed to all rooms via a pipe system. This solution is particularly efficient and ideal for new builds or major renovations.

Central ventilation systems are less simple, but more efficient than the decentralized version. In these systems, all rooms in the house are connected by air ducts and are supplied with fresh air via a central device. A fan draws air into the building from outside, while another removes the stale air from the rooms. Ideally, central ventilation systems are planned and installed directly as part of a new build, as this is less expensive than retrofitting. However, this is also possible, but involves higher costs.

DECENTRALIZED DOMESTIC VENTILATION: FLEXIBLE & EASY TO RETROFIT

If you want to retrofit your home, a decentralized ventilation system is the better choice. It is installed in individual rooms and works independently - a smart solution for existing buildings.

A decentralized ventilation system consists of two small ventilation units that are installed directly in the outer walls of the room to be ventilated. If you want to supply more than one room with fresh air in this way, you will need more decentralized ventilation units. As these devices are easy to install and do not require a great deal of planning, they are particularly suitable for retrofitting as part of the modernization of an old building.

Active vs. passive heat recovery

A ventilation system with heat recovery extracts some of the heat from the stale exhaust air and uses it to preheat the fresh supply air. This not only provides fresh air at a pleasant temperature, but also saves heating energy: depending on the technology used, modern ventilation systems can save up to 50 % on heating costs.

PASSIVE VENTILATION SYSTEMS

Passive heat recovery works by means of heat exchangers and is the simpler of the two variants. The heat exchanger transfers some of the heat from the extract air to the supply air. This allows the fresh air to be preheated with little energy input.

ACTIVE VENTILATION SYSTEMS

In ventilation systems with active heat recovery, an air/heat pump is integrated into the system, with the help of which the recovered heat can be used in several ways (depending on the specific equipment of the system).

With these appliances, the heat can be used not only to preheat the fresh air, but also to heat water. If the installed heat pump allows reversible operation, the ventilation system can also be used to cool the room. Active ventilation units are therefore truly multi-talented and suitable for a variety of tasks.

Advantages and disadvantages of ventilation systems

Advantages of ventilation systems	Disadvantages of ventilation systems
Reduction in heating costs	Not always suitable for old buildings
Diminishing dust mite load	Investment costs can be high
The house becomes more allergy-friendly	Increasing electricity consumption
Air temperature can be adjusted quickly
Noise protection, as ventilation is not necessary

Areas of application for home ventilation

Not every type of ventilation system is equally suitable for every area of application. The available options change depending on the age and condition of the building.

VENTILATION SYSTEMS IN NEW BUILDS

When choosing a ventilation system in a new build, you can draw on the full range of options: in principle, any type of system can be used, but it is particularly worthwhile to opt for a central ventilation system here, as these systems tend to work more efficiently and can be planned and installed directly during the construction of the house. Depending on your personal preferences, you can then opt for a device with passive or active heat recovery - depending on how much the fresh air is to be preheated and whether the system is also to be used for cooling.

VENTILATION SYSTEMS IN OLD BUILDINGS

In existing buildings, everything depends on the condition of the building: it makes little sense to install a ventilation system in an unrenovated old building - regardless of the type of construction. However, if the building has been renovated and meets a certain insulation standard, there is no reason not to retrofit a ventilation system. A decentralized solution with heat recovery is particularly suitable, as these devices are comparatively easy to retrofit. However, if you are not afraid of the greater effort and the associated costs, there is nothing wrong with using a central ventilation system.

Conclusion: More living comfort with controlled domestic ventilation

Whether it's a new build or a retrofit - with controlled domestic ventilation, you'll always have fresh air, protect your home from moisture and save on heating costs!

Get in touch with us now and find the right solution for your home!

Unless you live in a draughty, unrenovated old building, you're basically not doing anything wrong if you decide to invest in ventilation technology. A ventilation system is highly recommended, especially for allergy sufferers, as it massively improves the air quality. There is a suitable design for every area of application, depending on the conditions and personal requirements.

If, for example, only a few rooms in an old building need to be ventilated, a decentralized system with passive heat recovery is perfectly adequate. If, on the other hand, you are interested in an all-round carefree package, it is best to opt for a central ventilation system with active heat recovery. If the integrated heat pump then allows reversible operation, the fresh supply air can not only be preheated, but also cooled as an alternative - for an optimum feel-good climate all year round.