Supply and exhaust ventilation units for an apartment

A healthy microclimate in an apartment can only be provided by good ventilation. Modern building technologies practically nullify the efficiency of natural air exchange systems. Therefore, consumers are increasingly thinking about installing supply and exhaust ventilation in apartments.

The importance of apartment ventilation

Signs of poor ventilation in the apartment:

• musty smell;
• the aromas of the kitchen spread to other rooms;
• stuffy in the bathroom;
• there is a smell of air freshener in the toilet for a long time;
• mold may develop in the far corners and near windows.

But unpleasant smells are not the worst thing. Residents in an unventilated apartment suffer from a lack of oxygen in the winter: depressed mood, pain in the eyes and fatigue are just the very first signs of a lack of oxygen in the body.

Millions of dust particles, epithelial particles, pet hair, lint from carpets and clothing float in the air and enter the respiratory tract.

Children suffer the most from dust allergies, and allergy sufferers also have a hard time. Normal air exchange eliminates this problem. Together with the air flow, all harmful allergens and impurities are removed from the room.

Many air conditioner owners are convinced that they are provided with fresh and clean air. This is a dangerous misconception: an air conditioner only filters the air, partially solving the problem of impurities.

But there is no more oxygen in the room. Only the most expensive premium models have an inflow function.

The problem is eliminated by installing supply and exhaust ventilation in the apartment or by increasing the inflow (outflow) of air. Supply ventilation in the apartment can also be established by installing special valves on the windows.

Supply ventilation units

Air handling units ensure the supply of clean air to the apartment. In this case, the outflow is carried out by the ventilation system of the house - the exhaust air is displaced through all possible slots and openings, including exhaust in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet. The result is a combined ventilation system.

Advantages of installing fresh air ventilation:

• relatively low price;
• air of optimal parameters is supplied to the room;
• compactness;
• selection of equipment for the parameters of each apartment;
• automatic control.

Before entering the room, the air in the air handling unit is filtered and heated (in the cold season).

The supply unit for ventilation consists of:

• air duct systems;
• fan, air heater;
• filters, silencer;
• automatic control unit.

Installation of supply ventilation can be type-setting, that is, assembled from parts like a designer directly on the spot. The main disadvantage of the prefabricated supply ventilation unit is its large dimensions. Therefore, for ventilation of apartments, small offices and cottages, compact monoblock air handling units are often used.

The compact supply air handling unit is a single sound-insulated casing in which all working units are assembled.

Small size and quiet operation make such equipment attractive for apartment residents. Another advantage of the compact system: no expensive design and calculation work, as well as commissioning, are required.

Individual supply ventilation unit

Individual compact units for supply ventilation provide air exchange within 100 cubic meters per hour, therefore they are designed to serve a single room. Such an installation works without an air duct, is easily and quickly installed, does not spoil the decoration and design of the room. Supply ventilation units for an apartment with a heat recuperator are produced. They are more economical. A plate recuperator is built into the body, which freezes at temperatures of more than -12 degrees. Therefore, the installation of such ventilation in an apartment is possible only in southern latitudes.

Supply ventilation unit Marta

Ventilation unit Marta made in the Czech Republic is a compact case with two control knobs: air heating and fan intensity.

The main advantage of the Marta-type air handling unit: no need for an air duct, installation takes only an hour and a half. But at the same time, there are also many disadvantages:

• the body is placed directly in the room;
• poor sound insulation.

The disadvantages of installing Marta fresh air ventilation far outweigh the advantages. Therefore, the equipment is in limited demand.

According to reviews, the noise of Mart's supply ventilation unit at the minimum mode does not interfere with sleep, but at the maximum mode it is quite noticeable.

Martha mentions the difficulty of replacing filters in reviews about Mart's air handling unit. They must be ordered from an authorized dealer, and the price is quite high.

Consumers note the loose filter attachment in reviews of Mart's supply ventilation unit. It has to be additionally sealed with isolon or other material.

But the advantages of the Marta supply ventilation unit include a neat and small case, which is hung on the lower half of the door to the balcony.

Supply ventilation unit Selenga

The Selenga supply ventilation unit is manufactured by the Moscow company Ventmachine. It differs from the previous model in the presence of automatic adjustment. The air handling unit Selenga heats the air using a safe ceramic tarpaulin and cleans it by passing it through a carbon filter. The latter is quite expensive, but some craftsmen have learned how to make suitable filters from available tools.

The air handling unit Selenga collects a lot of positive reviews, it works quite quietly and efficiently.

Supply unit Sphere

The supply ventilation unit Sphere is currently out of production. The installation contains a whole system of filtration and air improvement: 2 photocatalytic and one carbon filter, an ultraviolet lamp.

The supply unit Sphere is controlled from the remote control, equipped with an air valve that does not let cold air from the street into the room. The temperature sensor allows you to accurately maintain the temperature set by the user.

Most of the components for the Sfera air handling unit were supplied from Germany.

Duct supply ventilation

A duct supply ventilation unit in an apartment is a type-setting system: a unit with equipment from which air is supplied to the premises through air ducts.

Full ventilation for the apartment, providing air flow. The complexity of the installation lies in the placement of the unit and ventilation ducts, which must be decorated or hidden under a false ceiling.Grilles are attached to the outlets of the ventilation ducts. The choice of places for them is also very important for creating a comfortable atmosphere in the apartment.

A household supply ventilation unit in an apartment should have an average capacity of 400 cubic meters of air per hour, and for country houses up to 2500 cubic meters. When purchasing a supply ventilation unit for an apartment, you should consider:

• static pressure;
• performance;
• noise level;
• complete set;
• automatic control system functions;
• air filtration;
• location.

Performance. Without special calculation skills, you can, on average, be guided by the following indicators:

• for apartments with an area of ​​35 - 60 sq. meters, the capacity of the air handling unit is 200 - 350 cubic meters per hour;
• for apartments with an area of ​​70 - 130 sq. meters productivity 300 - 500.

Static pressure. It depends on the length and shape of the air ducts, the number of additional filters. For an apartment up to 90 sq. meters, a supply and exhaust ventilation unit with a static pressure of 450 Pa is suitable.

It is necessary to take into account the resistance of the network, which reduces the actual performance of the equipment in comparison with the maximum declared.

Noise level. Determined at the entrance and exit. The acoustic power of the air handling unit has the greatest value when it is installed directly in the apartment. If you mount the equipment in a closet or basement, the noise will not interfere. The output noise level indicates whether the hum through the channels will reach living rooms. Silencers are used to reduce the acoustic output.

Completeness. Any ventilation unit for an apartment should be equipped with automatic control and a control panel with a display.

Automatic controller options. The simplest systems only change the fan speed, the temperature of the air supplied to the room. More advanced ones notify the owner about the need to clean the filters, have the ability to set different operating modes for different times of the day. The most advanced are connected to the smart home system.

Air filtration. All supply and exhaust ventilation units are equipped with a coarse filter for the air supplied to the room. It catches fluff, coarse dust or wool particles. Smaller particles are captured by the optional fine filters. An additional filter is necessary for residents of large cities with an unfavorable environmental situation. When deciding to buy it, you should know: it increases the load on the supply and exhaust ventilation system in the apartment and reduces its efficiency.

Place of installation. When choosing the location of the ventilation system, the need for cleaning and repairing it should be taken into account. A special hatch is used to replace or remove the filter. It is advisable to mount the equipment before finishing the walls, since a hole with a diameter of up to 20 cm is drilled in the outer wall. This is done using a diamond drill, which is constantly washed by water. Yes, and it is advisable to hide the air ducts under the boxes before painting and plastering the walls.

The movement of air flows in the apartment

When planning a ventilation system in an apartment, it is important to correctly distribute the movement of air flows. Clean air should be supplied to living rooms, flowing through the corridors to the kitchen, toilet and bathroom. From here, the exhaust air is removed through the ventilation grilles. Such a pattern of air movement provides increased pressure in "clean" rooms and the displacement of exhaust air from them, prevents air from being sucked from the toilet or kitchen into living rooms.

When installing supply ventilation in an apartment, you should know that the exhaust ducts of natural ventilation are designed so that the air in the apartment will be completely replaced once in one hour. At the same time, too intense an inflow will increase the load on the exhaust system and on other floors it will stop working (air from your apartment will be blown into the neighboring ones).

Combination of a supply unit and air conditioning

The supply ventilation system is often combined with air conditioning.

Conditioning methods:

• one channel air conditioner for the whole apartment;
• several split systems according to the number of rooms.

The first option is preferable, since it is the duct air conditioner that can be combined with the ventilation system. An excellent effect is also achieved when installing zonal systems that provide the required temperature for each room without drafts.

A simpler option for an apartment is a supply ventilation unit with a cooler. That is, in the cold season, the air is warmed up before being fed into the room, and in the warm season it is cooled.

The supply unit can be supplemented with an air humidifier.

Supply and exhaust ventilation with a recuperator

This is the most perfect type of ventilation for an apartment. The recuperator heats the supply air using the heat of the exhaust air. The mechanism allows you to save up to 70% of the energy used for heating in winter, and this is not much less than 4.5 kilowatts per hour!

Such devices are very good for large apartments or country houses, the ventilation and heating of which requires significant funds. Supply and exhaust ventilation for an apartment with a recuperator makes it unprofitable in small and medium-sized apartments because of its cost. In addition, the air ducts are quite voluminous, it is difficult to hide them with low ceilings.

To learn how to assemble an air handling unit with heat recovery for an apartment with your own hands, see our video: