MVHR or decentralised MVHR, which is which?
Good ventilation indoors is very important for your health. Especially newly built houses are better insulated nowadays; there is hardly any natural ventilation through grilles and gaps. Good insulation is good for saving energy, so how can you ventilate well and still save on energy? This can be done by using a heat recovery system (MVHR), also called a balanced ventilation system.
In a new house, the necessary ducts can be installed throughout the house, which is very convenient. In an existing house, however, this is usually not possible. A decentralised heat recovery system (decentralised MVHR) is the solution here. But what exactly is the difference and when to choose which system? We'll explain.
What is an MVHR system?
An MVHR unit is a fan that blows fresh air into the house and extracts used air. There is a balance in this, and it is therefore also called balanced ventilation. The fresh air is heated with the heat from the exhaust air.
A heat recovery unit is particularly advantageous in new buildings. During construction, the ducts can be installed in the right places in the house. It is important that this is done properly to ensure optimal operation. The unit must have enough capacity to do its work properly in the entire house. You do not use the exact volume of your house in m³ for this, but a ventilation calculation must be made.
The advantages of an MVHR system in a row:
- Healthy indoor climate: always clean, filtered air in your entire house.
- High thermal comfort: the clean air is pre-heated with an efficiency of 90% on average.
- Higher comfort due to fewer draughts, because no gaps and grilles are needed.
- Energy efficient due to lower heating costs and the efficient DC motor.
- Filters can be cleaned or replaced.
What is a decentralised MVHR system?
Do you have an existing house? Then a decentralised MVHR unit is the solution. This ventilation system is installed without ducts, which is often difficult or even impossible in existing houses. You can use a decentralised heat recovery system for only one room, but often it is sufficient to place it in the living room. This is usually the most frequent place of heating and in the bedroom, for example, it is often cooler anyway. Consider the capacity and size of the room.
The advantages of a decentralised MVHR:
- With decentralised ventilation, there is no need for a network of ventilation ducts in the walls, floor or ceiling. The installation is easy without having to break much and can be done in a short time.
- Often a compact size, an MVHR unit is very large.
- Due to the absence of ventilation ducts, there is no high air pressure and therefore little or no noise pollution.
- Filters can be cleaned or replaced.
The disadvantage of MVHR systems is that the purchase costs are fairly high. However, you can get a decentralised MVHR unit from £162.
The ventilation systems with heat recovery are available with various functions, such as a humidity sensor, zone control or enthalpy exchanger. Choose the right MVHR with the help of our decision tool. Are you not quite sure? Please contact us, we can advise you.
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