Properly executed design and installation of mechanical ventilation will make us enjoy clean and fresh air, and at the same time save a lot. So what to pay attention to when preparing a house for recuperation? Architect Ada Szydłowska suggests.
M.Sc. arch. Ada Szydłowska - a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Bialystok University of Technology and postgraduate studies in Monuments and Conservation of Architectural Heritage at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, a scholarship holder of the Erasmus program at the Universitat Politècnica de València. Founder of the KIBOKO Design Studio. She designs private and public interiors and architecture. Always in accordance with the nature of the place and respect for the needs of its users. As she admits, inspiration is everywhere - from the world of fashion, to landscapes from distant travels, as well as the surrounding countryside.
Recuperation helps meet new building code rules on heating energy requirements
© Ada Szydlowska
New standards
Beginning in 2021, new building law rules apply to reduce the heating energy demand of buildings. The law is rooted in a European directive that requires all EU member states to modify their national regulations so that newly built homes meet higher energy standards, while old homes undergo upgrades. The new regulations encourage the use of renewable energy sources or more energy-efficient solutions in single-family homes such as recuperation, or heat recovery.
- The recuperation system is extremely unobtrusive and unnoticeable, making it possible for residents to completely forget about its existence and enjoy only fresh and clean air. The principles of recuperation itself are relatively simple, says architect Ada Szydlowska.
Recuperation helps save up to 60% of the energy used for heating
© Vasco
How does recuperation work?
The system recovers energy from the exhaust air and heats the incoming air. The important thing is that the exhaust and supply air do not mix in any area, so fresh air is supplied all the time. In this way, the building is able to recover a significant percentage of the energy used for heating. Savings can be as high as 30-60%. An additional advantage is that the system also filters the air entering the house from outside, cleansing it of smog and allergens.
- At the heart of the mechanical ventilation system is the recuperator, but the whole system relies on ventilation ducts bringing in fresh air and exhausting the moist one. Thanks to them, the design of the house does not have to take into account traditional chimneys or unsealing of windows. This must be taken into account even at the design stage. This is when the ventilation ducts should be planned. In doing so, it is important to ensure that air always moves from the bedrooms to the bathrooms and from the living room to the kitchen. It is also important that the ventilation ducts form a system with a minimum number of components, which, thanks to the appropriate height, will be easy to hide without disturbing the aesthetics of the interior," explains the architect.
Diagram of the operation of the recuperation system
© Vasco
Installation of recuperation
The installation of the mechanical ventilation system itself is also extremely important. It is possible to make a lot of mistakes here, or many factors can simply not be taken into account. Some of the most common mistakes when installing a recuperation system include:
- installation of ventilation ducts in an unheated room without proper thermal insulation
- lack of gaps between the bottom edge of the door and the floor (door undercutting)
- lack of inspection holes and difficult access to the recuperator
- choice of recuperator with too low efficiency
- execution of the installation without a recuperation project
- failure to adapt the heating/air conditioning design to a house with recuperation system
- A house equipped with a recuperation system has a much lower heat demand than a house with gravity ventilation. Properly designed and executed installation of mechanical ventilation is hugely important for its full efficiency, so it is worth using the help of professionals. When it comes to the installation of recuperation, it usually does not pay to choose the cheapest offer on the market. Often a system made cheaper means choosing lower quality materials, made poorly, without respect for the details that ultimately determine its energy efficiency," justifies Ada Szydlowska.
The installation of the mechanical ventilation system itself is also extremely important
© Ada Szydłowska
Where to place the recuperator?
Thus, recuperation in the home makes the most sense when you choose high-quality equipment, that is, the air handling unit and all the necessary components of the system matched to it. At the time of purchase, it is also worth paying attention to the length of the warranty provided by the manufacturer. At the same time, it should be remembered that the basis of the functioning of the entire system is the recuperator, which contains fans operating at high power. Their work is associated with the emission of sound, so also the place where it will be installed must be well planned and taken into account already at the design stage.
- To ensure comfort and silence in the living space, the recuperator should be installed in a separate, acoustically separated room. This can be, for example, an unused attic, boiler room, garage, or even a dressing room, if it is located at the entrance to the house and not next to the bedroom. Also, the entire installation must be hidden inside the floors and walls, so that it operates below the level of the acoustic background, says the architect.
The recuperator should be installed in an acoustically separated room
© Ada Szydłowska
How to hide the recuperation system?
The aesthetics of the interior are affected not only by the ability to hide all the pipes in the floor layers of the attic and the first floor, but also by covering the air intakes and exhausts with minimalist, and very discreet covers. You can choose those made of white powder-coated aluminum. Their surface is slightly rough, so that on most white ceilings the outlet covers are unnoticeable. In the case of a ceiling of a different color than white, the covers can be painted with emulsion wall paint and thus perfectly match the interior design and your own taste.
- The stylish form of modern houses hides highly developed intelligent systems inside. The solutions used in the new generation of recuperators mean that the device in no way affects the aesthetics of the house, and at the same time combines uncomplicated operation with smart functionality, including by automatically adjusting the intensity of ventilation to the activity of the household members. This definitely improves not only the quality of air, but also the comfort of everyday life," concludes the architect.
Modern recuperation systems do not affect the aesthetics of the house
© Vasco
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Compiled by:KATARZYNA SZOSTAK
