Recommendations (or warnings) for MVHR units

[Jolo]

As mentioned in other threads, I've sadly lost confidence in Brink due to the odour issues I've had with the Flair 200/225.

 

So I'm having to dive once more into the world of MVHR units, and I'm drowning in research now 😵 my head is just swimming with it.

 

I was going to splash out on the Zehnder Q350 with enthalpy exchanger but then I noticed it's almost 50kg, which will be a total pain to install. (I guess I could take the exchanger out to get it upstairs and on the wall...)

 

I do like the look of the DucoBox Energy D325 (and it's smaller sibling the D250, which isn't available until April), but the four-button wall-switch will apparently only do 10%, 50% and 100% of the maximum speed, and that can't be changed?! (Having a 10% flow button seems really strange to me, especially as there's a separate holiday mode. I'd much rather 30% 70% and 100%)

 

I've also just learned that many models of MVHR don't have constant volume regulation, which I think means that the m³/h you set is just a hopeful target, and it will drop over time, which seems a bizarre omission to me.

So... does anyone have recommendations, suggestions? (Or brands/models to avoid!) 

 

Our house is less than 80m², and the calculations based on Dutch norms came out at a top flow of 175 m³/h. Nothing fancy going on, a very simple set-up really!

Edited 21 hours ago by Jolo

[Gone West]

We had a Genvex combined unit, but I think others on here have used standard Genvex MVHR units. Ours worked well and was straightforward to set up.

[JohnMo]

7 hours ago, Jolo said:

I've also just learned that many models of MVHR don't have constant volume regulation, which I think means that the m³/h you set is just a hopeful target, and it will drop over time, which seems a bizarre omission to me

Think in general it's a lot of smoke and mirrors and up selling stuff that really doesn't matter. Generally when set up to building regs flow rates you are over ventilating anyway. So a small drop in flow makes no difference.

 

Do you need enthalpy heat exchangers in UK climate, not really.

 

Makes - Titon HRV, I have two units, both are performing well. UK technical support if you need it. UK made.

 

Also rebadged by Beam

https://store.beamcentralsystems.com/collections/heat-recovery-ventilation-mvhr-units

[Gone West]

1 minute ago, JohnMo said:

UK technical support if you need it. UK made.

I think if I lived in the Netherlands I would rather buy from inside the EU.

[Nickfromwales]

7 hours ago, Jolo said:

As mentioned in other threads, I've sadly lost confidence in Brink due to the odour issues I've had with the Flair 200/225.

Im still at odds, as I’ve literally never had a single issue with Brink.

 

If changing this out then just look for something reputable, with the ports as close to the current configuration as possible. 

[JohnMo]

13 minutes ago, Gone West said:

I think if I lived in the Netherlands I would rather buy from inside the EU.

Using your phone that detail doesn't pop up, you have to look at the profile, and many don’t bother adding that detail.

 

In that case just go Duco, they seem well thought out bits of kit 

[Jolo]

Thanks everyone for your input, much appreciated!

 

2 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Im still at odds, as I’ve literally never had a single issue with Brink.

 

I'm baffled too, as is the distributor. And I chose Brink as they're well-known in this sector, been around a long time, manufacture in NL and sell globally, and they're part of Ariston.

 

But their customer service has been very poor -- they don't respond until they're nagged, go silent for weeks, they've even ignored repeated emails from the distributor, and apparently told him it was sorted when it wasn't.

 

It took them two months to get around to testing our first (returned) unit, and even then it was only because I'd emailed one of the executives at Ariston out of desperation. They said it met all required norms, yet every house guest who's been willing to try it has scored full points at a game of "guess the odour". Even their installer who came could smell the problem.

 

I've offered to help test it, told them they can send someone whenever and I can demonstrate the issue in 30 seconds. Part of the problem is that we self-installed, so from their side it's the distributor's problem, but he just runs a small ventilation business and whatever commission he made from the sale will have already been eaten up in the time he's spent dealing with this! If he was based nearby he'd probably have come round to smell it for himself, but that hasn't happened as he's almost an hour's drive away. Now I'm thinking about it, I'd have been happy to pay for a visit to test it.

 

 Even after all this, if there was a solution offered then I'd rather keep the Flair (or switch to an Ease) than go through the hassle of swapping it out, but Brink seem to have little to no interest in engaging, so sadly I'm out of options. 🤷‍♂️

[Jolo]

3 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Think in general it's a lot of smoke and mirrors and up selling stuff that really doesn't matter. Generally when set up to building regs flow rates you are over ventilating anyway. So a small drop in flow makes no difference.

 

Do you need enthalpy heat exchangers in UK climate, not really.

 

One big reason for choosing enthalpy was the lack of a convenient condensate drain point, but I feel up to tackling that now I discovered the drain pipe saddle clamp things...

[Jolo]

I think I will go for the DucoBox Energy Comfort 325 as it's available now, and is light and compact -- and as its capacity is so much bigger than our maximum, surely running it so slowly will get amazing heat recovery?

Also what I wrote last night about the Duco wall-mounted controllers is incorrect, the three ventilation positions can be adjusted (I found it in a separate manual, which goes through all the options in detail). So that's good.

Out of interest, I wonder what people's thoughts are on the Itho Daalderop HRU 200 ECO. It's an absolute bargan basement option, available for well under a grand in either Euros or Pounds. I'm amazed at the price! The volume setting is done via two potentiometers, one for low and one for high, the middle speed is just the average of the low and high. https://www.ventilationland.co.uk/en_GB/p/itho-daalderop-hru-200-eco-unit-e-rft-high-rise-200m3-h/9947/

 

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, Jolo said:

I think I will go for the DucoBox Energy Comfort 325 as it's available now, and is light and compact -- and as its capacity is so much bigger than our maximum, surely running it so slowly will get amazing heat recovery?

Also what I wrote last night about the Duco wall-mounted controllers is incorrect, the three ventilation positions can be adjusted (I found it in a separate manual, which goes through all the options in detail). So that's good.

Out of interest, I wonder what people's thoughts are on the Itho Daalderop HRU 200 ECO. It's an absolute bargan basement option, available for well under a grand in either Euros or Pounds. I'm amazed at the price! The volume setting is done via two potentiometers, one for low and one for high, the middle speed is just the average of the low and high. https://www.ventilationland.co.uk/en_GB/p/itho-daalderop-hru-200-eco-unit-e-rft-high-rise-200m3-h/9947/

 

Have you confirmed it has in inbuilt pre-heater? You'll need it I'm sure.

[Jolo]

50 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Have you confirmed it has in inbuilt pre-heater? You'll need it I'm sure.

 

Oh that's interesting, I've heard differing opinions on the need for a pre-heater. It was one reason I went for the Flair instead of the Ease.

 

We did have several days below zero this winter, but I thought the pre-heater was only really needed below -7 or something? 

 

There's a separate external pre-heater available for the Comfort, and there's version called the Premium which has one as an option.

[JohnMo]

We have had several weeks at -9 over the last few years, no ore heat no ill effects. Our just winds back the incoming fan for a few minutes then back to speed repeat, to ward off frost issues. Cannot feel or heat anything.

[Bonner]

7 hours ago, Jolo said:

Out of interest, I wonder what people's thoughts are on the Itho Daalderop HRU 200 ECO. It's an absolute bargan basement option, available for well under a grand in either Euros or Pounds. I'm amazed at the price! The volume setting is done via two potentiometers, one for low and one for high, the middle speed is just the average of the low and high. https://www.ventilationland.co.uk/en_GB/p/itho-daalderop-hru-200-eco-unit-e-rft-high-rise-200m3-h/9947/

I have the 350 m3 version, works very well for me. Super simple unit, been running for four years without issues.