A modern ventilation system is an essential element of every building . It has a positive impact on the health and well-being of residents, and also supports the energy efficiency of the facility through heat recovery. If you want to ensure the safety and comfort of your loved ones, choose an efficient air handling unit model. Get to know the criteria you should follow when choosing this device!
From the article you will learn:
- what are the main elements of an air handling unit,
- what efficiency should the air handling unit have,
- what to pay attention to when choosing a device,
- what are the features of modern central ventilation units from Zehnder.
What does an air handling unit consist of?
The control unit is the heart of every ventilation system. The effectiveness of air exchange and the reduction of mold and mites depends on it, which determines a healthy microclimate in individual rooms of your house. What exactly are the components of this device?
- Fans - their task is to supply fresh air and remove stale air.
- Filters - clean the air flowing through the unit, among others. from dust, fungi and mites.
- Heat exchanger - a very important element responsible for transferring the heat recovered from the removed air to the fresh air.
- Heater - responsible for additional heating of the supplied air.
- Control system - allows for convenient, automatic operation of the air handling unit.
How efficient should an air handling unit be?
Ventilation efficiency is a parameter that determines the amount of air that the unit is able to exchange per hour. This value should be equal to the volume of all ventilated rooms or slightly greater. Thanks to this, all the air will be replaced every hour, which, according to experts, will guarantee you a healthy, friendly microclimate.
When selecting the air handling unit in terms of efficiency, remember to ensure that it is specified for an external static pressure of at least 100 Pa, and preferably 150 Pa. If you are dealing with a value reached without any resistance (0 Pa), this is not a reliable criterion in any way.
If you want to calculate the efficiency of the air handling unit yourself to choose the perfect device for your home, you can use three different methods:
- You will determine the required efficiency of the air handling unit based on the amount of air that, according to the regulations (standard PN-83/B-03430/Az3:2000), should be removed from various types of rooms - for example: bathroom - 50 m 3 /h, kitchen - 70 m 3 / h, wardrobe - 15 m 3 /h, etc. All you need to do is sum the values for all rooms in your house to calculate the necessary ventilation efficiency.
- You can also use recommendations regarding the amount of fresh air that should be provided to each person staying in a ventilated room. It is assumed that it is 30 m 3 /h for an adult and 15 m 3 / h for a child. So take into account the number of residents who usually occupy each room and multiply it by the indicated values. This way you will obtain the required efficiency of the air handling unit for your home.
- The last way to determine the needed ventilation efficiency is to calculate the building's volume and multiply it by the so-called air exchange rate. Its optimal value is approximately 0.8. All you need to do is add up the areas of all ventilated rooms, multiply them by their average height, and then by 0.8. The result is the required AHU performance.
To obtain the most accurate results, it is worth using all three methods at the same time.
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What should you consider when choosing an air handling unit?
As you already know, the efficiency of the ventilation system is one of the key parameters in the selection of the air handling unit. However, there are also a number of other criteria that should be taken into account when purchasing this device:
Heat exchanger type
The air handling unit with heat recovery is a multifunctional device. It not only exchanges and purifies the air, but also heats it using the recuperation process. The average efficiency of the heat exchanger depends on the climatic conditions in which the device operates.
In regions with temperatures not lower than -2 degrees Celsius, for example , plate heat exchangers with counter-flowing air streams work well. In places with a colder climate, where temperatures drop to -15 degrees, rotary heat exchangers are useful. Their use is dictated by the high average recovery. The difference between the two solutions also lies in the reaction to moisture. While counter-flow exchangers require water drainage, rotary models recover some of the moisture from the air and do not need additional drainage installation.
When choosing a unit with heat recovery, take into account the climatic conditions in which your ventilation will operate.
Purifying filters
Modern ventilation units not only exchange and heat the air, but also clean it of various particles. When choosing a device for your home, pay attention to the class of the filters used in it. The simplest ones will remove only the biggest dirt. The slightly better ones can retain dust particles. The highest quality filters will eliminate even harmful dust, allergens and microorganisms. So if you care about a friendly microclimate and the health of your loved ones, choose filters with the highest class and the largest surface area, because they will clean the air with the best efficiency and the lowest energy consumption.
Control system
Modern air handling units are advanced devices, characterized by intuitive operation and work automation. Thanks to the update of technological innovations and the use of intelligent devices, we can externally control the air handling unit using an application installed on our smartphone. This modernization is, above all, comfortable for us because it allows us to manage the variable operation mode of the air handling unit from anywhere in the world.
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Modern Zehnder ventilation units
If you are interested in air handling units equipped with all the functions described above, check out the Zehnder brand offer, available in our online wholesaler. We provide you with, among others, devices such as:
- Zehnder ComfoAir Q350 TR ventilation unit - a unit with a capacity of up to 350 m 3 /h at 200 Pa, technology ensuring quiet and energy-saving operation, and maximum heat recovery.
- Zehnder ComfoAir Q450 ST ventilation unit - a unit with a capacity of up to 450 m 3 /h at 200 Pa, allowing for easy and quick installation and the use of original Zehnder filters, which guarantee dust-free air and maximum hygiene.
- Zehnder ComfoAir Q600 ST ventilation unit - a unit with a capacity of up to 600 m 3 /h at 200 Pa, a new diamond-shaped heat exchanger and easy operation via a remote monitoring application.
Install one of Zehnder's air handling units in your home to enjoy clean, healthy and warm air every day!
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