| I live in a relatively new apartment building that has heat recovery system installed in all apartments by default. My apartment is 73sqm, the ventilation unit is rated at 300m3/h. The building is located in a busy part of town with lots of traffic around. The city has a humid continental climate (Dfb) so it does get pretty cold during winter. It does help a lot and I couldn't imagine living without it. - Filters out particle pollution - https://twitter.com/eugenijusr/status/1105740301493260289 - Removes CO2 - averages ~650ppm in all rooms, almost never goes higher than 1000ppm (3 person household). - Retains up to 85% of heat (based on the specs) using the exchanger, but also has an active electric heater inside that can be turned on in winter for ultimate comfort. - Removes moisture from the bathroom and kitchen and dumps it into the drain via a separate drain pipe. - Isolates from the outside noise as you can keep your windows closed shut all the time. It does have some drawbacks however: - Up to +6dB noise in rooms when running at full power (I run it at 20% at night which only adds ~+1dB). - F7 class filters need to be changed every 3-6 months (~50€). - Air intake grill with a pre-filter mesh needs thorough cleaning every 6-12 months as it usually gets clogged with debris in spring and autumn. Not sure if it's due to these drawbacks or lack of knowledge lots of residents don't actually use their unit. You can tell by the open windows all year round. Most say it's too noisy for them - most probably due to lack of maintenance. Others are just plain ignorant saying opening windows is the only way to get "fresh air". |