Adequate advance planning ensures uncomplicated replacement of ventilation unit

The old wisdom is still valid: Well planned is half done. When carefully planned and prepared, the replacement of a ventilation unit takes just a few hours.

The replacement of a ventilation unit requires professional expertise in different fields. A person with multiple competencies can certainly manage all of the work alone. Simply installing a power socket requires a qualified electrician, and the new socket may need a residual current device (RCD). The external electrical connections of a ventilation unit are mainly low-voltage, but you still have to know what you are doing. Air flow adjustment also requires specific equipment and skills. The condensing water connection must be reconnected, and the duct insulation needs to be checked and, if necessary, repaired. Fixtures around the unit may have to be modified or moved. In addition, you must also find out whether the work requires acquiring permits or submitting notifications. A building permit is not needed for replacing the unit, but if any major changes are made at the same time in the bathroom, for instance, the situation can be different.

A clearly defined contract is important

Before making an offer or providing a cost estimate, it is usually recommendable to perform a preliminary inspection. The installer may pay attention to such essential questions that the occupant does not consider to be important for the project. Solutions used decades ago may no longer be appropriate in the light of current knowledge.

If the replacement of the unit is arranged as a contract, it is important to record in the contract document everything that is included in the work. To avoid surprises and disappointments, it is equally important to record what is not included in the contract. It is best to agree on everything at as detailed a level as possible, including instructions in the use of the unit and final cleaning. In addition, if there is more than one contractor involved, their schedules must be matched.

The initial circumstances and, therefore, the operating model may vary greatly depending on the site. Occupants of single-family homes may want to do a lot of the work themselves, while housing companies favour turnkey solutions. In housing companies, the company always owns the ventilation unit.

Part of the work can be done before the actual replacement

If the ventilation ducts have not been cleaned for a while, it should be done in connection with the replacement of the unit or even before it. This also usually reveals whether the duct system needs repairing. If the noise of the old unit is disturbing in a bedroom or living room, for instance, additional sound-dampening must be added to the ducts, or the silencers must be replaced with better ones. The sound-dampening values of the oldest silencers cannot necessarily be trusted. There are differences between new silencers as well, so you should compare their sound-dampening values. As a rule of thumb, rectangular silencers are better than round ones. The difference can sometimes be as much as over 10 dB.

Remember that all MyVallox ventilation units have integrated humidity and carbon dioxide sensors. This means that the ventilation unit adjusts the fan speed independently, and these changes can be disturbing if the fan is heard in the rooms, even though the speed changes slowly.

To make the replacement easier, it may be a good idea to remove fixtures from below or around the ventilation unit. Appropriate lifting equipment makes the removal of the old unit and installation of the new one easier and more convenient, but the equipment needs space. If ducts coming from an intermediate floor are not supported firmly enough, it is easier to fit them to the unit supported by lifting equipment instead of having to support it with hands.

Electrical installations may also require changes. New Vallox ventilation units are always equipped with a power socket. The cable going to the old control centre is usually not suitable for the new MyVallox control panel, and it must be replaced with a NOMAK cable installed between the control panel and ventilation unit. If the old ventilation unit is controlled by the cooker hood, the hood must be replaced with a new one. However, a separate cooker hood is often installed in connection with the replacement of the ventilation unit.

Duct connectors are small but potentially important components. Today, all new ventilation units have duct size duct outlets, that is, a curved duct can be connected to them but not a straight one. If the old unit had fitting size outlets with rubber seal rings, the duct was connected directly to them. Now, the new unit needs duct connectors for connecting the ducts to the unit. It would be annoying if the installation of the new unit was interrupted because of missing parts that cost just a few euros.

Connect your ventilation unit to MyVallox Cloud service

MyVallox ventilation units can be connected to the free MyVallox Cloud service. This enables operating and monitoring the ventilation unit with a mobile device, and software updates are installed automatically. Should any problems arise, you can provide the service centre with temporary access rights to the unit. In housing companies, the servicing company or house manager can manage ventilation units remotely.

To connect a MyVallox ventilation unit to the cloud service, you need a LAN cable between the ventilation unit and the router. If the cable is difficult to install, the connection may be established with a WiFi repeater. In this solution, the LAN cable of the ventilation unit is connected to the WiFi repeater, which has a wireless connection to the WiFi network of the house. The WiFi repeater needs a free socket near the ventilation unit.

Careful planning and preparation of the replacement of the ventilation unit ensures that the installer can work efficiently without interruptions.

Watch how the new Vallox 125 MV was installed in the place of an old unit: