Vallox Aito Kotilämpö – a modern air heating unit
Energy-efficient Vallox Aito Kotilämpö air heating units are manufactured in Loimaa in the same factory that once produced the original Valmet Kotilämpö – the most manufactured air heating unit of all time.
Changing units smoothly without large-scale renovation
Vallox Aito Kotilämpö can be installed as a replacement for Valmet Kotilämpö without large-scale modifications to the ducts as the circulating air duct is also located in the front of the unit, the connection of the air distribution box is the same size, and the liquid circulating heater can be connected either from the left or right side of the unit.
In addition to Valmet, Vallox Aito Kotilämpö can replace the following units, among others: Thermovent, Himablock, ILA-15, Parma 10, Aeromaster, Oilon Oiva and Energiset.
Depending on the manufacturer and model, the dimensions and order of the ducts and the size of the unit can vary, so minor modifications might still be needed.
The unit can be connected to any heating system, including low-heat geothermal heat systems.
Vallox Aito Kotilämpö is equipped with a high-performance liquid circulation heater that offers efficient heating in your home without creating a draught. The ventilation part has a cross-counter flow cell and the annual efficiency rate of the unit’s heat recovery is around 77%. The plate heat exchanger never mixes the smells or humidity of the extract air with the supply or circulating air.
Ventilation and the heater can be adjusted through the MyVallox control panel or the free cloud service. The unit is equipped with a separate four-step control panel for adjusting the speed of the circulating air fan. The unit has in-built carbon dioxide and humidity sensors that boost the ventilation as needed when the carbon dioxide and humidity levels change, meaning that the unit does not need to be actively adjusted.
Vallox’s automated defrosting keeps the efficiency high, even in cold weather. Vallox Aito Kotilämpö is also equipped with an automatic heat recovery bypass for warmer weather conditions. The separate room temperature sensor, which is delivered with the air heating unit, can replace the temperature sensor located in the opening for circulating air.
The control panel of surface-mounted ventilation units and circulating air fans is located in the top panel of the unit but both can be moved according to the user’s preferences. The unit has a plug for electrical connection.
Note when changing units:
- Due to more efficient heat recovery, the exhaust air extracted to the roof is significantly
colder than with old air heating units. For this reason, the exhaust air duct must always be insulated against condensation for the sections that run through warm spaces. - The high-performance plate heat exchanger creates a lot of condensation and the condensing water pipe must always be led into a siphon, floor drain or similar.
- It is recommended to install a separate cooker hood in connection with the air heating unit change to efficiently extract smoke directly to the roof.
- The indoor air temperature is adjusted through the readings of the temperature sensor located in the opening for circulating air or the separate room temperature sensor which is delivered with the unit. A separate sensor can be placed in a location that best represents the house’s temperature.
- As the heater operates at a high efficiency, adjust the temperature of the supply liquid based on the outdoor or indoor temperature.
- If ventilation and heating ducts have not been recently cleaned, it is best to do that in connection with the change. Don’t forget to measure and re-adjust the flow volumes of supply, extract and circulating air
Integrated measuring tubes enable adjustment to the correct supply/extract ratio. This makes determining the correct supply air flow easy despite the circulating air. Measuring air flow volumes is a job for an expert as it requires tools that are not found in any standard household maintenance supplies.
Reference: Updating to modern air heating systems during an energy systems renovation
Best known for his rally career, Henri Haapamäki, AKA Haabägi, renovated his house’s energy systems in autumn 2024 and switched from oil to geothermal heating. During the renovation, the decades-old Valmet Kotilämpö system was switched to a Vallox Aito Kotilämpö air heating unit.
‘Getting a new unit is an investment in the future in the same way as a window or roof renovation – equally as important. You can’t forget about it, even if the old unit was still kind of working. When you live in a 50-year-old house, you gotta do something,’ Haapamäki says.
Read how Haabägi’s old unit was switched to a modern air heating system.
What inspired Haapamäki to renovate his heating system and change the air heating unit? Did everything go as expected? In the video above, Vallox Area Manager Arto Satumäki interviews Henri Haapamäki and Technical Specialist Olli Löppönen from Vallox.
Reference: Old Valmet Kotilämpö switched to a new unit
In the 1970s, air heating was a relatively common heating system in detached houses. The air heating system has only one liquid radiator located inside the air heating unit. The circulating air fan sucks indoor air from the vicinity of the unit and blows the circulated air, which has been warmed up by the radiator, into the rooms through grilles below the windows.
The Valmet Kotilämpö system included a ventilation part for heat recovery that was relatively advanced at the time. Warm air that had been removed from the wetroom premises was used to heat the fresh air coming from outdoors and was distributed into the entire apartment with the circulating air. In the 1970s, houses were already made relatively airtight and buildings with an air heating system were known for their fresh air – that is, if the ventilation part was kept turned on.
Read how a 40-year-old Valmet Kotilämpö system was replaced with a new Vallox Aito Kotilämpö unit.
