Recuperator for a private house: principles of operation, installation basics and DIY manufacturing

Tags:Living room and bedroom, Children's room, Kitchen, With your own hands

The European neighbors have had the concept of “recuperator” for a long time. The zealous Germans and solid Englishmen have long and successfully used this simple device for economical consumption of thermal energy in their homes. Why do you need a recuperator for a private house? What is the principle of its operation? How much does the finished device cost? Is it possible to make and install such a device with your own hands? The answer to these and other questions about the recuperator is in this material.

Recuperator - a small device in the ventilation duct

The content of the article [Hide]

1 Air recuperator for home: purpose and principle of operation
2 Recuperator: what is it?
3 Recuperator for a private house: types and selection criteria
4 Making an air recuperator for home with your own hands
5 Video: example of recuperator assembly
6 The best household recuperators
7 Recommendations for choosing an air exchanger
8 Outcome

Air recuperator for home: purpose and principle of operation

Air recovery can solve two problems at once:

provide fresh air access to the house;
significantly reduce heating costs.

The need for such devices is growing along with the popularity of new construction technologies.

Frame houses, the use of plastic windows and doors, and modern finishing methods make the premises more and more airtight. On the one hand, this is not bad, there are no drafts and no heat loss in the house. On the other hand, mold can develop in a sealed room, and the lack of fresh air inflow provokes the multiplication of pathogenic microbes and bacteria.

In which rooms an air exchanger is especially needed:

in living rooms with metal-plastic window frames;
in the garage, where the concentration of exhaust gases and toxic fumes is increased;
in the bath, sauna, swimming pool, greenhouse and other rooms with high humidity.

Good ventilation is needed in the kitchen - a place with a high concentration of food vapors and aromas

Recuperator: what is it?

The term "recuperation" refers to reverse movement. In the device of the same name, air exchange takes place between the room and the street. The heated air masses, passing through the device, partially warm up the incoming flow.This is not a simple airing of a room with a window, when all the heat is irretrievably lost. Recovery - the way ventilation with economical heat consumption.

Recuperator circuit

A heat exchanger is built into the device, which stores the room heat and gives it to the incoming air.Ventilation with heat recovery is primarily beneficial for owners of private cottages with an individual heating system. They incur costs for each kilowatt of thermal energy, so they can really feel the savings from using this device.

A recuperator for an apartment may not be so relevant in terms of savings. But there is another benefit from using this device: it effectively cleans the air coming from the street from harmful urban impurities and allergens.

Filters in the recuperator effectively trap pollen and dust particles

Helpful information! Recuperation renews the atmosphere in the house every couple of hours, providing filtered air, heated in winter and cool in summer.

The air exchange device consists of two chambers. Moving through these chambers, the air currents do not mix.

The heat exchanger accumulates heat from one stream and transfers it to another

Such a device can save up to seventy percent of the heat, returning it to the room.

Note! Recuperators are an integral part of the ventilation system and their efficiency is directly related to the operation of the entire network.

The installation of a ventilation system with a recuperator will cost more than a conventional design, but these costs pay off quickly enough. Taking into account the savings on air conditioning and heating of the home of thirty percent, the installation of a recuperator pays off in an average of three to four years. And this is without taking into account the undoubted health benefits of the entire family, because the cost of drugs for allergies and acute respiratory infections will be reduced by an order of magnitude.

Recuperation will provide the house with fresh air

Recuperator for a private house: types and selection criteria

Recuperation systems are divided into several types:

plate devices;
rotary systems;
roof devices.

Each type of air exchanger is designed for specific conditions and has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Plate devices

These are the most common heat exchangers with a simple design and exceptional reliability. A plate recuperator for a private house has an efficiency of up to 78 percent for plastic and metal models and up to 92 for devices with cellulose heat exchangers. The difference is due to the fact that cellulose exchangers return not only heat, but also moisture in the air stream, and moisture, as you know, has a higher heat capacity.

Plate device

Note! All air exchangers, except cellulose ones, need drainage to remove excess water.

Advantages of plate devices:

high efficiency;
operational reliability;
autonomous work without additional power consumption.

Disadvantages:

plate exchangers are installed only in extraction systems and inflow;
such a heat exchanger freezes up in extreme cold and requires a suspension of work during defrosting (except for cellulose models);
recuperators of this type do not return the humidity of air streams (except for cellulose ones).

Rotary devices

Rotary air exchangers are the second most popular type of devices. The device is made of aluminum and is driven by an electric motor.

Rotary device

The drive belt rotates the flat and zigzag rotor elements. Each part of the device, when moving through the exhaust zone, heats up and transfers heat to the incoming stream.

Advantages of the rotor system:

high efficiency;
preservation of humidity of air streams;
compact size, allowing the device to be used in small ventilation systems;
the rotor does not freeze even in severe frosts.

Minuses:

dependence on electricity.

Roof air exchangers

Heat recovery in ventilation systems using plate or rotary devices can be carried out using a special roof unit. Typically, these highly efficient systems are installed in large rooms with no internal separation. These are mainly hangars, large garages or retail outlets.

The system draws air from the ceiling and returns it to an area that is comfortable for humans

The obvious advantage of this type of air exchange is its efficiency, but such devices are not suitable for a private house or apartment.

Making an air recuperator for home with your own hands

A simple plate recuperator can be made with your own hands.

For work you need to prepare:

four square meters of sheet material: iron, copper, aluminum or textolite;
plastic flanges;
tin box or plywood, MDF;
sealant and mineral wool;
corners and hardware;
glue-based cork sheets.

Heat exchanger device

Sequencing:

From sheet material, you need to make square plates measuring 200 by 300 millimeters. In total, seven dozen blanks are required. The main thing in this stage is accuracy and exact observance of the parameters.
The cork is glued on one side of the blanks. One piece is left uncoated.
The workpieces are collected in a cassette, turning each subsequent one by ninety degrees. The plates are held together with glue. The uncoated plate is the last one.
The cassette must be fastened with a frame, a corner is used for this.
All joints are carefully treated with silicone.
Flanges are attached to the sides of the cassette, a drainage hole is drilled at the bottom and a tube is inserted to drain moisture.
So that the device can be periodically removed, guides for the corners are made on the walls of the case.
The resulting device is inserted into the body, the walls of which are insulated with mineral wool.
It remains only to insert the air exchanger into the ventilation system.

Advice! To control the formation of ice on the path of warm air, it is better to install a pressure sensor. It will give a signal if the movement of the air mass is obstructed.

Video: example of recuperator assembly

The best household recuperators

Considering that plate recuperators require the organization of a full-fledged ventilation duct, and not every private house has such an opportunity, it is recommended to install small rotary models for domestic needs.

Table 1. Budget models of household recuperators

Model	Case diameter, mm	Efficiency,%	Power consumption, W	Air volume, cbm	Average cost, rub
Prana-150	150	91	7-32	25-115	21000
Prana-200G	200	88	7-32	25-135	22600
TeFO 1	110	75	3,6-36	35	13000
TeFO 3	125	75	52	91-100	23000
Clean air 16-K	125	78	2-16	70	15900
Clean air 16-M	150	80	2-24	120	17900
Mitsubishi Electric VL-100 U-E	168	77	26	105	18110
Vents TwinfreshRA-50	280	90	46	50	18540

Small household rotary air exchanger

Recommendations for choosing an air exchanger

When choosing a recuperator model, you should pay attention to the following aspects:

Device efficiency;
The ability to clean the device from contamination;
Energy efficiency of the device.
Maintainability, service life and device warranty.

Outcome

A recuperator for a private house is a device necessary to maintain an optimal microclimate and economical energy consumption. This device will reduce heat loss in winter and help maintain a comfortable indoor temperature in summer.

Factory models of household recuperators should be selected taking into account their ease of use and energy efficiency

It will not be difficult for a home craftsman to make the simplest plate exchanger with his own hands.

RATE THIS ARTICLE

Loading...

See also:
How to humidify the air in a room without a humidifier: original methods and secrets Decoupage for beginners: step by step with photos and rules for creating original products How to make air heating of a private house with your own hands Split system: what is it, how to choose and operate equipment without errors Do-it-yourself royal interior: Venetian plaster, photo and video application We warm ourselves for the winter: a seal for plastic windows