Take a deep breath: TOP 5 ventilators for an apartment or house

The issue of ventilating a room without overcooling it can be solved using the Blauberg VENTO Expert A50-1 Pro installation. It can operate in ventilation mode (air from the street is simply “sucked” into the room) or as a supply and exhaust system (after 70 seconds of “suction” there are 70 seconds of “throwing” air out). In the latter case, a recuperator comes into play - a ceramic honeycomb heat exchanger. It is practically eternal and very efficient (when operating at minimum speed, heat recovery efficiency reaches 95%). You can switch the operating modes of the unit using touch buttons located on the end of the indoor unit, or using the remote control. With their help, performance is controlled by choosing one of three fan speeds. If you select automatic mode, the ventilator will check the built-in humidity sensor from time to time and work more intensively when the level of moisture in the air rises above a certain limit.

There are several important things that those who choose a ventilator and are looking at the Blauberg VENTO Expert A50-1 Pro should know about. Firstly, it has low productivity (50 m³/h with ventilation and 25 m³/h with recovery mode). Therefore, the limit of the capabilities of this device is to serve one room of 15 - 18 square meters. But it is very compact (the internal unit has a panel measuring 235x285x68 mm), and even in a cramped Khrushchev-era building there will be no problems placing the ventilator between the window and the wall. Another advantage is the modern EC engine. It is reliable, durable and consumes very little (power consumption is only 5 W). And in terms of comfort for others, this installation is generally one of the best among those available for sale. Blauberg VENTO Expert A50-1 Pro is not just a quiet, but an almost silent device. But the quality of air purification leaves much to be desired. The existing mesh filter corresponds to the lowest class G3 and only retains leaves, insects and poplar fluff. Inside the “pipe” there is space for a fine filter, but it needs to be purchased separately, and filter elements for Blauberg ventilators are not very common.

Xiaomi produces almost everything under the sun. One of its areas of activity is climate control equipment, which is produced under the SmartMi sub-brand. The “frontman” of this line is the Xiaomi Smartmi Fresh Air System. It combines the functions of a ventilator and an air purifier. Its productivity reaches 220 m³/h. This installation is recommended for ventilating housing with a total area of up to 50 square meters.

Inside the device there is a three-stage air purification system. It traps not only dust, but also smaller particles. A combined filter element of class F7 and a filter of class H13 are responsible for this (HEPA 13 is the most effectiveair filter among those that can be found in household appliances). The supply unit is “hung” with almost all possible sensors. It can measure temperature, humidity, indoor air dust and carbon dioxide concentration. When operating in automatic mode, the device independently changes its performance in order to keep all air quality indicators within normal limits. All information from the sensors can be viewed on the display built into the front panel, as well as on your smartphone or tablet using a special application. Proprietary software allows you to control the operation of the ventilator via the Internet and integrate the air handling unit into a “smart home”.

Due to the high quality of air purification, Xiaomi Smartmi Fresh Air System is perfect for those who live near busy highways or in polluted industrial cities. Those who do not open windows at night due to street noise should also consider purchasing this device. The device is extremely easy to maintain, inexpensive to operate (replacement filters for it are commercially available) and is not inferior in reliability to ventilators of other brands. The only thing “wrong” with it is the plug. The device has a Chinese standard plug, and to plug it into our socket, you will need an adapter.

The Mitsubishi Electric VL-50S2-E air handling unit with heat recovery function is designed for ventilation of rooms with an area of up to 15 - 20 m2, such as a kitchen, attic, nursery or bedroom. It only has two operating speeds. At the first, the productivity is 15 m³/h. This intensity of air exchange is enough for a person to sleep healthy. During the daytime, when at least minimal activity in the room is expected, an increased speed should be turned on, ensuring an installation productivity of 51 m³/h. Turning on, off and switching speeds is done only with the help of a cord hanging from the unit body ( the Mitsubishi Electric VL-50ES2-E ventilator does not have this drawback, which differs only in the ability to connect an external switch). The design of the device allows for various wall mounting options (vertically or horizontally).

The device body has a parallelepiped shape and a very discreet design, like modern air conditioners. Inside it there is a centrifugal fan (the only moving part in the entire ventilator) and a heat exchanger. Its functions are heat recovery. The recuperator is made of cellulose with special impregnation. This material absorbs moisture from the air, which is “thrown” out, and then returns it to the air flow coming from outside. This improves the microclimate in the room and in most cases helps to do without a separate humidifier. There are no filters inside this recuperator, but there is a place for them. Filters (fine or HEPA, depending on your needs) are purchased separately.

Why is a recuperator so simple in design and configuration not the cheapest? Firstly, because it is made in Japan (most other consumer grade units are made in China). Secondly, the cost is affected by the fact that Mitsubishi Electric installs only the highest quality components in its climate control equipment. For example, the fan of this installation has very low power consumption (power consumption is only 19 W at high speed), is highly reliable and operates quietly even at maximum ventilation intensity.

Many air handling units operate cyclically: first they drive outside air inside the room, and then in the opposite direction. Prana recuperators have a slightly different operating principle. They have air flow and exhaust occurring simultaneously. In this case, the flows do not mix. Each of them passes through its own section of a copper heat exchanger. The air from the room on its way out gives off its heat to the recuperator, and the flow entering inside is heated by this energy. The efficiency of the heat exchanger installed in Prana 150 Eco Energy reaches 95%. If it is cold outside, then the air entering the room can be additionally heated using a built-in electric heater, increasing its temperature by another 3 - 4 degrees. The air flows are practically not cleaned in any way (at the entrance there is only a mesh that traps large debris, fluff and insects). But the manufacturer provides the opportunity to buy a carbon filter as an additional accessory.

Depending on the speed of the fan (it has 10 speeds for maximum precision), the installation consumes from 4 to 68 W per hour (the included mini-heater adds another 30 – 55 Wh). The device is equipped with built-in temperature and humidity sensors (the slightly more “advanced” version of Prana 150 Eco Life additionally has CO2 and VOC sensors). On “autopilot”, the recuperator can, based on the indicators of the devices, monitor the air quality in the room and select the optimal fan rotation speed. You can also control the device using the remote control or through the Prana Online mobile application.

The manufacturer recommends installing the Prana 150 Eco Energy recuperator in rooms up to 60 m2. This installation has very compact dimensions. In fact, it is a “pipe” with a diameter of 162 mm. The decorative display panel protruding into the room is only 50 mm thick. Therefore, the supply and exhaust unit is quietly built into any corner where you can drill a hole outward, and is not noticeable. But it should be noted that this recuperator is far from cheap (the price is under $600 - not so little in our area) due to its “smart” electronics, copper heat exchanger and other “tricks”.

By the standards of household ventilators, Ballu ONEAIR ASP-200P has a fairly high performance - up to 200 m³/h. This is completely enough to service premises with a total area of up to 70–75 square meters, where 3–4 people live or work. But, of course, it is not necessary to use this device “to its fullest.” It has as many as 9 speeds, which allow you to flexibly adjust work performance, depending on your current needs. Moreover, this can be done not only manually. The installation has its own “intelligence”. Assessing the degree of air pollution using the built-in PM2.5 sensor, it can independently change the operating mode, switching from ventilation to recirculation or vice versa. The equipment can also be controlled remotely via the Internet. And if you are planning to make a full-fledged “smart home”, then it will not hurt to install a CO2 sensor and a 1200 W heating element (they are sold separately as additional equipment) - and then it will be possible to fully automate the control of indoor air quality.

Ballu ONEAIR ASP-200P is not only a ventilator, but also a full-fledged air purifier. Inside its body there are filters and devices that clean, improve and disinfect the air flows passing through the device. The system consists of four filter elements (coarse, fine, carbon and “medical” filter class H11). This cascade cleans the air of dust, soot, allergens, spores and bacteria. An ionizer and an ultraviolet lamp installed immediately behind the filters destroy everything that has leaked through this “sieve.” And so that the resulting air, purified from the dirt and odors of the big city, does not seem too fresh and sterile to you out of habit, the manufacturer has provided a special compartment for aromatic oils (we recommend lavender for a sound sleep).

The Ballu ONEAIR ASP-200P air handling unit is not a cheap “pleasure”; there are many more “budget” options on sale. But not every competitor can retain up to 99.9% of contaminants, eliminate odors and effectively ventilate large rooms. For an office, apartment or small private house, such a ventilator is exactly what you need.