Controlled residential ventilation planning/design, experiences

Good morning dear forum,

I received today the planning from the prefabricated house manufacturer regarding the Controlled Residential Ventilation. See the pictures in the attachment. The planning itself was created by an external company, not the house builder.

Since quite a few things have unfortunately already gone wrong with the house builder, I have some concerns about such a sensitive topic as the design of the Controlled Residential Ventilation, and I would like to get your advice here, just to be sure that nothing is being economized on the wrong end. Because, as you can read here, even the smallest details play a big role, for example when it comes to noise levels etc.

According to the legend, the planning is for a Zehnder Controlled Residential Ventilation, which is already a starting point for concern, because our ventilation system will be a Viessmann Vitovent 300-W H32S C400 with a max. air volume flow of 400m³/h.

Also, the diameter of Ø130mm mentioned in the legend makes me think. Because if I interpret the installation manual of the Viessmann Controlled Residential Ventilation correctly, larger diameters would be necessary for our ventilation system, which is why I am also worried about the noise level.

And what do you think about the placement of the valves? We definitely want to move some things around, because for example, in the bedroom on the upper floor, the outlet is exactly at head height of our bed. I am also not sure if the exhaust valve in the upstairs hallway is that wise, might we pull cooking odors even more upwards through the air space? In the living room on the ground floor the outlet is exactly at foot height of our L-sofa, could that be uncomfortable in winter? Should the exhaust in the kitchen not be somewhat closer to the stove?
In the basement and ground floor, the valves come out of the ceiling with this house builder and on the upper floor from the walls, presumably exterior walls are taboo here.

I am absolutely not an expert, just like to read about it, so everything might be fine, but as said, quite a few things have already gone wrong due to carelessness and I am not sure if the creator of these plans was even informed about the correct Controlled Residential Ventilation, especially because the Vitovent 300-W also has 3 variants with different max. volume flow.

Can you help me a bit or even take away my fear of mistakes?

We are very grateful for your help, that’s for sure!

Best regards
Paul
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The kitchen can be a bit closer to the cooktop, but in my opinion it doesn't have to be. We don't have exhaust air in the hallway on the upper floor. However, I think the smells upstairs shouldn't be a problem. Most of it is pulled down below by the extractor hood and exhaust air. I would leave out the air outlet by the sofa, especially if you are sensitive to drafts.

I can't say much about the rest. We didn't really take care of the ventilation.

I received the planning from the prefabricated house manufacturer today regarding the controlled residential ventilation. See the pictures attached. The planning itself was created by an external company, so not by the house builder.

Since quite a few things have unfortunately already gone wrong with the house builder, I have some concerns about such a sensitive topic as the design of the controlled residential ventilation, or rather, I would like to get your advice here, just to be sure that no corners are being cut in the wrong place.

I am surprised that on the one hand "quite a few things have already gone wrong with the house builder," but nothing of this is apparent in your thread history. So you have now been given a plan, but by whom exactly: I assume by a subcontractor of the house builder (?), certainly not by the failure himself, and thus initially without suspicion regarding the planning expertise behind it. Or is the subject of your questioning here exactly whether the system has been put together from the right components and the most recommendable manufacturers have been selected?
If I am not the only one to whom this has not been clear so far, that might explain the unexpected visitor-helper ratio.

As far as your expectations indicate that you have been reading here for a while, the relevant experts should also have become apparent to you (for example, I am clearly not a heating/climate/ventilation specialist). Address these members directly with an @ in front of their username (thus in the format ) to get their attention into your thread, as they usually do not visit the forum that frequently.

Also, it would not hurt if you gave some insight into your expectations of and attitude toward controlled residential ventilation in addition to the plans. We can hardly recognize anything so far. Naming the house builder and their wall construction could also be enlightening. For example, why does he let the (purchased from somewhere?) basement retreat by a full 24 cm behind the ground floor, where is the GOK, and so on?

A supplied colorful legend alone does not compensate if almost all background concerning the question is missing!

Don't be mad at me, but the points you demanded (let's rather say addressed) in my opinion have nothing to do with the actual questions I asked. I think my questions were clearly stated and all the side issues also do not help in solving the problem.

If there were forum members here who could help me, a correspondingly fruitful dialogue would arise by itself.
My opinion and absolutely no attack, honestly not. I thank you for your answer, either way.

The house will arrive in about 6 weeks, the basement already in 3. I don't have much time left, hence my hurry... I understand that not everything can be done in two days, and yet the house builder simply took so long to send me these things, maybe even deliberately this late...

According to the legend, the planning is for a controlled residential ventilation system, here is where it already starts, because our ventilation system will be a Vitovent 300-W H32S C400 with a max. air volume flow of 400m³/h.

This is no cause for concern. Planning software is not something a planner buys five times from every manufacturer, because every time it calculates the same thing.
What matters is that the calculated total volume flow and the resulting air exchange rate match the total volume of the house. 400m³/h sounds reasonable at first glance for three floors.
Is the basement also inhabited/living space?

Also, the diameter of Ø130mm listed in the legend

doesn't sound bad at first. Noise development depends on both diameter and volume flow. I am not experienced enough to say whether nothing will be audible there, I think even someone who really knows their stuff would need to see the complete calculation and not just the installation proposal.
Sure, multiple or larger outlets are not harmful to noise development but you have to pay for that as well.

And what do you think about the placement of the valves? We definitely want to shift a bit because, for example, the outlet in the bedroom on the upper floor is exactly at head height of our bed.

Yes, no outlet should be directly above the head; that's already a noticeable draft.

Do we maybe draw kitchen smells even more upwards through the airspace because of this?

Should the exhaust in the kitchen not be a bit closer to the cooktop?

I don't think so, since there is an extractor directly in the kitchen area. However, you should give up the idea that the controlled residential ventilation system strongly pulls away odors – whether it is directly above the stove or not.
For that, you'd need an extremely good extractor hood (which, by the way, is also not designed to prevent odor distribution but to suck up fumes).

In the living room on the ground floor, the outlet is exactly at foot height of our L-shaped sofa, could that be unpleasant in winter?

If you are very draft-sensitive, yes. But it also depends on whether you plan to sit barefoot on the sofa in winter and, of course, on how sensitive to drafts you are. As I said, it is noticeable in normal settings. We actually have an outlet directly over the sofa, and it is noticeable, but not so unpleasant that you would not want to sit there. I sometimes even find it pleasant.

In the basement and ground floor, the valves come from the ceiling from this builder, and on the upper floor from the walls; presumably exterior walls are off-limits here.

Yes, that's quite normal so far, where do you see a problem here?