Original or aftermarket filter? Original Vallox filters guarantee optimum and designed filtration performance and heat recovery.
It is important to regularly clean and change the filters of a ventilation unit, not only in terms of good indoor air, but also in terms of the operation of the ventilation system. Efficient filtering also reduces the need for cleaning the ductwork. The person replacing filters often unknowingly sees filters that seem to be of the right size and shape for the ventilation unit in question. These filters are perhaps even advertised as suitable for the unit in question. However, the material, thickness and structure of these aftermarket filters are different from the original Vallox filters. This can have a detrimental impact on the operation of the ventilation system in terms of indoor air and the building.
If a new supply air filter causes more pressure loss than the original filter with which the air flows of the unit have been adjusted, the supply air flow decreases whereas the leakage flow of outdoor air through the structures increases. Moreover, heat recovery deteriorates and the leakage air brings with it pollen.
Even more damage is caused if the new supply air filter has too low a pressure loss or if it has spillover. The building can then develop overpressure, causing the humidity in indoor air to invade the outer wall structures. When overpressure persists for a long time, the structures may become mouldy and be damaged. This kind of situation arises when the dimensions of an aftermarket filter are not exactly the same as those of the original one. In addition, the structure of the filter may be such as dust may enter by or through the filter material. It is therefore not unimportant what kind of filters you replace for you unit.
The filters should be kept clean and replaced often enough. A good rule of thumb is to replace the filters in spring and in autumn – and in any case at least once a year. You can clean coarse filters even more often. If there is allergy or respiratory organ diseases in the family, it may be necessary to replace the filters even more often, depending on the place of residence. Furthermore, a new residential area and nearby construction sites may considerably shorten the life of the filters. For more information, see the pages of the Organisation for Respiratory Health in Finland (in Finnish).
The handy maintenance reminder in Vallox ventilation units ensures that maintenance, an important factor in terms of healthy indoor air, is not forgotten.
Aftermarket filters may look surprisingly similar to the original Vallox filters, but it pays for you to demand to get the original Vallox filters. They ensure an optimal and planned filtering capacity and heat recovery capacity. The ventilation unit comes with the information on the Vallox filter kit that belongs to the unit. The information is also found at our website.