Vaillant recoVAIR VAR 60/2 D - local heat recovery unit (wired version)

Product detailed description

recoVAIR VAR 60/2 D is a standalone local (decentralized) ventilation unit with heat recovery and wired communication, designed for additionally expanding an existing recoVAIR VAR 60/2 system to another room, or as a spare part when replacing a damaged unit. This variant does not include the installation kit, the outdoor cover, or the controls – it is intended primarily for customers who already own the accessories (e.g. from a previous set) and only need to purchase the ventilation unit itself.

How local heat recovery ventilation with recoVAIR VAR 60/2 works

recoVAIR VAR 60/2 is a decentralized (local) ventilation unit with heat recovery that solves ventilation directly where it is needed – in a specific room, bedroom, living room, office or other space – without the need to build a central ductwork system throughout the whole house. The unit is installed into a single circular opening with a diameter of 162 mm drilled in the perimeter wall and connected to a 230 V power supply. No other construction work, no ducts routed across ceilings or partitions, no ventilation machine room.

The heart of the unit is a regenerative ceramic heat storage exchanger. The fan inside the unit works in regular 70-second cycles, alternating the direction of airflow: in the first phase of the cycle, the unit extracts moist, stale air from the room to the outside, and the heat from this outgoing air is temporarily stored in the ceramic structure of the exchanger. In the second phase, the fan direction reverses and the unit draws fresh outdoor air inside – as it passes through the still-warm ceramic exchanger, it picks up the stored heat, so the air entering the room is already pre-heated. Thanks to this principle, recoVAIR VAR 60/2 achieves a heat recovery rate of up to 92% (DIBt method), which significantly reduces heat losses caused by ventilation compared to classic window ventilation.

To prevent pressure imbalance in the room or between neighbouring rooms, the units are typically installed in pairs operating in opposite phase – while one unit draws in fresh air, the other is extracting stale air, and vice versa. This synchronization is controlled either by a wired connection (variant D) or wirelessly at a frequency of 868.0 – 868.6 MHz (variant DW). Up to 16 units can be linked in one system (1 master "leader" and up to 15 "follower" units), so the solution can be gradually expanded to a larger apartment or house.

The integrated humidity sensor can automatically activate the unit when humidity in the room exceeds a set threshold – typically after showering, cooking or drying laundry – actively preventing condensation on cold surfaces and mould growth in room corners and behind furniture, which is an increasingly common problem in well-sealed modern homes as well as insulated older buildings.

Installation and assembly

Installing the recoVAIR VAR 60/2 unit consists of core drilling a 162 mm diameter hole through the perimeter wall, into which the mounting tube is fitted (an insulated plastic tube available in a 500 mm length, which can be shortened, or for thicker walls up to 1,000 mm, two tubes can be combined). On the exterior side, the opening is covered with a white outdoor cover with a noise silencer, type VAZ WD160, which also protects against rain and insects and reduces the transfer of outdoor noise into the interior. The unit itself is inserted into the prepared mounting tube from the inside and connected to the 230 V/50 Hz power supply.

Units of the D variant communicate with each other and with any control panel via cable, which is the most reliable solution wherever it is possible to route a low-voltage cable between individual installation points during renovation or new construction (e.g. in the partition wall between two rooms or in the ceiling void). The wired design is resistant to interference from other wireless devices in the household and does not require batteries in the communication module.

The unit's operating temperature ranges from −30 °C to +50 °C, so recoVAIR VAR 60/2 works reliably even during frosty winters in Slovakia as well as during summer heat waves. The IPX4 protection rating ensures resistance to water splashing from the facade side. Installation can be completed by an experienced heating engineer, electrician or ventilation technician within one day per room, without the need for a building permit (this is considered routine maintenance/modernisation of the building envelope; however, we recommend checking local regulations for listed/protected facades).

When to choose a standalone unit

The standalone recoVAIR VAR 60/2 D unit is particularly suitable in three situations. First, if you already have a recoVAIR VAR 60/2 D system installed in some rooms and want to expand it to another room – the system supports linking up to 16 units, so purchasing an additional unit (together with its own mounting tube and outdoor cover, which need to be purchased separately if you do not already have them) is a simple way to cover a third, fourth or additional room. Secondly, it serves as a spare part during a service intervention if an older unit was damaged, for example by a storm, a lightning strike affecting the electrical network, or mechanically. Thirdly, experienced installers and ventilation companies purchase units individually for projects where the necessary accessories (mounting tubes, covers, control panels) are procured separately or in bulk for multiple buildings at once.

If you are planning a completely new installation without existing accessories, it is generally more economical to purchase a complete set directly (2× unit + installation kits + cover + remote control), as it is offered at a better price compared to the sum of the individual components.

Comparison with other ventilation methods

The recoVAIR VAR 60/2 local heat recovery unit thus occupies a middle position between simple but energy-inefficient ventilation methods (window, grilles, extractor fan) and costly, construction-intensive central ventilation systems – it offers most of the benefits of heat recovery (high efficiency, automatic regulation, humidity and CO2 control) with minimal construction work limited to one small opening in the wall per room.

Energy savings and return on investment

Ventilation through an open window is the least efficient method of air exchange in terms of heat loss – with short but intensive airing (so-called burst ventilation), practically all the heat contained in the exchanged volume of air escapes outside, which the heating system must then "repurchase" by heating the cold air supplied from outside. With the recoVAIR VAR 60/2 type of ventilation, with a heat recovery rate of up to 92% (DIBt method), most of this energy is captured in the ceramic exchanger and returned to the supplied air – the heat that would otherwise escape through the window thus remains inside.

The specific financial savings depend on several factors – the type and age of the building, the level of insulation, the price of heating energy, the number of ventilated rooms, and previous ventilation habits (how many times a day and for how long the room was aired via the window). In general, in more modern, well-insulated houses, where ventilation represents a relatively larger share of heat losses (since losses through the building envelope have already been minimised by insulation), the benefit of controlled ventilation with heat recovery is most significant – not only financially, but also in terms of maintaining a stable, comfortable room temperature without draughts and without the temperature fluctuations typical of burst window ventilation.

The unit's low power consumption (1.7 – 10 W, specifically 0.44 W/(m³/h)) means that the fan's operation alone represents only a negligible item in the household's electricity consumption – roughly comparable to a small night light running continuously, significantly lower than with central ventilation units with long ductwork and larger fans.

Maintenance and filters

The recoVAIR VAR 60/2 unit uses a pair of filters – one of class ISO Coarse 45% on the supply (outdoor) air side and one of class ISO Coarse 30% on the exhaust (indoor) air side. Depending on operating conditions (urban environment, pollen season, proximity to a busy road), the filters should be checked and replaced approximately 2 to 4 times a year; the display on the control panel or remote control will indicate when replacement is needed. Filter replacement is a maintenance-free operation that does not require a service call – the filter cartridge is simply slid out and replaced with a new one.

The ceramic heat storage exchanger is a maintenance-free component with no moving parts, which does not require cleaning or replacement during normal operation for the entire lifespan of the unit. We recommend having the fan inspected once every few years during a regular service inspection of the heating/ventilation system, although it is a component designed for long-term maintenance-free operation.

Why choose this particular model

By purchasing the standalone recoVAIR VAR 60/2 D unit, you get exactly the same proven ventilation performance, quiet operation and heat recovery of up to 92% as with the complete set, with the option of using existing accessories or adding an expansion to another room. The wired D version is recommended when a communication cable can be routed between the new unit and the existing system.

Frequently asked questions

Vaillant – a trusted brand for heating and ventilation

Vaillant is a German manufacturer of heating, cooling and ventilation technology with a history of more than 150 years, which is among the most trusted brands on the Slovak market in the segment of condensing boilers, heat pumps and controlled ventilation systems. The recoVAIR range covers heat recovery ventilation from local (decentralized) units for individual rooms, such as the recoVAIR VAR 60/2, up to central ventilation units for entire houses. By purchasing a Vaillant product, you get a device with guaranteed manufacturing quality, available service and spare parts in Slovakia, and a two-year warranty.