Vaillant recoVAIR VAR 60/2 DW - local heat recovery unit (wireless version)

Product detailed description

recoVAIR VAR 60/2 DW is a standalone local ventilation unit with heat recovery and wireless (radio) communication at a frequency of 868.0 – 868.6 MHz. Just like the wired D variant, it is designed to expand an existing recoVAIR system to another room, or as a spare part – with the difference that it connects to neighboring units without the need for any connecting cable.

How local heat recovery 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 room – without the need to build a central ductwork system throughout the house. The unit is installed into a single circular opening with a diameter of 162 mm drilled into the perimeter wall and connected to the 230 V electrical grid. No further construction work, no ductwork routed across ceilings or partitions, no ventilation machine room.

The heart of the unit is a regenerative ceramic heat storage exchanger. The fan in the unit works in regular 70-second cycles and alternates the direction of airflow: in the first phase of the cycle, the unit extracts humid, stale air from the room to the outside, while 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 – this air picks up the stored heat as it passes through the still-warm ceramic exchanger, so already preheated air enters the room. Thanks to this principle, recoVAIR VAR 60/2 achieves a heat recovery rate of up to 92% (DIBt methodology), which significantly reduces heat losses caused by ventilation compared to classic window ventilation.

To prevent pressure imbalance in a room or between neighboring rooms, units are installed in pairs in the standard setup, working in opposite phases – while one unit draws in fresh air, the other is extracting stale air, and vice versa. This synchronization is controlled either by a cable connection (variant D) or wirelessly at a frequency of 868.0 – 868.6 MHz (variant DW). Up to 16 units can be connected in one system (1 "leader" unit 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 – thereby actively preventing condensation on cold surfaces and mold growth in room corners and behind furniture, which is an increasingly common problem in well-sealed modern homes as well as insulated older houses.

Installation and mounting

Installation of the recoVAIR VAR 60/2 unit consists of a core drill with a diameter of 162 mm through the perimeter wall, into which an installation tube is fitted (an insulated plastic tube available in a length of 500 mm, which can be shortened, or for thicker walls up to 1,000 mm two tubes can be combined in series). 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 transmission of outside noise into the interior. The unit itself is inserted into the prepared installation tube from the inside and connected to the 230 V/50 Hz electrical grid.

Units of the DW variant communicate wirelessly at a radio frequency of 868.0 – 868.6 MHz, which is an ideal solution for renovations without demolition, in heritage-protected buildings, or anywhere where running a new cable between rooms would be complicated, expensive or structurally problematic. Pairing units is done easily through the service menu; the radio connection range in a typical brick building is sufficient for typical distances between rooms in a house or apartment.

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

When to choose a standalone wireless unit

The standalone recoVAIR VAR 60/2 DW unit is an ideal choice for subsequently expanding an existing wireless recoVAIR system to another room – for example, if you originally addressed ventilation only in the bedroom and children's room and now want to also cover a home office or living room. Since communication between units is wireless, the new unit simply needs to be installed and paired via the service menu without any intervention in cable wiring. This unit is also used as a spare part in case of failure or mechanical damage to the original unit in an existing wireless installation.

For a completely new installation without existing accessories, it is generally more advantageous to choose a complete wireless set (2× DW unit + installation kits + cover + remote control), which is more cost-effective than purchasing components individually.

Comparison with other ventilation methods

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

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 has been aired by window so far). In general, in more modern, well-insulated homes, where ventilation represents a relatively larger share of heat loss (since losses through the building envelope are already minimized by insulation), the benefit of controlled ventilation with heat recovery is most significant – not only financially, but also in terms of maintaining a stable, pleasant room temperature without drafts 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 itself represents only a negligible item in a household's electricity consumption – roughly comparable to a small night light running continuously, significantly lower than central ventilation units with long ductwork and larger fans.

Maintenance and filters

The recoVAIR VAR 60/2 unit uses a pair of filters – one ISO Coarse 45% class on the supply (outdoor) air side and one ISO Coarse 30% class on the exhaust (indoor) air side. Depending on operating conditions (urban environment, pollen season, proximity to a busy road), 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 simply slides out and is 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 throughout the unit's lifetime. We recommend having the fan checked 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 model

This unit allows for seamless expansion of the wireless recoVAIR system to another room without demolition and without the need to run a new cable, while maintaining the same ventilation performance, quiet operation and up to 92% heat recovery efficiency as with the original setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Vaillant – a proven brand for heating and ventilation

Vaillant is a German manufacturer of heating, cooling and ventilation technology with more than 150 years of history, 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, to central ventilation units for entire houses. By purchasing a Vaillant product, you get a device with guaranteed workmanship quality, available service and spare parts in Slovakia, and a two-year warranty.