Origen launches Genvex 185 combined ventilation & hot water heat pump

The Genvex Combi 185 system provides balanced whole house ventilation, incorporating a high performance counter-flow heat exchanger that is 95% efficient to recover the heat otherwise lost via the exhaust air. This negates the use of trickle vents, preventing cold draughts from being drawn into habitable rooms.

The Genvex 185 is particularly well suited to highly insulated homes and passive houses (of up to 300 square metres), with a small heating and domestic hot water demand. The Combi 185’s integrated air source heat pump prioritises the production of domestic hot water and will provide space heating when the 185 litre cylinder has been fully charged.

The hot water cylinder can be connected to a second heat source such as solar panels.

Origen said the heat pump is able to produce about 380L of hot water every 24 hours at a temperature of 55C.The heating time for a whole tank, from 15-55C is about nine hours when the outdoor temperature is at 15C.

Capacity depends on the outdoor temperature, the cold water temperature and the hot water use. The heating time will be longer with a low outdoor temperature but this can be reduced to 4.5 hours if the 1kW electrical heating element is used.

In well insulated homes, Genvex have found that there is no need for additional heating except a heated towel rail in the bathrooms and in the winter months, a wood-burning stove. The Genvex 185 takes up just 600 x 700 mm (the space previously occupied by a hot water cylinder) and has a low servicing requirement.