Remanufactured ventilation device

There are ventilation units that have now reached an age where manufacturers no longer make new parts for them. You might think that there is then no choice but to replace the whole device at the end of its life. That was in fact the actual request that was sent to Comfort Services for 24 Zehnder WHR90 units. But why replace the whole unit when the housing is still fine and you can just replace the parts instead? With this question in mind, sales director Jordy Bindels headed out to talk to the client. Agreement was reached at the end of May; the project is scheduled to be delivered in November. A technician replaces the circuit board, two motors, controls, power supply and the bypass valve in each unit - everything that is electrically connected or controlled. The parts came from a replacement project being done by sister company Rodrie and they were overhauled and repackaged by an external company. "The parts are like new," says Jordy. Comfort Services offers a five-year warranty on the parts. Combined with the cleaning of the cabinet and ducts, this creates a "basically new ventilation system".

A big benefit is that one technician with a box of parts can do the work on site. So the unit does not even need to be removed from the wall. This saves a lot of lifting - requiring two mechanics - and transport. For the client, the investment is about 30% lower than replacing the whole unit with a new one, Jordy has calculated. For Comfort Services, the pilot already feels like it could deliver more. "It is an additional option we can offer, which will strengthen our market position."

Less new items, more repair and replace. It is a trend that has not come out of thin air, explains Rogér Keijsers, business development director at Interduct. This year, for instance, the Right to Repair legislation was passed by the European Union, designed to encourage the repair and reuse of goods.

Companies will also have to deal with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), a new European directive requiring them to publish an annual sustainability report. These rules have already applied to large companies from 2024 and contribute to a circular economy with lower CO₂ emissions and less use of new raw materials. Rogér has been working to flesh this out at Interduct for some time, with the remanufacturing of ventilation systems as one important approach. "Raw materials are becoming scarcer, leading to products becoming more expensive. Also, we currently throw away products that still have value and a lot of stuff that comes back from the field that can go a second round just fine, because they have suffered little damage or are easy to repair." A circuit board has a certain capacitor that always breaks down? Replace the capacitor with a better-quality component with the same specifications (other specifications are not possible due to the CE mark on the product) and it will start working again. Rogér: "That can even mean that the remanufactured part is better than the original. Then you are also able to guarantee it for longer."

The guarantee is important to clients, as well as - "every time" - the price. However, clients also have to deal with CSRD reporting. Looking specifically at ventilation, Rogér sees two developments there. The first is reducing CO₂ by upgrading mechanical ventilation systems to heat-exchanger systems. The second development deals with the CO₂ footprint of the materials used, which is calculated using a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). To stay with the example of a circuit board, replacing one part is a lot more durable than having a new circuit board come from Asia. "By 2030, all products will have this kind of LCA." Remanufacturing parts in a ventilation unit thus eliminates a lot of CO₂ emissions. There will be a demand for that. "We can have the parts the mechanic brings back from a project remanufactured. So the little circle keeps turning. "The starting point should be that the housing of a ventilation device can last as long as the house itself," says Rogér.

The desire is to eventually sell remanufactured parts through VentTrade and Intovent.