What is the cost of discomfort?
During cold weather, do the rooms close to the boiler are too hot, while the ones further away are too cold? If your answer is yes, then it means that your system may be out of balance.
A badly balanced installation does not only not give the required comfort, but it also does not work under its optimum conditions. This means that it has low efficiency, which will affect maintenance and energy expenses. For this reason, making sure your system is correctly balanced may be the finest investment you can make.
What is Hydronic Balancing?
Hydronic balancing is an essential operation for obtaining the required water flows throughout the system guaranteeing that each emitter receives at least its design flow under all operating conditions. In other words, it is the process of optimizing the distribution of water throughout the building in order to obtain maximum comfort at a minimum energy cost.
Why is my system out of balance?
As water is lazy, it will always choose the path with the least amount of resistance. That is, if a heating system is not balanced, it will allow too much flow to terminal units in rooms close to the pump, causing them to get overly hot, while not allowing enough flow to rooms further away, resulting in an uncomfortable temperature.
How can hydronic balancing help me save energy?
When the heat is correctly distributed in the system, the average temperature can be reduced. For each degree the average temperature can be lowered, the energy consumption of the property is reduced between 6% and 11%.
Thermostatic valves and control equipment can work to their design efficiency in all temperature conditions. Balancing identifies the lowest possible circulation flow, and this reduces the work done by the pump and the energy costs.
A reduction in energy consumption of 20% to 35% and a payback period between six months to a year are not unusual. Systems that have been correctly balanced will make life more comfortable for the tenants, reduce building life-cycle costs for the owner and minimize the environmental impact. A win-win for all!
Did you know?
1°C more or 1°C less in a single room rarely makes any difference to human comfort or energy costs. But when the average temperature in the building is wrong, it becomes costly. 1°C above 20°C increases heating costs by at least 5-8%. One degree below 23°C increases cooling costs between 10 and 16%.
Achieve hydronic balancing with AFC Technology
Reliable hydronic balancing with Eclipse and Dynacon Eclipse can be as easy as: Fit, Set and Forget!
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