Home » Why auto-balancing is the answer to underfloor heating problems
Dean Jepson – European Managing Director at Salus Controls – explains why auto-balancing is the answer to underfloor heating problems; ensuring better home comfort and heating efficiency. What was once only associated with luxury homes and self-builds, underfloor heating (UFH) is now a preferred choice among specifiers for both residential and commercial projects. As well as all the benefits of comfort and heat efficiency (it’s estimated that warm water UFH can be around 25% more efficient than a conventional radiator system), UFH is also heralded for the extra space that can be gained without conventional radiators. This is a big plus when building new homes. New for old Recent developments in UFH heating installation techniques have also helped increase its popularity, and it can now be retrofitted just as successfully as in new-builds. Suitable for almost any floor and any location, UFH is a great way for installers to boost their skills and business. However, like all heating systems, UFH can have its fair share of problems and one of the most common complaints is that of balancing the system. When not done correctly, the homeowner is plagued with hot and cold spots – which in turn can lead to poor heat efficiency. Balancing the system is also met by a certain level of apprehension from installers too, especially first-timers, and very often it can be rushed during the installation process – or worse still, it can be overlooked. Since one of the main benefits of UFH is the even distribution of heat across the surface of the floor, achieving the correct balance is imperative. To manually balance a UFH system, the installer needs to adjust the flow meters (located on the manifold), which determine the level of water flow that’s supplied from the manifold to each ‘zone’. A zone may be a whole room or just a portion of a larger room, such as a through-lounge, and the majority of systems will have multiple zones. Controlling the flow Typically, the system uses a central boiler to heat the water, and a pump then circulates this through long pipe runs that are positioned just below the floor’s surface. A pair of ports located on the manifold serves each heating zone, and they feature an electrical actuator valve and a regulator. It’s the actuator that controls the water flow to each zone by opening and closing the valve on the manifold according to the signal from the room thermostat. To ensure optimum system performance and constant temperatures, it’s imperative that the flow of heated water through the circuit is correctly balanced and the temperature differential between the flow and return pipes should be an average 7°C. Too much flow will lower the return temperature differential below 7°C and the circuit will heat up too fast, whereas too little flow will raise the temperature differential above 7°C and the circuit will heat up too slowly – both scenarios being inefficient. The physical task of balancing the system is not complicated. The real difficulty lies in accurately gauging the amount of flow required. Indeed, it can often be a laborious process – especially with retrofit installations where the pipe length is unknown. A common mistake made by installers is to balance all the flow meters at a uniform flow rate, without taking into account the loop lengths, pipe pitch, zone size, zone location or orientation, heat loads, room type and room use. This is where auto-balancing comes in. A unique technology that eliminates the need for manual balancing, this is done via a new type of actuator that’s capable of automatically balancing the flow and return temperature of water through the system. As well as constantly monitoring changes in conditions inside and outside the property, and adjusting the system’s flow rate accordingly, it can even detect changes in floor covering and make appropriate adjustments. Two for one Thanks to auto-balancing actuators, temperature fluctuations are now a thing of the past. Unlike conventional actuators, these perform the function of both thermal actuator and flow regulator, resulting in two functions in one unit. Complete with two remote sensors that are placed on the flow and return pipes from the manifold, they constantly monitor the temperatures and will adjust the flow rate to maintain a delta of 7°C for the UFH circuit and reach the desired temperature in each zone, regardless of size, location, or even time of year. Furthermore, with a very low power consumption of around 0.5W, auto-balancing actuators typically use much less energy than conventional actuators that use 2W to 3W or more. They are also much faster to open and close than conventional thermal actuators, taking just 30 seconds rather than three minutes or even longer. Quality spec Once installed, UFH complete with auto balancing actuators will prevent erratic temperatures and will do what it is supposed to do, removing the need for any further commissioning or further site visits to re-balance the system. At the end of the day, UFH remains a high-spec investment compared to other forms of heating, so it pays to only specify quality controls that will optimise the system in all ways. With auto balancing actuators, users can enjoy optimum comfort, convenience, efficiency and economy, and installers can reap the rewards of simple and quick installations. floor heat electric actuator valve
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