ᐅ Hydraulic balancing and heating system commissioning

Hello everyone,
next week the heating technician will come for the hydraulic balancing and instruction on the heating system (Panasonic Aquarea Mono heat pump and underfloor heating with ERR, 150sqm (1,615 sqft)). Since we have had quite a few difficulties with the company and are concerned that only the bare minimum, if anything, will be done, I would be interested in your advice.

Hydraulic balancing

• How long does this usually take?
• How does the process typically work?
• Is there any way I can tell if the technician is actually doing something or just making a few adjustments “for form’s sake”?

Instruction

• What questions should definitely be clarified?
• Here are some I thought of:
• Where and when to refill water
• How to adjust or shift the heating curve
• Turning the electric heating element on/off
• Possibly changing the flow rate

We have only ever had a gas heating system before, so we are a bit unsure what we actually need to know.

Thanks :-)

Well, he will adjust the calculated flow rates. That takes a few minutes, but it won't help you.
A five-minute conversation about heating curves is pointless as well.
Have him explain what was installed and how the heating system works, and ask for documentation.
Then check the consumption next winter, and if it’s too high, you can optimize it.

I hope no buffer tank was installed because of the ERR. Do you have the 5 kW model?

Have the entire hydraulic system explained to you and get plans for the underfloor heating layout.

Panasonic: heating element always turned off via software, bivalence heating element sets in at -15°C (5°F), keep the supply temperature of the heating curve as low as possible (ideally <30°C (86°F) as a maximum). Set the hot water storage tank to a maximum of 45°C (113°F) and only heat it once in the afternoon using a timer. You will quickly learn this yourself, it’s simple.

Next winter: set all thermostats permanently to max/off. If all rooms are warm enough but not too warm, then the system is optimally adjusted. To achieve this, adjust the heating curve and flow rates until it fits. Try to limit throttling of circuits as little as possible and allow for high flow rates overall.

Oh, and check if bypass valves have been installed so that you can fully close them once the ERR has been deactivated.

anat79 schrieb:
Refilling water – where and when

Do not do it yourself. First, you will lose the warranty if you do, and second, for modern systems, refilling with tap water should be avoided to extend their lifespan.

For trouble-free operation with minimal corrosion and scale buildup, the VDI Guideline 2038 must be followed. The system should be filled and refilled with fully softened water (for stainless steel components) or partially softened water (for aluminum heat exchangers).

To prevent deposits, fully softened or demineralized water is ideal; however, this makes the water quite alkaline (pH around 9). Stainless steel is not affected by this, but aluminum prefers a neutral pH, so it is mixed with untreated water to lower the pH accordingly.

You can confidently ask your plumber how and with what type of water the system was filled and why. Just act curious and mention that you’ve read that the system should always be filled with fully softened water and ask about the reasons behind this, or something along those lines.

boxandroof schrieb:
Minimize throttling of circuits overall and allow for high flow.

However, this will drastically reduce your temperature differential, and a temperature difference between 4-5°C (39-41°F) would be ideal.