68 H E AT I N G & C L IMAT E C O N T R O L S Customers seek guidance from their installers on the most energy efficient boilers, but controls play an equally important role in building an effective heating system. Darran Smith, of Alpha Heating Innovation, looks at the different levels of zoned heating Underfloor heating and/or low temperature radiators integrated in a heating system can significantly increase the running efficiency of the boiler. By splitting a building into different zones, the occupant can have ultimate control over each room. Zoned heating works by using a motorised isolation valve to interrupt the flow of hot water to the heating zone and incorporates controls to regulate the operation of the valve. This reduces the need to unnecessarily heat the whole house to the same temperature and allows homeowners to tailor usage according to time or climatic factors. Installers can use this as a way of selling-in other elements of their services depending on the level of control the customer requires. Traditionally, people simply control the temperature of the whole house by manually turning their heating system on when they are cold, and off when it is too warm. Timed controls The next stage is to use timed controls, such as the simple plug-in clock. This can be set for each room or dwelling to allow homeowners or housing associations to set timings for turning the heating on and off, but that’s as far as it goes. While time clocks are adjustable, the process of doing so is not straightforward – with complicated instructions that often result in the heating going on and off at the wrong times, potentially wasting both time and money. Despite this, the simple plug-in clock is still the most popular choice today and installers should offer more advanced controls to help their customers avoid these issues. The next level of controllability is to opt for accessories that can regulate heating according to both time and temperature. Allowing temperature settings to vary throughout the day, controls such as Alpha’s Digital EasyStat provide wireless time and temperature control with seven-day programming and settings in one-hour increments. Similarly, the Comfort 2-channel radio frequency controller has the same functionality, but with a second channel to allow control over hot water. The Comfort 2-channel is battery operated so installers can save time because there is no hard wiring needed. Plus, the transmitter can be located anywhere up to 30 metres away from the boiler. Finally, advanced controls take this one step further, accounting for external weather temperature with internal temperature and feeding back to the boiler what is required to effectively heat the building. By taking into account the surrounding environment, overheating and wasted energy is avoided. They also allow for some zones to have different temperatures to others, dictated by factors such as whether a room is occupied or not. Not only does this permit a more comfortable environment for the occupants, it restricts energy wastage, with unused spaces being spared of unnecessary heat. For new builds, where all buildings need to meet high standards to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon, these controls can help to meet and exceed those all-important SAP points. For example, within SAP, Alpha Climatic is classed as an Enhanced Load Compensator capable of measuring and maintaining the temperature inside the building. This is done by modulating and limiting the boiler flow temperature depending on the measured room temperature. Zoned heating can also be applied to commercial buildings, but as these are often split into multiple areas all requiring different heat levels, the level of control is more complex. Using master controls and zone managers linked to a central computerised Building Management System, the volt free contact signalling means that compatibility is not an issue, so it can work in any environment. Alpha offers boilers that work with these controls for light commercial or commercial environments. From the engineer’s perspective, installing controls at the same time as the boiler may seem most appropriate but they can also be retrofitted, whether there are no controls in place at all or the customer opts for an upgraded version. With wireless options becoming increasingly popular too, retrofitting is just as straightforward and means any building can benefit. To help the end client make the most out of their heating system, regardless of application, installers can offer guidance on the different controls available. Further to this, talking to customers about the benefits of zoned heating that integrate weather compensation gives installers a chance to upsell their services, while providing customers with a living or working environment that adapts to their fluctuating heating needs. Getting in the zone www.hpmmag.com September 2017 enquiry number 139 Zoned heating comes in a variety of levels and allows the homeowner to tailor their usage according to time, weather, occupancy, and individual preference “Talking to customers about the benefits of zoned heating that integrate weather compensation gives installers a chance to upsell their service, while providing customers with a living or working environment that adapts to their fluctuating heating needs”
HPM September 2017
To see the actual publication please follow the link above