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Category: Heating

Heating system provides comfort and warmth in buildings during the cold season. Since heating is a very complex system, you will find many interesting articles on heating and energy systems in this category. From hydraulic balancing, heat generation, heat distribution and heat emission to legal obligations and regulations, there have already been many and detailed articles about heating technology. I will continue to develop these, in order to offer you a comprehensive overview of heating technology. In the following the articles published so far are once again clearly listed:

Hydronic balancing

Heat generation

Heat Distribution

Force of Action

Heat Transfer

Hydronic Balancing in Comparison: Static vs. Dynamic vs. Adaptive vs. Thermal

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In today’s article, I’ll try to explain the differences between static, dynamic, adaptive (automatic) and thermal hydronic balancing. I’ll also explore the following question:

Is automatic hydronic balancing possible with smart radiator thermostats?

As these terms for hydronic balancing are thrown around wildly, this article should help you to differentiate between the terms and then decide for yourself which balancing you would like to carry out and which components you need for this. I will also look at the question of whether automatic hydronic balancing is possible with smart radiator thermostats.

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Hydronic Balancing DIY – Underfloor Heating and Floor Warming

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This article is about the difference between underfloor heating and floor warming in the series “Hydronic Balancing DIY“. As I suspected underfloor heating in the kitchen of our example building and couldn’t find any documentation, I asked the manufacturer Oventrop to be on the safe side. They explained to me the function of the “RTL box” (more on this later).

It turned out that it is not underfloor heating, but floor warming with a return temperature limiter. This article therefore explains the difference between underfloor heating and floor warming.

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Hydronic Balancing DIY – Step 4: Calculate Radiator Output

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In the fourth step of the “Hydronic Balancing DIY” series, we will focus on how to calculate radiator output for existing radiators. We need the radiator output to determine whether the installed radiators are sufficiently dimensioned for the desired system temperatures. Furthermore, in the next step, we can use the calculated radiator outputs and the calculated room loads to determine the necessary volume flows and presettings for the respective radiators.

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Hydronic Balancing DIY – Step 3: Data Recording

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The third step in the “Hydronic Balancing DIY” series involves data recording for further calculations. To do this, we will record the radiators in the building and then determine the system temperatures. These are necessary for the subsequent calculation of the radiator output. However, before we start data recording, it is necessary to know which radiator types are installed in our building. I recommend the following document from DeltaQ – Heating surface types (Recknagel Sprenger). The document is unfortunately only available in german.

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Hydronic Balancing DIY – Step 2: Heating Load Calculation

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Now that you have digested the basics of hydronic balancing in the first step, let’s move on to calculating the heating load for the building and the respective rooms. Using three example calculations, I’ll show you how you can calculate your heating load in no time at all.

The heating load calculation is a crucial basis for all further steps in carrying out hydronic balancing.

A frequently asked question is: How do I calculate the heating load? As is so often the case, there are several ways to calculate the heating load. I will introduce you to three simplified calculation methods that are used for the approximate determination of the heating load in existing buildings. For new buildings, a detailed heating load calculation is carried out by a specialised company using the actual building data.

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