Zone control, i.e. setting a separate temperature in each room, helps save energy, money and improves living comfort. However, is it possible to control zones in a house heated with a heat pump? There are many opinions that this may cause the heating device to fail. Today we explain what to do to make such control safe for the heat pump.
Zone control and heat pump – why is it difficult?
In short and greatly simplified, every heat pump works on the principle of thermodynamic transformation. This means that the device forces the flow of heat from the ground, water or air to the rooms in the building and to the domestic hot water installation. Heat pumps can successfully power radiator heating, underfloor heating and fan coil units .
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Zone control involves installing controllers in each room. It is economical and comfortable . It allows you to adjust the temperature to the role of the rooms and the needs of the household members. However, the heat pump has a long startup time. It needs time to heat up the air or groundwater taken from the environment .
And here a technical glitch may appear. For example, if we want to underfloor heat a small room (e.g. bathroom, laundry room, dressing room, small children's room), we force the heat pump to be turned on and off in a relatively short time. This is the moment that heat pump users are most afraid of, because such practices, if repeated regularly, may damage the heat pump . This is why there is a common belief that controlling a heat pump is dangerous for the device and should be avoided. However, zone temperature control brings many benefits. Giving up on it will not be good for our wallet or our well-being, because the temperature in our interiors will be random.
Advantages of zone control:
- individual temperature control in rooms
- temperature adapted to their function
- reducing energy consumption
- no distortion
- saving heating fuel and money
- natural environment preservation
What can you do to avoid having to give up zone control in a house heated with a heat pump?
The key to success is not to control the heat pump directly , but only the distribution of water from the buffer (buffer tank), which collects the heat produced by it. In this way, the controllers do not interfere with the operating mechanism of the pump itself, so there is no risk of any damage. This solution allows you to use all the advantages of zone control without the risk of damaging the heat source.
Of course, heating your home with a heat pump, despite obvious ecological advantages, may raise doubts due to electricity prices, especially in recent months and in the face of very unfavorable forecasts for the future. It is becoming more and more expensive, and most heat pumps still run on electricity. However, remember that there are currently no cheap solutions for heating installations. Heat pumps, on the other hand, use renewable raw materials, i.e. free and inexhaustible in nature . This perspective allows you to look more favorably at the costs incurred.
Why is it worth investing in a heat pump and zone control – profit balance
Zone control is needed regardless of the heating device we choose, because when we decide on it, we primarily care about our finances and thermal comfort. In turn, a heat pump is an ecological heating solution that is: virtually maintenance-free (and therefore convenient), safe (it does not pose an explosion hazard), easy to install and, what is also important, long-lived (it can last up to 30 years). Compared to other heating devices, it is also cost-friendly to operate. That's why it's a really good choice.
However, for zone control to be safe for the heat pump - let's repeat - the heating installation must be equipped with a buffer tank. Thanks to this, the control system will manage the heat accumulated there, dividing it into heating loops. Such control takes place at the level of the buffer, not the heat pump itself. And this ensures complete safety of the installation. In this case , temperature management becomes as efficient as with gas or electric heating.
- We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the offer of ENGO Controls heating controllers.