Proper adjustment of heating installations can yield energy savings of 5% to 15%, the Belgian association of heating manufacturers and importers, ATTB, stressed on Tuesday.
According to the ATTB, nine in 10 central heating systems in Europe are unbalanced or poorly balanced where their water flow is concerned. "This has nothing to do with the regulation of your boiler or heat pump but with the rates at which heating water flows through your home," the association said.
"If the adjustment is poor, radiators and underfloor heating pipes close to the boiler or heat pump are supplied with heat faster than distant heating elements, which as a result heat up more slowly," it explained. "As a result, your heating system has to run longer, and the temperature of your heating water has to be higher to make everywhere warm. That drives up your energy bill unnecessarily."
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According to the association, the required control systems are usually already installed and all that is needed is to adjust them properly. "Optimising your installation can save you up to 5% to 15% on energy, without sacrificing thermal comfort," the ATTB noted. "In some cases, it even provides more comfort, because all rooms heat up at the same rate."
A European directive requires heating installations to be water balanced. The Netherlands, France and Germany have already transposed this directive into local regulations but, the ATTB says, this has not yet been done in Belgium, which means new installations are still not balanced or poorly adjusted.
