Weather compensation controls assist the heat source and help it to work at its optimum operation which can help lower running costs for home heating.
Weather compensation control systems can lower household fuel bills because they help the heating system to work more efficiently, thus reducing fuel usage. Using intelligent technology, weather compensation mechanisms monitor both the internal and external temperatures and adjust the boiler’s operation accordingly. Instead of the boiler firing up or turning off when a house is too cold or too hot, weather compensation monitors and maintains correct flow and return temperatures which can help reduce fluctuations in the boiler’s operation.
A weather compensation system, such as the GEO360 from Grant, comprises of a controller, two pipe thermostats together with an internal and external air sensor, coupled to a mixing valve. Using the data captured by the outdoor air sensor, a GEO360 unit can adjust the system water temperature to match a heat output closer to the needs of the home, adjusting the system before the house starts feeling too cold or too hot. In summary, a weather compensation system can help a central heating system be more adaptable, achieving the appropriate heat output for the conditions and not simply just operating in an ‘on/off’ cycle.
For example, on a cool autumnal night, the temperature within a house may drop triggering the room thermostat to call for ‘heat on’. A signal will then be sent to the weather compensation control to turn the boiler on, at which point the control will use the outdoor temperature to calculate the water temperature required by the system. The control will then operate the boiler to allow the system to heat up to that specified temperature.
Meanwhile, on a cold winter night, the same steps and processes would take place. The control will use the outdoor temperature to calculate the system water temperature required in order to achieve the desired temperature within the home. As this will be higher, due to the colder weather, the boiler will be instructed to operate at maximum, modulating the heating system to the desired temperature. In each instance, the weather compensation instructs the boiler to operate in response to the actual conditions, working in maximum modulation mode when it is cold and tailoring the boiler’s operation (using less fuel) when temperatures are warmer.
Please click here to read more about Grant's GEO360 weather compensator.
