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Configuration issues with 10kW Midea R32 heat pump

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(@stevet)
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Joined: 1 week ago
Posts: 2
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History
Feb 25 - 9.5Kw 20 panel South Facing Solar Array and Tesla Powerwall 3 fitted - Octopus Intelligent Go - Best decision ever built up just under £500 credit before winter hit. No issues with any of the kit, other than in ability to configure the Tesla App as you wish and interface issues with Octopus in particular with the Intelligent Octopus. Have worked out alternate strategies to get around most of them
Our Combi Boiler (18 years old) packed up again in July - managed to get 60 seconds hot water - did get a work-around fix but in the mean time decided to pull the trigger and go for ASHP

Received 5 quotes (1 x local, Octopus, and two others) all through the grant - rejected Octopus out of principal very quickly, in the end went with Puraflow. I did have an issue with all the quotes in that they just provide bullet items and then here is your price to pay (less the grant). I have a nagging suspicion that quite a bit of the £7.5K grant adds to supplier’s margin. I fully understand there is design, and lots of extras, so why can't these be itemised? In the end after some negotiation I received and acceptable quote from Puraflow.

Design and Pre-Install - I would rate a 10/10 - had really good design visit and heat loss calculation per room and EPC survey. Received design documents and follow up calls. Install was simple as perfect position for Heat Pump outside back wall, very short run to Garage and Water Cylinder to be placed in position freed by the old Combi Boiler. Heat Loss calculation per room required 8 rad upgraded. Overall, the 162m2 4 bed detached house has just under 8KW heat loss - System agreed was a 10kW Midea R32 - 10 kW - MHC- V10W/D2N8 and 175L Telford Tempest Tank - 47C Flow for a SCoP of 4.2 and Water 50C

Install - 9/10 - total install only took 2 days. Plumbers on day 1 - basic install of the ASHP, removal of old Combi and install of Water Tank and replacement of the 8 radiators. All very good, clean. Only issue that loses 1 mark is one of the new radiators top plate was damaged.
Day 2 Electrical day - all good. System flushed and configured. Retrospective the handover was light and had the same most get - i.e. use Midea thermostat and using schedules to control temp. I thought this was OK and I did not know any difference. All rubbish was removed and house spotless so again very good.

Post Sales 1/10
First problem was misbehaving Midea APP - dropping connectivity with the wall unit - call logged - never received a fix. In end solved myself - will the usual reboot of the wall unit - these fixes it for 5 or 6 days before connection is lost again.

Second Problem is after 4 weeks still not received the replacement cover for the radiator - last promise was delivery Friday. It is minor but irritating. I have received a couple of calls, but my impression is they are focused on sales and not support.

New Problem - I have now been trawling this fantastic forum and know realise I have an inefficient configuration - Note I have been happy with the general function and our house has been toasty and water great and even efficiency not bad. I have frigged my efficiency by using schedules to maximise my overnight 7p, also have 13.5KW to play with during the day, plus whatever the Solar produces. After reading this forum I then checked my COP and noted it was barely 3 most of the time and then I read about Weather Compensation, and this opened my mind.

As per one of the previous posters I learnt how to go into Service Mode and made note of my old settings and edited the curve to be 32C at 14C and still 50 and -2C. Today i bit the bullet and and turned my Thermostat up to 27C and disabled all my schedules so the ASHP will run continuously. So far so good - my small temp gages are sitting at 19.5 C which is perfect for us. Heat Pump taking <1KW per hour and COP reporting over 4 (13C outside so not a strenuous test)

I have not edited anything else, I know there is a setting somewhere you can change the curve. I assume this impact how much hotter the water flow is per 1 C rise in outside temperature. If there is a MIDEA expert this would be great to know. I have found some vids on Youtube. Note I have all rad ITVS set to max and only one zone. We do have a great big wood burner that I have now hardly used!
Puraflow have let themselves down from their previous excellent presales and install service. It is a shame I feel left alone to learn and configure my system.

Have I done the right thing to use a WC curve? Until I read this forum, I was reasonably happy and had never even heard of a WC curve. I am lucky in having the EV tariff and big battery and some solar. This time of year, get about 200KW per month depending upon sun.



   
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Mars
 Mars
(@editor)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 3806
 

Welcome to the forums @stevet.

You should absolutely be using weather compensation, and @cathoderay will probably be best equipped to discuss things related to weather compensation on your Midea unit.


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cathodeRay
(@cathoderay)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2430
 

@stevet — a second welcome to the forum.

Some comments:

Posted by: @stevet

Heat Loss calculation per room required 8 rad upgraded. Overall, the 162m2 4 bed detached house has just under 8KW heat loss - System agreed was a 10kW Midea R32 - 10 kW - MHC- V10W/D2N8 and 175L Telford Tempest Tank - 47C Flow for a SCoP of 4.2 and Water 50C

I started to sense something may not be right here. It looks like you may have avoided an exaggerated heat loss (which is all too common) but having had 8 rads replaced presumably to the right size for a lower flow temp, then 47°C flow seems a little on the high side. Just flagging this at this stage.

Posted by: @stevet

First problem was misbehaving Midea APP

The app is crap (as indeed are many others). It uses flaky wifi (which you have to set up using even flakier Bluetooth) to send your data to Midea's servers, and in return you get minimal data badly presented, plus a few buttons to press. It offers no real control at all.

Posted by: @stevet

As per one of the previous posters I learnt how to go into Service Mode and made note of my old settings and edited the curve to be 32C at 14C and still 50 and -2C. Today i bit the bullet and and turned my Thermostat up to 27C and disabled all my schedules so the ASHP will run continuously. So far so good - my small temp gages are sitting at 19.5 C which is perfect for us. Heat Pump taking <1KW per hour and COP reporting over 4 (13C outside so not a strenuous test)

You have done exactly the right thing. Although you can use a ToU tariff 'bank' heat overnight, to me this is the tariff tail wagging the comfort dog (if that makes sense). Continuous running is much more comfortable. Going into the FOR SERVICEMAN menu on the wired controller is the way to set the weather compensation curve, exactly as you have done (it can also be done remotely over a wired modbus connection, but that is very definitely the next level up). Use the room stat as an on/off switch: set very high in winter to be on all the time, as you have done, and then maybe 12°C in the summer, to be off all the time. A COP of over 4 at 13°C outside is in the right ball park, it might be possible to nudge it up a bit, but I wouldn't loose sleep over it. All that now remains is to see what happens in cold weather. Your COP will plummet, that is normal, but over the long term if it averages out OK then so be it. The number that really matters is the IAT (indoor air temperature, which is a proxy for your comfort level). If that is OK, and the costs bearable, then all is well. 

Posted by: @stevet

I have not edited anything else, I know there is a setting somewhere you can change the curve. I assume this impact how much hotter the water flow is per 1 C rise in outside temperature.

There isn't another 'setting somewhere' that changes the curve, you have already changed the curve: 32 @ 14 / 50 @ -2 means the flow will be 32°C when it is 14 outside (in fact it will average about 32, Midea's almost always cycle, so the actual flow temp will go above and below the set flow temp) and 50°C when it is -2 outside. The 'curve' follows a straight line between those two end points, the OAT (outside air temp) range is 16 (14 to -2) and the flow range is 50 - 32 = 18, thus for every degree change in OAT the flow temp will change bu 18/16 = 1.125°C.

The only other 'setting' I can think of is setting the unit to use weather compensation (Weather Set Temp / ... / select curve 9 which is the custom WCC you have already set) but looks like you have already done that.

One zone, open loop etc, all good. 

Posted by: @stevet

Have I done the right thing to use a WC curve?

Yes!

 

 

 


Midea 14kW (for now...) ASHP heating both building and DHW


   
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