I’m eager to know if anyone has any good recommendations for engineers to verify correct operation of my Ecodan 14Kw ASHP, and then optimise. At the moment I'm just watching usage click up, house is okay, but not exactly the warmest.

@derek-m can see you post a fair bit, does anyone have any idiot guides on proper setup for better flow control. Have model PUHZ-W50VHA-BS I believe.

Thanks in advance.

@rann1888 

Hi Rann1888,

Welcome to the forum. If that is the year you were born, you are beating me by a few years.

I will have a look at your model and get back to you. In the meantime could you please provide the usual information, home type and size, any heat loss calculations, type and size of heat emitters, type of control equipment - thermostats or controllers, any further incriminating evidence that you feel may be important. 🙃 

@rann1888 

Is your ASHP a PUZ-WM50VHA(-BS) or similar?

How much electrical energy do you think that your system is using?

Do you have the MELCloud system and if so can you provide any graphs?

@derek-m 

It was installed before I moved in, but it is a 14KW system using an older Flow Temperature Controller 2, so don't think I get anything but basic information from it. I do have the full support from Mitsubishi annually, only taken out recently, but the engineers typically turn up and do the basics and then head off.

I'm still trying to figure out what I use daily, just installed a Google Nest to give me more control than standard/basic wall thermostat, and have no dedicated meter on the ASHP. Should get a better idea soon though.

My whole house is using c60Kwh per day, most of which I think is ASHP Heating & Water? I do note that when the heating kicks in to heat the bungalow, I can see as much as 3-4Kwh being added each hour. System is left running all the time, and adjusted to 17 degrees at night, then 19/20 during the day, sometimes increased to 21.5 degrees when really cold outside.

Will update with more soon, any insights welcomed.

@rann1888 - welcome to the forum. I have a fairly similar machine to yours. Its a bit confusing sometimes as to which FTC one has because at times they seem to use the same terminology for both the big square metal control box and also for the smaller LCD controller that gives you information and through which you can make changes to settings!

Anyhow, a couple of thoughts / questions:

1) How well insulated is your house (any ideas?)

2) Using my normal flow temperature of between 28 and 33degrees, it can take at least an hour to raise the temperature in the house by 1 degree, sometimes longer. So if you are changing the temperature between 17 and 20 in a short space of time in the morning, that could easily burn through electricity fairly rapidly as the only way the ASHP can achieve this is by significantly increasing the flow temperature and unfortunately the relationship between flow temp and consumed electricity is not linear.

Posted by: @hjd

@rann1888 - welcome to the forum. I have a fairly similar machine to yours. Its a bit confusing sometimes as to which FTC one has because at times they seem to use the same terminology for both the big square metal control box and also for the smaller LCD controller that gives you information and through which you can make changes to settings!

Anyhow, a couple of thoughts / questions:

1) How well insulated is your house (any ideas?)

2) Using my normal flow temperature of between 28 and 33degrees, it can take at least an hour to raise the temperature in the house by 1 degree, sometimes longer. So if you are changing the temperature between 17 and 20 in a short space of time in the morning, that could easily burn through electricity fairly rapidly as the only way the ASHP can achieve this is by significantly increasing the flow temperature and unfortunately the relationship between flow temp and consumed electricity is not linear.

It doesn't actually matter what the room temperature is or what your external thermostat is set at if you're using weather compensation or constant flow as neither will affect the flow temperature.  It's only if you're using the Ecodan's room/auto adaptation setting that they will.

An hour for 1 degree is a lot faster than my system. 

Posted by: @rann1888

@derek-m 

It was installed before I moved in, but it is a 14KW system using an older Flow Temperature Controller 2, so don't think I get anything but basic information from it. I do have the full support from Mitsubishi annually, only taken out recently, but the engineers typically turn up and do the basics and then head off.

I'm still trying to figure out what I use daily, just installed a Google Nest to give me more control than standard/basic wall thermostat, and have no dedicated meter on the ASHP. Should get a better idea soon though.

My whole house is using c60Kwh per day, most of which I think is ASHP Heating & Water? I do note that when the heating kicks in to heat the bungalow, I can see as much as 3-4Kwh being added each hour. System is left running all the time, and adjusted to 17 degrees at night, then 19/20 during the day, sometimes increased to 21.5 degrees when really cold outside.

Will update with more soon, any insights welcomed.

@rann1888

Hi, I too have a 14kW Ecodan installed and just for comparison, yesterday which was approx 5º ambient outside, the pump used 30kWh for heating. I have my system running using the weather compensation curve, keeping the 240sqm house 22ºC downstairs and 19-20ºC upstairs 24 hours a day. (so no reduction in temp over night).

We both live/work from home and our typical daily elecy usage (non ASHP) is 15-20kWh I think.

So it does look like you should be able to make some savings with a bit of tweaking.

Without any metering I think it's going to be difficult for you to see what changes are making the best effects. Perhaps look into getting an energy monitoring gadget, like OWL Wireless Energy Monitor (currently one on eBay). This could be clipped onto the cable that supplies power to your ASHP.

I think the current FTC controllers can be identified using their model numbers:

PAC-IF06** is a model 5

PAC-IF07** is a model 6

Morning all, thanks for leaning in on this conversation. As per MarkC response we also work from home, seems to be the norm these days, and hoping to try and get my system running as efficient as possible.

Hot water seems to be okay on for 30 mins in the morning.

Regarding the property it is a bungalow with solar panels, although reading the generation yesterday of 1Kw, not sure they are effective either? If you remove the indoor swimming pool actual house size is c3,300 sq foot, with large radiators in most of the rooms with Thermstatic Controls. Swimming pool is turned off at this time of year btw, minus the pump which runs for about 6 hours a day.

Not sure how well insulated the property is - how do I tell truly? As an example we have two large Velux windows in the kitchen. Only two of us here at the moment, and some of the rooms are turned down to make things more efficient?

The bit I'm very unsure about is all the different options to set up for best running. As per Heat image, it suggest my flow is 44 Degrees? And I have tried to set manually to 40?

Thx in advance.

@rann1888 

Hi Rann,

So when is the next 'pool party'?

If my calculations are correct, your home, minus the pool, is approximately 306 m2, so even with good insulation it will still need a fair amount of energy to keep it warm.

According to the photo's you would appear to have an FTC2 controller, which is set for heating eco, which is the earlier version of weather compensation. I think the reason that you cannot manually change the water flow temperature, is precisely because it is set for heating eco control, and the controller is setting the water flow temperature based on the ambient air temperature. I think that if you monitor this value and also the ambient air temperature, that you will find that as one goes up the other will go down and vice versa.

Before jumping in and trying to change things, I think that you should monitor and record your energy usage against the weather conditions for a few days to see how your system is performing.

I have attached a link to the FTC2 manual, which I suggest that you read.

@derek-m 

Thanks Derek, and yes open to having a renewable energy meet up party at mine next summer if we can find ways to shave a few £ £ £ £ £ off my bills between then 🙂

@rann1888 

Hi Rann,

I forgot to ask about this pump that is running for 6 hours. What is it actually doing?