The Definitive Guide to Weather Compensation and Curves for Air Source Heat Pumps
If you’ve been following our Homeowners’ Q&A podcast series, you might know that one of the most valuable takeaways has been around optimising the weather compensation curve for heat pumps. My discussions with experts – including a few off-topic conversations after the recordings ended – have highlighted just how nuanced and crucial this setting is for ideal efficiency. Since every home has unique requirements, setting the perfect weather compensation curve can be challenging but it's highly advisable that homeowners try to figure this out because it'll lead to cheaper running costs.
This thread is a space for sharing insights, experiences and questions around weather compensation settings.
For those starting out, I’ve attached the weather compensation curves issued with our Global Energy Systems 16kW Caernarfon heat pump to serve as a reference point.
Throughout October and November, ours is set to 0.2 which results in a flow temperature between 32-35C, which has comfortably maintained most of our property at 21C (apart from the TV room – our index circuit).
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Please post your heat pump's weather compensation curves and data as a reference.
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@editor Im still experimenting with mine Mars, having made some changes to my house in the summer. My low end is 32C (at OAT of 15C) which is probably hotter than I need to keep the house warm but the minimum I can get away with before my heat pump starts to cycle as the radiators cant lose enough heat.
I suspect many people hit this problem.
My upper end will be evident after the winter 😉
House-2 bed partial stone bungalow, 5kW Samsung Gen 6 ASHP (Self install)
6.9 kWp of PV
5kWh DC coupled battery
Blog: https://thegreeningofrosecottage.weebly.com/
Heatpump Stats: http://heatpumpmonitor.org/system/view?id=60
Hello Mars
4 bed large house in Portugal 16kW Mitsu. Still playing around and waiting to have buffer tank converted to volumiser.
Also pondering on PAR-WT50 wireless remote to let it do the thinking.
We’re on Vaillant’s 0.55 curve which means 42C at -2C and around 30C at an OAT of 15C.
The pump cycles about once an hour once it’s warmed up the house after set-back. The house upper limit is set at 21C (expanded mode for occasional solar gain) and the rooms are mostly at 20C (bedrooms less).
2kW + Growatt & 4kW +Sunnyboy PV on south-facing roof Solar thermal. 9.5kWh Givenergy battery with AC3. MVHR. Vaillant 7kW ASHP (very pleased with it) open system operating on WC
@boycey the curves for your Ecodan should be published in your manual.
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The Ecodan WC curve doesn’t have presets like you see in other systems it’s fully customisable. So you can set the high and low end at any OAT and change the gradient as you see fit between those values
Like bontywood my low end doesn’t go below 32C to prevent cycling and is set at 45C at -10 which gives 37C at -2C
Posted by: @garyThe Ecodan WC curve doesn’t have presets like you see in other systems it’s fully customisable. So you can set the high and low end at any OAT and change the gradient as you see fit between those values
I had no idea that was the case. Thanks for the clarification.
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