Important work deserves the best tools
Three things are required for advanced balancing:
Firstly, balancing valves that can adjust the flow
with high accuracy. They shall be easy to set and to
read. Secondly, reliable measuring instruments that
will provide you with clear and unambiguous infor-
mation concerning the flows and pressure drops in the
STAD
With TA balancing valves
STAD/STAF you obtain the
correct distribution of water flows
in heating and cooling installa-
tions. They include test points for
measuring differential pressure
and flow, and permit easy shut-
off and draining.
STAP
STAP differential pressure con-
troller maintains a constant differ-
ential pressure across the circuit,
regardless of the variations on
the primary side. It offers the
same shut-off and draining facil-
ities as the STAD/STAF units.
BPV
BPV is an automatic proportional
relief valve which stabilises the
differential pressure for better
control.
Australia Great Britain
Tour & Andersson Tour & Andersson LTD
PO Box 154 42 Coldharbour Lane
HIGHETT Vic 3190 HARPENDEN, Herts AL5 4UN
Tel 9553 3366 Tel 01582 76 79 91
Telefax 9553 3733 Telefax 01582 76 92 30
plant. Thirdly, a smart balancing procedure that
enables you to quickly and efficiently work towards a
good result.
We can offer you all these, plus sound knowledge
about balancing that you can share through manuals,
seminars and courses.
TA-CBI
TA-CBI measures differential pres-
sure, water flow and temperature.
One person using a TA-CBI loaded
with the TA Balance program can
balance even large installations.
You can use TA-CBI to balance and
document the flows during com-
missioning, check the flows dur-
ing inspection,as a diagnostic aid
to solve operating problems and
for logging.
Total Hydronic Balancing
Total Hydronic Balancing is our
comprehensive manual about
hydronic heating and cooling
installations. Here you will find
advice on planning systems for
precise control and the best
operating conditions.
TA Select
Our TA Select, TA Calc
TA Monoplus and TA Shunt com-
puter programs help you to cal-
culate the parameter values that
ensure the most economical
design on the basis of defined
system requirements.
www.tourandersson.com
www.tourandersson.com
Singapore Sweden (Parent Company)
Tour & Andersson PTE LTD Tour & Andersson AB
171 Chin Swee Road SE-524 80 LJUNG
#05-01 an Centre Tel Int +46 513 540 00
SINGAPORE 169877 Telefax Int +46 513 508 44
Tel+65 65 32 06 26
Telefax+ 65 65 32 29 19
M-020 GB
1997.12
 The three hydronic conditions for accurate control
Why you must fulfil them and the easiest way to do it
TA brings you total system knowledge based on experience
from more than 100,000 hydronic heating and cooling plants around the
world. Some of our knowledge is available to you through this brochure.
You can access more knowledge by contacting us to order more infor-
mation. Or visit our web site, www.tourandersson.com
There are three hydronic conditions for accurate control
And just one way to fulfil them

Two fundamental requirements are demanded of incorrectly implemented balancing calculations to

every heating and cooling installation.
The first is that the installation shall provide the
best possible indoor climate. The second is that it
shall do this at the lowest possible energy cost.
Today’s advanced control technology means that
it is possible to achieve both goals. At least in theory.
In practice however, the most sophisticated con-
trollers don’t always keep their promises. The result
is a lower comfort level and higher operational costs
than expected.
The reason this happens is that these controllers
are not being allowed to do their job. And they can
only work properly if all three hydronic conditions
for accurate control are fulfilled:
1. The design flow must be available at all
terminals.
2. The differential pressure across control valves
must not vary too much.
3. Flows must be compatible at system interfaces.
Performing a balancing procedure is the very best
way to fulfil these three hydronic conditions.
First and foremost balancing ensures that the plant
does actually perform in accordance with its specifi-
cations, operating in the way the designer intended.
Balancing reveals and removes a number of threats
to the installation’s functions. These may range from
pure assembly mistakes such as check valves
installed the wrong way round, or blocked filters.
During the balancing procedure you can immedi-
ately see the effect of disturbances, find the reasons
for them and take corrective measures. You are
ensuring that the installation has the best possible
chance of providing optimum comfort at the lowest
energy cost.
This brochure summarises our expertise concern-
ing the three hydronic conditions. What symptoms
indicate that the conditions are not being fulfilled?
What are the underlying reasons for this? And what
is the best way of solving the problem?
Feel free to use this information when you are
fault tracing, or the next time you carry out an
installation.
 CONDITION 1

The design flow must be available at all terminals

The first condition for stable and accurate control is in certain circuits from causing underflows in others,
that the design flow is available at all terminals. detects possible oversizing of pumps and verifies that
Hydronic balancing is necessary for this condition to the plant actually does provide the functions and per-
be fulfilled. Hydronic balancing prevents overflows formance intended by the designer.

Symptoms indicating Common, and

Typical, and usually
that the condition is not incorrect, Correct solutions Advantages
neglected, root causes
fulfilled counter measures

Too hot in some parts of
the building, too cold in
other parts
Increase pump head Overflow in some cir- Balance distribution The power installed is
(main or secondary cuits create underflow system using deliverable
pump head) in others STAD/STAF balancing
valves Correct room tempera-
tures at optimized
No balancing of circuits energy cost
downstream of ∆p con-
troller Shortest possible start
up time after night
setback

Balancing identifies
Long time before all Increase supply tem- Overflow in some Balance circuits down- hydronic problems
rooms reach correct perature (heating). circuits create under- stream of ∆p controller which can be solved at
temperature after night Reduce supply temper- flow in others an early stage
setback ature (cooling) Balance distribution
No balancing of circuits system using Flows are verified
downstream of ∆p STAD/STAF balancing anddocumented
Cancel the night set- controller valves
back function Possibility to minimize
pump energy
consumption

Possibility to measure
and logg the flow and
Abnormal pump energy Oversizing of pump Balance the plant with detect problems
consumption STAD/STAF to reveal
actual pump oversizing

Change pump
Example: Restart after night setback is a critical
situation in a system with variable flow.
In a distribution system with variable flow, underflow
mainly occurs under heavy loading.
At first glance it may appear that there is no reason
to balance a system with two-way control valves at
the terminals, since the job of the valves is to adjust
the flow to the requirement. Balancing should there-
fore be done automatically.
However, one finds that, despite careful calcula-
tion, control valves with exactly the required Kv-
value are not commercially available, with the result
that most control valves will be oversized.
There are many situations where fully open control
valves cannot be avoided, such as when restarting
after a night setback. Then, most of the control valves
begin by opening fully. This creates overflows that in
turn give rise to unpredictable pressure drops the pip-
ing system, and underflows in unfavoured areas in the
system.
The less fortunate circuits do not receive sufficient
flow until the favoured areas have reached their
respective thermostat’s set point, causing their control
valves to start controlling.
The restart becomes difficult, and takes longer
than expected, which result in higer energy costs. An
uneven restart makes centralised control and all
forms of optimisation virtually impossible.
An unbalanced plant must start ear-
lier, which results in higher energy
costs.
 CONDITION 2

The differential pressure across control valves

must not vary too much
The second condition for stable and accurate control
is that the differential pressure across the control
valves in the plant must not vary too much. Hydronic
balancing is necessary for this condition to be ful-
filled. Hydronic balancing is in addition the only way
to find and resolve the real reasons behind operational
problems in the plant.

Symptoms indicating Common, and

Typical, and usually
that the condition is not incorrect, Correct solutions Advantages
neglected, root causes
fulfilled counter measures

Supply air temperature Modify control software Plant not balanced Balance the plant using Stable and accurate
or room temperature although it is a hydronic STAD/STAF balancing temperature control
fluctuate problem Control valve authority valves or STAP ∆p con-
is too low trollers Low energy cost
Replace correctly sized No noise problems
but hunting control Wrong control parame-
valves by smaller ones ters Balancing identifies
hydronic problems
Control valve oversized which can be solved at
an early stage
Flows are verified and
documented
Noise from control Replace control valves Differential pressure Limit ∆p variations using
valves varies too much STAP ∆p controllers Possibility to measure
and log the flow and
detect problems
Example: Stabilization of the differential pressure across
individual control valves with STAP.
The relationship between the highest and the low-
est differential pressure across a control valve
should not be greater than four. In other words, the
valve authority (the lowest differential pressure
divided by the highest differential pressure) should
be at least 0.25.
In a plant with two-way control valves and vari-
able flow, you can improve the valve authority with a
variable speed pump. When a control valve closes,
the flow in the circuit decreases. Therefore, the
pressure drop in terminals, pipes and accessories
decreases, resulting in an increase in differential
pressure across the control valve. But at the same
time, the pump reduces the speed (the pressure) to
compensate for the reduced flow requirement in
the plant. That limits the difference between the
highest and the lowest differential pressure across
the control valve.
But in some circuits, the difference between the
highest and the lowestdifferential pressure can still
Example: Stabilisation of the differential pressure across
a group of control valves with STAP.
STAP can also be used in heating plants to control
groups of radiators so that the total flow in the com-
plete branch system will be correct. This confirms
the pre-setting of the radiator valves and the differ-
ential pressure of 10 kPa can be expected to apply at
the centre of the branch.
In radiator systems with available differential
pressures exceeding 30 kPa, there is a great risk of
noise in the plant, especially if there is air in the
water.
In this case you can use STAP to reduce the dif-
ferential pressure and to keep it constant.
exceed four. The control valve, therefore, has a dif-
ficult time doing its job. Then it is suitable to let a
local differential pressure controller stabilize the
differential pressure across the control valve.The
principle is simple. The membrane in the STAP dif-
ferential pressure controller is connected to the
inlet and outlet of the control valve. When the dif-
ferential pressure increases, the force acting on the
membrane also increases, closing the STAP propor-
tionally. STAP maintains the differential pressure
across the valve constant. The control valve will
never be overdimensioned, and the valve authority
becomes 1.
Limiting ∆p and
flow through a con-
STAM STAP trol valve.
a
STAP maintains the differential pressure constant
in each branch or minor riser. The flow in the branch
(qs) is measured using a STAM measuring valve.
STAM
qS
∆Hmax ∆Ho =10 kPa ∆Hmin
∆Hp
qR
STAP
STAP maintains a constant differential
pressure at the circuit inlet.
 CONDITION 3

Flows must be compatible at system interfaces

The third condition is that the flows must be com- balancing procedure helps to localise and resolve
patible at system interfaces. Hydronic balancing is hydronic problems. It also reveals any possible over-
necessary for this condition to be fulfilled, so that the sizing of pumps and helps to reduce pumping costs.
installed power in the plant can be delivered. The

Symptoms indicating Common, and

Typical, and usually
that the condition is not incorrect, Correct solutions Advantages
neglected, root causes
fulfilled counter measures

Maximum installed Increase secondary
power is not deliverable pump head flow not compatible with
when required
Install more production
units
Increase supply temper-
ature (heating). Reduce
supply temperature
(cooling)
Long time before all Increase secondary
rooms reach correct pumphead flow not compatible with
temperature after night
setback Install more production
units
Increase supply temper-
ature (heating). Reduce
supply temperature
(cooling)
Secondary maximum Balance the plant and SInstalled power is
ensure flow compatibility deliverable
primary maximum flow throughout the plant
using STAD/STAF Correct room tempera-
balancing valves tures at optimized energy
cost
Balancing identifies
hydronic problems
which can be solved at
an early stage
Flows are verified and
Secondary maximum Balance the plant and documented
ensure flow compatibility
Possibility to measure
primary maximum flow throughout the plant
and logg the flow and
using STAD/STAF bal-
detect problems
ancing valves
Short start up time

Cancel the night set-

back function
Example:
Heating plant based on a boiler.

The plant in our example consists of a boiler that is The situation is however made worse if the plant
fed by a pump and a distribution circuit that oper- has not been balanced, as there will be excessive
ates with a constant flow. overflow in the radiators closest to the pump. Since
If the flow through the distribution circuit is the pressure drop in the piping will be much greater
greater than the flow through the boiler, the surplus than nominal, the most distant radiators will operate
will pass into the by-pass AB in the direction B to A. least efficiently, as they will neither receive sufficient
Water from the boiler will then be mixed with the water nor a sufficiently high water temperature – the
distribution circuit return water in A and the tem- room temperature will inevitably fall.
perature in the circuit’s supply water will be lower
than the boiler water temperature (tgs).
Under partial load this does not matter, since the
water temperatures are lower. However, under full
load, such as when starting up the plant in the morn-
ing, full power cannot be achieved since water tem-
perature cannot reach its nominal value. Thus the
power output from the boiler will not be fully trans-
ferred to the distribution circuit.
If the radiators are balanced to have equal over-
flows the result may be acceptable even if the The flows are compatible between the boiler
desired temperature cannot be attained. and the distribution circuit.

Example: Cooling plant with constant flow distribution system.

The terminals are controlled by means of three-way water temperature and the installed power will not be
valves. The water flow that does not pass through the transferred. With 50 percent overflow in the distribu-
terminals goes instead through the shunt loop and so tion at maximum load it will only be possible to pro-
the total water flow is held constant. vide 90 percent of the installed power.
If the circuit contains several parallel-connected
refrigeration units the design cooling temperature
STAM
qS
can only be maintained if all the refrigeration units
are kept in operation.
If the distribution circuit is not balanced and has an ∆Hmax ∆Ho=10 kPa ∆Hmin
∆Hp
overflow, this will give rise to a flow through the by- qR

pass from B to A, despite all refrigeration units being

in operation, which generates a mixing point at M. In STAP
The production flow can vary, while
this case it is impossible to maintain the nominal cold the distribution flow is kept constant.
Simple, effective and
accurate balancing with TA Balance.
Balancing is absolutely necessary in order to fulfil
the three hydronic conditions for good control.
Unfortunately many people mistakenly believe
that balancing is difficult and time-consuming,
especially in larger installations.
With our TA-CBI balancing instrument and TA
Balance computer program it is easy to balance a
complete installation.
Here is a general description of a typical balanc-
ing sequence.
It all starts with careful calculation
Designers should provide accurate information to
allow simple and precise balancing. The desired
flow for each balancing valve always has to be
noted on the drawings. In addition, kv-values
and/or preset values can be included. This facili-
tates presetting of the balancing valves during
installation.
However careful the calculations may have been
at the design stage, some adjustments will always
be required when the installation has been complet-
ed. Equipment is not always installed precisely in
accordance with the drawings. Changes affect the
flows. The actual flow values and any alterations
that have been made should be noted in the final
commissioning report.
Preparations save time and unnecessary work
Careful preparation, both in the office and at the
plant, is the key to a simple, efficient and rapid
balancing process. Hence you begin at the drawing
board:
– Study the drawings.
– Identify the main, riser and branch piping and
equipment.
– Divide the plant into modules. You can read how
to do this in our manual “Balancing distribution
systems”.
– Check that the flow for each balancing valve is
stated on the drawings, and that the design flow
for each riser is equivalent to the sum of the
design flows for the branches, etc.
The preparations continue into installation:
– Locate all the balancing valves and ensure that
they are accessible.
– Clean all filters and deaerate the plant.
– Open all the shut-off valves that should be
open and open all the control valves.
– Ensure that the pumps operate properly and
rotate in the correct direction.
TA Balance is a computer program in the TA-CBI. The program permits just
one person with a TA-CBI to balance even very large plants.
One person, one TA-CBI and TA Balance get
the job done
At the plant you then follow these simple steps:
1. Select a module, it does not matter which.
Choose any balancing valve in the module.
2. Measure the differential pressure with the CBI at
the currently set valve position.
3. Close the valve completely. Measure the differen-
tial pressure again. Then re-open the valve to the
same position as before.
4. Enter the required flow for the valve into the CBI.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 inclusive for the other
balancing valves in the module.
When you have entered the desired flows for all
the valves in the module, the CBI calculates the
correct settings for the balancing valves. Instantly.
All you have to do then is to set each balancing
valve in accordance with the CBI data.
When you have finished balancing the first
module, go on to the next. If you want to keep a
complete record of the measurements, go all round
the plant and measure the flow in each valve. Then
you just have to transfer the measured data from
the CBI to your PC back in the office, and print
out a neat record page.