Hydronic balancing and control

Hydronic balancing of HVAC heating and cooling systems is essential for many reasons. It is necessary in order to achieve proper indoor comfort and for the system to run as efficiently as possible. If the hydronic balance is not properly in place, end-user complaints, extra costs and reduced lifetime value of the system can be expected.

Danfoss offers a hydronic balancing solution for every situation:

Pressure-Independent balancing and Control Valves (PICV) combine hydronic balancing and temperature control functionalities in one product. They are simply set to the design flow and used in both heating and cooling systems with variable flow conditions.

Automatic balancing valves eliminate pressure fluctuations occurring in variable flow systems. With additional pre-setting radiator valves that limit the maximum flow through e.g. radiators, the system can be hydronically balanced. Another automatic balancing solution is provided by the Pressure-Independent thermostatic radiator valves which combine the control of differential pressure and flow limitation in one valve.

Thermal balancing valves establish a proper balance by using the temperature entering the circulation pipes of Domestic Hot Water system risers. This provides a very efficient system.

Manual balancing valves can be used in systems with a constant flow, such as systems with 3-way control valves. They need to be commissioned to establish the design flow.

Danfoss automatic balancing valves

Hydronic balance by setting the required differential pressure in risers and design flow at the radiators without any tools

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How we can help you

Improved energy efficiency and indoor comfort

Fewer complaints about uneven heat distribution

Fewer complaints about system noise

Savings on pump dimensions and energy consumption

Relatively short payback times

Documents

Documents
Type	Name	Language	Valid for	Updated	Download	File type
Application guide	HVAC Application guide	Czech	Czech Republic	17 Nov, 2014	7.2 MB	.pdf
Application guide	HVAC Application guide	Latvian	Latvia	08 Jul, 2020	7.5 MB	.pdf
Application guide	HVAC Application guide	Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan	Romania	31 Aug, 2014	7.2 MB	.pdf
Application guide	HVAC Application guide	Hungarian	Hungary	31 Aug, 2014	7.7 MB	.pdf
Application guide	HVAC Application guide	English	Multiple	25 Oct, 2020	18.5 MB	.pdf
Application guide	HVAC Application guide	Polish	Multiple	19 May, 2019	9.8 MB	.pdf

Related products

Radiator valves

Robustly built and designed to meet the rigors of the commercial and industrial sectors, a comprehensive range of Danfoss radiator valves is available for practically all systems and installation conditions.
Leno MSV

With LENO^TM MSV Danfoss offers a versatile range of manual balancing valves for different HVAC heating and cooling applications having a constant flow system. The valves are available in sizes DN 15 – 50 and offer several practical benefits.
ASV Automatic balancing valves

ASV automatic balancing valves provide a dynamic balancing solution for two-pipe heating or cooling applications. The riser-mounted valves eliminate pressure fluctuations occurring in variable flow systems at partial load conditions. For a proper hydronic balance the valves should be combined with pre-setting valves.
AB-QM

AB-QM Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valves (PICV) provide both a control functionality and dynamic balancing solution for HVAC heating and cooling systems. PICVs are designed for various types of terminal units and provide high indoor comfort and energy efficiency in public and commercial buildings.
MTCV with CCR2+

MTCV Thermal balancing valves provide a dynamic, temperature based, balancing solution for drinking water applications. Combined with the CCR2+ a smart and energy-efficient electronic control solution for monitoring and disinfecting DHW systems is established.

Learning

Increased importance for safe Domestic Hot Water systems due to Covid-19

While the global community is very aware of the Covid-19 virus, another potentially fatal bacteria, Legionella, is causing more and more infections every year. Research even shows a relation between both infections. Read more about the increased risks in DHW systems due to Legionella and Covid-19 in this article.
How to balance HVAC systems in “Shell and Core buildings”

Shell & Core buildings – larger buildings split in smaller zones for rental purpose – such as office buildings or shopping malls are rapidly gaining in popularity. The design and commissioning of the HVAC system in such buildings requires another approach. If this is not taken into account issues like a long handover time, an over-dimensioned and unreliable system will occur.

Case studies

Outstanding HVAC flexibility after high-end office building renovation

Building: Office
Application: Hydronic balancing and remote control of 4-pipe heating/cooling change-over system
Challenge: Ensure a flexible to use HVAC system with DGNB sustainability certification
Solution: Digital NovoCon actuator combined with AB-QM control valves and NovoCon CO6 combined with ChangeOver6 as a combination balance the system hydronically, allow remote access via a BMS and control the room temperatures during both heating and cooling operation.
Smart HVAC control solution for the I-tower at WTC Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Building: Office
Application: Climate panels with a four-pipe change-over system for Heating and Cooling
Challenge: Establish a modern, innovative HVAC control system optimized for flexibility in (changing) usage of office space
Solution: Integration of Danfoss field devices with the Building Management System via BACnet bus-communication
High-end climate solutions in Waldorf Astoria by Hilton, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Building: Hotel
Application: Hydronic balancing and control for radiator heating and fan coil cooling
Challenge: Establish top level comfort and minimum energy consumption for heating and cooling
Solution: Fan-coil units for cooling; 8 heating risers and radiators equipped with Danfoss products.
HVAC control at Katowice business centre, Poland

Katowice Business Centre is a modern office building where Danfoss hydronic balancing solutions are used; AB-QM balancing and control valves in combination with revolutionary NovoCon® actuators.
Energy comfort in Prime Tower, Zurich, Switzerland

The Prime Tower in Zurich is a building of many records. With its 126 meters it is the tallest building in Switzerland with 36 floors and 40,000 square meters accommodating mostly offices. And with its more than 6,000 AB-QM valves it is also one of the biggest heating and cooling installations ever designed and installed by Danfoss.
Balancing valves in Sky Tower, Wroclaw, Poland

The tallest building of the EU now resides in Wroclaw in Poland. As a beautiful landmark to modern architecture, high user comfort and sustainable practice, the 212 meter high Sky Tower forms the pleasant setting for thousands of people living and working in the building.

Videos

News

NEW: AB-QM 4.0 Flexo

Monday, October 19, 2020

Read more about our new, compact, 8-in-1 PICV solution for fast installation, flushing and servicing of Fan Coil Units in hydronic HVAC systems as used in public and commercial buildings.
NEW: NovoCon M, L and XL - Big news for fans of IoT solutions in smart building concepts

Monday, August 3, 2020

New NovoCon® M, L and XL digital actuators for AB-QM Pressure Independent balancing and Control Valves (PICV) complete the series of smart, digital, IoT actuators for hydronic HVAC applications.
New: Digital Design Center – one entry point for all design needs

Friday, April 17, 2020

Design engineers, specifiers and consultants are under a constant pressure when looking or the best solutions for their designs and customers. To simplify their work and save time, we have developed a new online platform – Digital Design Center.