Hot water reset
Hot water reset is an energy-saving automatic control algorithm for hot water boilers that are typically fired with fuel oil or natural gas. A hot water reset control loop measures the outside air temperature; another technology measures indoor heat loss and adjust water temperature to satisfy comfort needs. Indoor reset takes all indoor heat loss factors into consideration. Fuel saving and comfort are closer to desired operational efficiency. this information is used to estimate demand or heating load as the outdoor temperature varies. The supply hot water temperature is modulated up and down range in an inverse linear ratio to outside air temperature. The typical range for conventional boilers is to vary the supply water temperature from 60 .. 82 ⁰C as the outside temperature varies from +18 .. -18 ⁰C. The problem with outdoor temperature sensors is that they tend to overheat the building due the delay between outdoor temperature change and heat loss from within the structure.
Implementation
The control system can be made to modulate the supply water temperature in two different ways:
- By acting as an operating control on the boiler burners, either modulated on/off, high/low fire, or fully modulating fire, depending on the burner construction. When modulating the actual boiler temperature lower, water temperature needs to have a low limit and be maintained above the flue gas condensation temperature for non-condensing type boilers, typically above 60 ⁰C. Condensing type boilers can be made to operate at temperatures below the flue gas condensation limit and raise stated efficiencies from the 85% - 95% range.
- By acting as an operating control on a three-way powered mixing valve or proportional injection pump system that modulates the supply distribution hot water temperature. The mixing valve or mixing pump system recirculates the return water temperature and adds proportionally supply hot water from the boiler for tempering to achieve the desired supply water temperature.