Before we dive into an analysis of how to optimize hydronic flow, which admittedly can be a lengthy topic, let us get everyone on even ground and explain what we mean by hydronic flow.
Heat energy is typically moved by three means in a building: refrigerant, air, and water. It’s this last means we will be focusing on here. Water is a much more effective way to transport energy around a building than air, but it is not without its struggles. Boilers and chillers add heat and remove heat from water, and pumps move the water through the building. The last piece of the system is the coil. To control the flow of water through the system, either the pump speed can be modulated or the flow through the coil can be modulated. It’s these two areas of flow control that we will discuss.