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Hydraulic balancing is mandatory for owners of apartment buildings. This is because new regulations of the Building Energy Act (GEG 2024) came into force at the beginning of October 2024. These include specifications and deadlines for the inspection and optimization of older heating systems in rented apartment buildings. In this article, we explain what you need to know about hydronic balancing, the costs, potential savings and benefits.
What is hydronic balancing?
Hydraulic balancing is a method of heating optimization that ensures that all heating systems in a building are supplied with heat evenly.
You know the principle of a heating system: Hot water is passed through the heating system to heat the radiators. Hydraulic balancing is necessary to optimize the water distribution in the heating system. It ensures that the radiators receive the right amount of water to maintain the desired room temperature without causing a drop in temperature in individual rooms. In this way, even the radiators furthest away from the heating system are warmed up in good time and the heat generator can be operated efficiently and in an energy-saving manner.
First hydronic balancing immediately after installation
When a new heating system is installed, it receives its first hydronic balancing immediately after installation. After some time, when the heating system has been in operation for a while, a new hydronic balancing may be necessary, especially if the hot water flow between the radiators is not functioning optimally. Under certain conditions, hydronic balancing is mandatory and prescribed by law.
The obligation for hydraulic balancing
Hydraulic balancing can be carried out voluntarily at any time. At the same time, hydraulic balancing is also required by law under certain conditions.
The Ordinance on Securing the Energy Supply through Medium-Term Measures (EnSimiMaV) stipulates that the following property owners must have hydraulic balancing carried out:
- Owners of new buildings with a water-bearing heating system
- Owners of gas central heating systems with six or more residential units
- Owners of buildings that are not used for residential purposes and have a heated area of more than 1,000 square meters
This obligation applies to both normal radiators and underfloor heating systems.
Who is responsible for carrying out hydronic balancing?
Hydraulic balancing in apartment buildings should always be carried out by qualified experts who are familiar with heating optimization, thermostatic valves and the installation and maintenance of heating systems.
These include:
- Plant mechanics for sanitary, heating and air conditioning technology
- Gas and water fitters
- Central heating and ventilation engineers
What can tenants do?
Tenants who wish to have hydronic balancing carried out in their home should contact their property management company or landlord. They are responsible for ensuring that the heating system is working properly and will have hydronic balancing carried out if necessary.
Hydraulic balancing: procedure A and procedure B
Hydraulic balancing can be carried out using two different methods, which differ in terms of their complexity, accuracy and the associated costs.
Method A and method B are carried out differently. Method A is a manual method. Here, the heating engineer calculates the required flow rate for each individual radiator and then adjusts the radiator valves accordingly. This ensures that each radiator is supplied with the optimum amount of water.
Method B, on the other hand, is based on automatic hydronic balancing. With this method, the specialist installs a flow meter on each radiator or heating circuit, such as underfloor heating. This takes over the automatic control of the valves on the radiator and thus ensures precise regulation of the water flow.
How long does hydronic balancing take?
The duration of a hydronic balancing depends on the size and number of radiators in the building. For a detached house, a specialist company usually needs around one and a half hours to record all the heating data. The subsequent calculation takes around four hours. And you can allow another five minutes or so per radiator for the optimum setting. The specific times and dates should be clarified with the specialist in question.
How much does hydronic balancing cost?
Does hydronic balancing cost a lot or a little? When asking about the cost of hydronic balancing, it should be noted that this is a service whose price is freely negotiated on the market.
It is therefore advisable to obtain several quotes from different specialists in order to compare the costs. If you are in a community of owners, your property management company will usually take care of this.
The costs for hydronic balancing then depend on various factors. These include
- Size of the building: The larger the residential building, the more radiators and heating capacity are required, which increases the costs.
- Condition and structure of the heating system: An old or inefficient heating system in the house causes higher costs.
- Number of radiators: A higher number of radiators also means higher costs.
- Type of valves: Modern valves can improve the efficiency of the heating system, but can also be more expensive.
- Regional differences: The hourly rates of tradespeople vary depending on the region, which of course also affects the price.
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Funding: What funding measures are available?
Hydronic balancing is an important measure for optimizing heating systems, which not only increases living comfort in apartment buildings, but also saves energy and heating costs. To promote this measure, the state offers attractive funding opportunities in the form of subsidies through the "Federal Funding for Efficient Buildings - Individual Measures (BEG EM)".
The funding is aimed at property owners of residential buildings with a maximum of five residential units or non-residential buildings with heating areas of up to 1,000 square meters. An important requirement is that the heating system must be at least two years old.
As part of the BEG EM, you can receive a grant of up to 15 percent of the eligible costs for hydraulic balancing. If you have the measure carried out as part of an individual renovation roadmap (iSFP) drawn up by an energy efficiency expert, the subsidy even increases to 20 percent.
The iSFP is a detailed plan that shows which measures make sense in your building to improve energy efficiency and living comfort. It serves as a guide for your refurbishment measures and can help you save costs in the long term.
Energy consultants can show you further possibilities for subsidies to fully exploit your savings potential.
Do you already know Ralph?
If your building is due for heating optimization, we will take care of it as property managers and keep track of all rights and obligations for you - including the obligation for hydraulic balancing.
If you are not satisfied with your current property management company, this may be a reason to change. Get to know Ralph and request a free quote now. We look forward to hearing from you!
