Hydraulic balancing is mandatory for owners of multi-family homes. New regulations of the Building Energy Act (GEG 2024) came into force at the beginning of October 2024. These include, among other things, specifications and deadlines for the inspection and optimization of older heating systems in rented multi-family homes. In this article, we explain what you need to know about hydraulic balancing, its costs, potential savings, and benefits.
What is hydraulic balancing?Link to this section
Hydraulic balancing is a method of heating optimization that ensures that all heating systems in a building are supplied with heat evenly.
You're familiar with the principle of heating: Hot water is piped through the heating system, heating the radiators. Hydraulic balancing is necessary to optimize water distribution within heating systems. It ensures that the radiators receive the right amount of water to maintain the desired room temperature without causing a temperature drop in individual rooms. This way, even the radiators furthest from the heating system are heated in time, allowing the heat generator to operate efficiently and energy-efficiently.
First hydraulic balancing directly after installation
When a new heating system is installed, it undergoes its first hydraulic balancing immediately after installation. After some time, after the heating system has been in operation for a while, a further hydraulic balancing may be necessary, especially if the hot water supply between the radiators is not functioning optimally. Under certain circumstances, hydraulic balancing is mandatory and required by law.
The obligation to carry out hydraulic balancingLink to this section
Performing a hydraulic balancing is voluntary at any time. At the same time, hydraulic balancing is also required by law under certain conditions.
The Ordinance on Securing Energy Supply through Medium-Term Effective Measures (EnSimiMaV) stipulates that the following property owners must have a hydraulic balancing carried out:
Owners of new buildings with water-based heating systemsOwners of gas central heating systems with six or more residential unitsOwners of non-residential buildings with a heated area of over 1,000 square metres
This requirement applies to both normal radiators and underfloor heating.
Who is responsible for carrying out the hydraulic balancing?Link to this section
A hydraulic balancing in an apartment building 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 technologyGas and water fittersCentral heating and ventilation engineers
What can tenants do?
Tenants who wish to have their apartment hydraulically balanced should contact their Property management or your landlord. They are responsible for ensuring that the heating system functions properly and will arrange for a hydraulic balancing if necessary.
Hydraulic balancing: Method A and Method BLink to this section
Hydraulic balancing can be carried out using two different methods, which differ in their complexity, accuracy and associated costs.
Methods A and B are carried out differently. Method A is a manual method. 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 optimal amount of water.
Method B, on the other hand, is based on automatic hydraulic balancing. With this method, the specialist installs a flow meter on each radiator or heating circuit, such as an underfloor heating system. This automatically controls the valves on the radiator, thus ensuring precise regulation of the water flow.
How long does hydraulic balancing take?Link to this section
The duration of a hydraulic balancing depends on the size and number of radiators in the building. For a single-family home, a specialist typically needs about one and a half hours to collect all the heating data. The subsequent calculation takes approximately four hours. You should also allow about five minutes for the optimal setting per radiator. The specific times and dates should be clarified with the specialist in question.
How much does a hydraulic balancing cost?Link to this section
Does hydraulic balancing cost a lot or a little? When considering the cost of hydraulic balancing, it's important to note that this is a service whose price is freely negotiated on the market.
Therefore, it's advisable to obtain several quotes from different professionals to compare costs. If you're part of a homeowners association, your property management company will usually handle this.
The costs for hydraulic balancing depend on various factors, including:
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 they can also be more expensive.Regional differences:The hourly rates of tradesmen and women vary depending on the region, which of course also affects the price.
Funding: What funding measures are available?Link to this section
Hydraulic balancing is an important measure for optimizing heating systems, which not only increases living comfort in multi-family homes but also saves energy and heating costs. To promote this measure, the government 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 surfaces of up to 1,000 square meters. An important prerequisite is that the heating system is at least two years old.
Under the BEG EM (Federal Energy Saving Act), you can receive a subsidy of up to 15 percent of the eligible costs for hydraulic balancing. If you have the measure implemented as part of an individual renovation roadmap (iSFP) drawn up by an energy efficiency expert, the subsidy increases to 20 percent.
The iSFP is a detailed plan that outlines which measures are appropriate for improving energy efficiency and living comfort in your building. It serves as a guide for your renovation measures and can help you save costs in the long term.
Energy consultants can show you further funding options to help you fully exploit your savings potential.
Do you already know Ralph?
If your building requires heating optimization, we, as property management, will take care of it and keep track of all rights and obligations for you – including the obligation to perform hydraulic balancing.
If you are not satisfied with your current property management, this may be a reason to change. Get to know Ralph and request a quote now. a free offer We look forward to seeing you!
