The video version:
What Is Weather Compensation Control (And Why Your Heat Pump Should Have it)
Weather compensation is a clever control feature that helps your heat pump run more efficiently by adjusting the heating it provides based on the outdoor temperature.
Instead of blasting out the same amount of heat no matter the weather, the system automatically dials things up or down depending on how cold it is outside.
On milder days, it reduces the flow temperature to save energy — and on colder days, it gently boosts it to keep your home cosy. The result? Better comfort, lower running costs, and less wear and tear on your system.
It’s like cruise control for your heating: smooth, smart, and efficient.
How Traditional Room Thermostats Work and Why They are a Terrible Choice for Heat Pumps
Old-school room thermostats are simple but effective. They work like an on/off switch for your boiler/heat pump, based on the temperature in one room — usually the hallway or lounge.
When the room drops below the set temperature, the thermostat tells the boiler to fire up. Once the target temperature is reached, it shuts the boiler off again.
It’s a stop-start way of heating that doesn’t adapt to weather or how warm other rooms are. While it gets the job done, it can lead to temperature swings, wasted energy, and rooms that feel too hot or too cold.
This is because room thermostats wait until your room is about 2c below/above your target and then kick in to life, this is called a hysteresis.
Think of it as a light switch — either fully on or fully off — with no middle ground.
Running a heat pump this way is terrible.
Heat pumps can only achieve their 400-500% efficiency after they have “warmed up”, a little like a car.
If you keep turning them on and off with a room thermostat then it keeps having to start up and run at poor efficiencies. This will ruin your efficiency (SCOP).
If you want to have the best system possible, controlled the most efficient way possible, then get in contact today and we will make it so.