Pumping smarter
Glynn Williams, Senior Area Sales Director for UK and Ireland at Grundfos Commercial Building Services, explores how smart pump controls and BMS integration can help building operators manage changing water system demands, improve visibility of system performance and support effective maintenance.
The demands placed on a building’s water systems change throughout the day. A hotel’s morning peak in water consumption, for example, presents different operating conditions from the quieter hours that follow. Heating and cooling loads also vary with occupancy and outdoor temperatures. Pump controls need to accommodate these changes while maintaining the service each system is designed to deliver.
In installations where several pumps operate together, smart controllers coordinate which pumps run and at what speed. Adjusting their combined output to match demand can help avoid unnecessary pumping while maintaining the required conditions.
The control strategy depends on the application. For pressure boosting, the principal requirement is to maintain water pressure as consumption changes. In HVAC systems, control may be based on flow, pressure, temperature or temperature differential, according to the design. These requirements should inform the specification and commissioning of the controls, even where a common platform serves several applications.
Integration with the BMS
Connecting pump controls to a building management system (BMS) allows facilities teams to view their operation alongside other building services. At specification stage, it is worth establishing exactly what information that connection should provide and how the team will use it.
A running signal confirms that a pump is operating but says little about whether the system is meeting its requirements. Flow, pressure and temperature readings provide a fuller picture. Where trends are recorded, engineers can examine conditions leading up to an alarm or compare performance during busy and quiet periods. This can be particularly useful when investigating intermittent problems that may not be apparent during a site visit. Remote access allows engineers to review available information before attending the installation, helping them decide where to begin their investigation.
Control platforms are also extending across applications. Grundfos GENIECON, for example, now supports HVAC through DELTA HCU alongside pressure boosting, with integration into BMS and other building automation systems.
From commissioning to everyday use
The availability of operating data does not remove the need for careful commissioning. Control settings must suit the installation, and the system’s response should be checked under different operating conditions.
The facilities team also needs a clear record of those settings, the reasons behind them and the arrangements for responding to alarms. This gives engineers a reference when investigating faults or assessing subsequent changes in performance.
As occupancy, operating hours or building services change, the original settings may need reviewing. Operating trends can help establish whether the pumps are still responding appropriately to demand.
For specifiers, this means considering pump control and BMS integration together, with the needs of the maintenance team in mind. Agreement on what will be controlled, what will be monitored and how that information will be handed over helps ensure the installation can be managed effectively once it is in use.
