Truanco heatpump setup?
Discussion
My brother has just had a Trianco Activair 15KW heatpump fitted under the ECO4 scheme.
He's trying to set it up (installers seemed clueless) with my help.
Unlike my Mitsubishi Ecodan heatpump, this Trianco seems to be trying to mimic an old gas boiler, with a simplified user interface, and more settings hidden away in "engineer's menus".
Figured out how to put it into weather compensation mode, and it's got 6 timers just like an older programmer, plus settings for flow and hot water target temps.
What we can't find is any way of controlling the hot water scheduling and reheat frequency. He only uses a couple of bowls of hot water each day, as they have a mains electric shower. Keeping the tank at a constant 50 degrees seems pointless.
I just have my Mitsubishi heat the hot water for an hour at night on cheap electricity, no reheating at all.
The whole installation goes totally against what Heat Geek say, with a big buffer, and microzoning via Radbot TRVs on all but one radiator.
Installers made no attempt to balance anything, all lockshields completely open. Left running in fixed flow temp mode.
It all works, but is wasting money, continually heating the hot water tank unless he turns everything off.
I assume this type of simplified setup is aimed at the ECO4 social housing sector?
My brother owns his house, but qualified as the state pension is now his only income.
He's trying to set it up (installers seemed clueless) with my help.
Unlike my Mitsubishi Ecodan heatpump, this Trianco seems to be trying to mimic an old gas boiler, with a simplified user interface, and more settings hidden away in "engineer's menus".
Figured out how to put it into weather compensation mode, and it's got 6 timers just like an older programmer, plus settings for flow and hot water target temps.
What we can't find is any way of controlling the hot water scheduling and reheat frequency. He only uses a couple of bowls of hot water each day, as they have a mains electric shower. Keeping the tank at a constant 50 degrees seems pointless.
I just have my Mitsubishi heat the hot water for an hour at night on cheap electricity, no reheating at all.
The whole installation goes totally against what Heat Geek say, with a big buffer, and microzoning via Radbot TRVs on all but one radiator.
Installers made no attempt to balance anything, all lockshields completely open. Left running in fixed flow temp mode.
It all works, but is wasting money, continually heating the hot water tank unless he turns everything off.
I assume this type of simplified setup is aimed at the ECO4 social housing sector?
My brother owns his house, but qualified as the state pension is now his only income.
It should not be 'continually heating the hot water tank'.
The HW tank should be well enough insulated that heat losses from it are not a big deal.
A modern tank should do better than 2kW per day, which is only costing you <1kWh of electricity.
The buffer tank is probably all about reducing short cycling, which can improve efficiency.
Balancing rads properly takes time, not surprised white van man didn't bother!
The HW tank should be well enough insulated that heat losses from it are not a big deal.
A modern tank should do better than 2kW per day, which is only costing you <1kWh of electricity.
The buffer tank is probably all about reducing short cycling, which can improve efficiency.
Balancing rads properly takes time, not surprised white van man didn't bother!
It's reheating every hour or so, presumably because the tank temperature has dropped low enough to overcome the hysteresis of the sensor logic. Could be heat loss, or maybe "destratification" as the temp equalises?
My tank loses about 9 degrees in 24 hours, but the Mitsubishi controller can be set to a DHW scheduled time and duration, as well as the option to reheat after a user-defined temperature drop.
Trianco seems to have none of this.
My tank loses about 9 degrees in 24 hours, but the Mitsubishi controller can be set to a DHW scheduled time and duration, as well as the option to reheat after a user-defined temperature drop.
Trianco seems to have none of this.
It is what it is.
Give people subsidised stuff they just complain.
People mostly want hot water morning and evening.
If it's not doing their morning shower then it's mostly evenings.
If you want your HW to be at 60degC when you need it to wash up after dinner, then it's perhaps more efficient to heat it to 60 all day than to heat it to 67 so it cools to 60 when you want it?
Stuff with complex controls has a high cost in callouts when the public get near it.
Also bear in mind it's not 1970 any more, cheap rate power at night is not a given looking forwards.
Personally I would want to know what the HW is costing per day.
Possibly money could be saved by using tank water for the shower?
Give people subsidised stuff they just complain.
People mostly want hot water morning and evening.
If it's not doing their morning shower then it's mostly evenings.
If you want your HW to be at 60degC when you need it to wash up after dinner, then it's perhaps more efficient to heat it to 60 all day than to heat it to 67 so it cools to 60 when you want it?
Stuff with complex controls has a high cost in callouts when the public get near it.
Also bear in mind it's not 1970 any more, cheap rate power at night is not a given looking forwards.
Personally I would want to know what the HW is costing per day.
Possibly money could be saved by using tank water for the shower?
He was supposed to be having it done by Octopus, cost to him of around £3k. All the kit was delivered, installers turned up, and said it wouldn't work, left site.
He contacted several other suppliers, and one suggested ECO4, free. Too good to turn down. He retired 8 months ago now living on just the state pension. Got taken to the cleaners by his ex, had to cash in everything to buy her out of the house.
He's very grateful to now have wirking central heating, and the refund from Octopus. He's had no central heating for 3 years since his LPG boiler died.
We are just trying to get it working economically.
Anyway, it seems like Trianco heatpumps are designed, as you say, to work just like boilers, with not user interference. There is no facility to schedule the DHW.
I've been told that there is the option to add an external third party programmer though - 2 wires, volt-free relay. Should be simple enough if we can access the wiring centre.
He contacted several other suppliers, and one suggested ECO4, free. Too good to turn down. He retired 8 months ago now living on just the state pension. Got taken to the cleaners by his ex, had to cash in everything to buy her out of the house.
He's very grateful to now have wirking central heating, and the refund from Octopus. He's had no central heating for 3 years since his LPG boiler died.
We are just trying to get it working economically.
Anyway, it seems like Trianco heatpumps are designed, as you say, to work just like boilers, with not user interference. There is no facility to schedule the DHW.
I've been told that there is the option to add an external third party programmer though - 2 wires, volt-free relay. Should be simple enough if we can access the wiring centre.
Lot more information needed.
Ie which model, and more importantly the precise way it has been installed.
Is it one of these?:
https://trianco.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/A...
It's quite possible the installation is the problem.
If there is a buffer tank then the heat pump should not be in a "fixed outlet temperature" mode.
caziques said:
Lot more information needed.
Ie which model, and more importantly the precise way it has been installed.
Is it one of these?:
https://trianco.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/A...
It's quite possible the installation is the problem.
If there is a buffer tank then the heat pump should not be in a "fixed outlet temperature" mode.
Pretty sure it is the model in your link, going by what my brother described.Ie which model, and more importantly the precise way it has been installed.
Is it one of these?:
https://trianco.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/A...
It's quite possible the installation is the problem.
If there is a buffer tank then the heat pump should not be in a "fixed outlet temperature" mode.
I should be seeing him on Thursday, will try and figure out how they have installed it.
Odd that the manual shows an installation method with no sensor in the DHW tank.
Not tried the app yet.
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