In this module, we will explore the ALPHA2 GO’s Guided Setup feature… and the challenges it can help installers overcome, as well as how to use Guided Setup through the Grundfos GO app.

With 95% of pump emissions occurring during operation, small improvements in setup can deliver significant energy savings and reduce carbon emissions.

But achieving these savings isn’t straightforward. The challenge of pump setup lies in the variability of system needs—parameters like radiator count, floor size, or boiler size might seem like useful indicators, but they often fail to directly determine the correct pump settings.

Take this example where each datapoint represents the correct setpoint for a pump in an actual system:
Even in a system with 10 radiators, the correct setting can vary significantly. Factors like system design, flow dynamics, and heat distribution needs all play a role, creating a wide range of potential settings. It’s clear there’s no single formula or trendline—only variance and unpredictability.

When pump settings are incorrect, the consequences affect every aspect of the system. Circulator pumps are often incorrectly set with oversized curves, leading to excess flow and wasted energy consumption.

Excess flow doesn't just affect the circulators energy consumption, it also affects the heating appliance by increasing return temperatures and reducing efficiency – especially when those temperatures rise above the dew point.

This means wasted energy and higher heating bills for the homeowner. Incorrect commissioning also has an impact on humans too. Noise and discomfort from uneven heating make for unhappy residents, while installers lose valuable time returning to troubleshoot issues that could’ve been avoided.

To ensure ALPHA2 GO pumps are set up correctly, the Grundfos GO app offers a Guided Setup feature, making commissioning faster, simpler, and more accurate.

By answering a few simple questions about the system, Guided Setup will recommend not only the right control mode, but also the right set point for that control mode. In the majority of cases, AUTOADAPT will be the recommended setting.

AUTOADAPT automatically optimises performance by adjusting the setpoint based on the actual heating demand of the system. Simply connect the pump, choose the application and control mode, and select AUTOADAPT as the set point.

For ALPHA2 GO, AUTOADAPT is available for both radiator and underfloor heating systems. If you’re working in a scenario where AUTOADAPT isn’t the preferred choice, the Grundfos GO app helps you calculate the right set point for the system.

Let’s see how with Calculated Setpoint.

To achieve the optimal setting, you will need to work out design flow and head loss for the application you are working with.  To calculate the design flow, first enter the size of the heated area being served by the pump. Next, enter the required heat power which can be estimated based on the year the building was built. Finally, enter the desired delta T or temperature difference. With these 3 data points, we can now calculate a design flow.

The next step is for the ALPHA2 GO to measure the head loss in the system, where simulating the peak demand of the house is required. Opening all valves in the system will mimic the coldest day of the year when all heat emitters are active. This will allow the pump to measure the system's maximum head loss.

With these two values, the calculated design flow and the measured system head loss, we've now identified the optimal set point for the system.

Let’s recap.
* System variability is the biggest barrier to achieving the right set up.
* Incorrect settings can reduce efficiency and impact resident comfort.
* Using Guided Setup in the Grundfos GO app will help find the right control mode and set point.
* When AUTOADAPT is not recommended, the app will help find the optimal set point by calculating the design flow and measuring the system head loss.