What is Short Cycling?
Short cycling significantly reduces a heat pump’s efficiency by causing it to turn on and off too frequently. Since a heat pump consumes more energy during startup, this frequent cycling leads to higher energy consumption, increased wear and tear, and higher energy bills for your customers.
What Causes Short Cycling?
Short cycling can occur due to:
✅ Too many TRVs (Thermostatic Radiator Valves) being closed
✅ Issues with flow temperatures
✅ Debris in the system, restricting flow
Important: The Homely device does not cause short cycling—it is entirely related to the heat pump itself. However, Homely’s remote diagnostics tools can help you identify and troubleshoot the issue.
Diagnosing If a Home is Short Cycling:
To determine if a heat pump is short cycling, you can review its data in Homely Connect. The relevant information is available on the History Page, where you can analyse temperature trends.
Steps to Identify Short Cycling:
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Go to the History Page in Homely Connect.
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Enable “Flow Temperature” and “Return Temperature” on the graph.
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Look for compressor activation patterns:
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If the compressor is turning on at least once within a 30-minute period (i.e., one peak on the graph every 30 minutes or less), short cycling is likely occurring.
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Short cycling in a heat pump can often be diagnosed using the Homely Connect interface. One of the first indicators to check is the flow temperature, which is visible on the Overview Page of the Connect app.
For a more detailed analysis, flow rate monitoring is available as a Connect Pro feature. However, this feature depends on the brand of heat pump being used. If your heat pump is from a supported brand, you can enable the Flow Rate option on the chart. This will allow you to track variable flow rates over a selected period, helping to identify irregularities that may contribute to short cycling.
Supported Brands for the Flow Rate Option:
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Nordis
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Riello
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Midea
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Daikin
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LG
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Clivet
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Ferroli
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Worcester Bosch
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Airwell
