How to set up and commission an Aerona 290 air source heat pump?

Credit: A Grant Aerona 290 twin fan air-to-water heat pump

The set up and commissioning of a Grant Aerona 290 air source heat pump is completed via the Aerona Smart heat pump controller. The Aerona Smart Controller is a black cased wall mounted unit which has a 4.5” colour touchscreen display as pictured below.

R290 heat pump setup with Aerona Smart Controller

If you have installed an Aerona 290 heat pump, you will need to use the Aerona Smart Controller’s touchscreen display to access the settings to complete the set-up and commissioning of the heat pump unit. Please refer to the Installation Manual for detailed guidance but a summary of the key steps involved are provided below.

1. Switch on the Aerona Smart Controller – please be advised, if you are doing this for the first time after installation, you will need set the language, date and time by following the on-screen instructions.

2. The system configuration creator screen will then appear followed by a series of prompts – using the touchscreen, you will need to respond to each prompt by selecting the preferred option. (You can also access the System Configuration Assistant via the ‘settings’ icon in the bottom left hand side of the home screen – you will need to select ‘service settings’, enter the 4-digit password of 0000 and then press ‘enter’.)
a. Select whether a buffer or low loss header is installed on the system or whether it is a direct system
b. Confirm whether there is a facility for domestic hot water (DHW) and, if so, whether a secondary hot water circulation pump has been installed
c. Confirm whether an outside temperature sensor is connected. If connected, select the ‘Smart Controller’ option. Please note, if an outdoor temperature sensor is not installed, you will only be able to configure fixed water temperature control for the heating circuit(s).
d. Configure the heating circuits, commencing with Circuit 1 (which has no mixer facility), renaming the circuit if desired and then choosing the heat emitters that are being used for this circuit. You can also confirm whether you require a fixed temperature or weather compensation – when you select ‘weather’, you will then be able to adjust the heating curve
e. Complete the hydraulic configuration, confirming the decrease in set point temperature (this is your drop in water flow temperature during unoccupied periods or at night time)
f. Select your choice of circuit thermostat, for example wired or wireless thermostats or the control panel
g. You can then review the summary screen which will display at the end of configuration process
h. If further/adjustable circuits need to be set up (for example for underfloor heating), you can follow the on-screen prompt to set up additional circuits and repeat steps (d) to (g)
i. The adjustable circuits also have the ability to use a motorised mixing valve, and if selected will need to have the valve opening times configured for the Aerona Smart Controller to accurately open and close the valve.
j. Once all the circuits have been set up, you can then check the configured system using the manual control screen to activate components– it is important to note, this control screen simply turns components on and off and does not follow any protection logic
k. When running for the first time, the system configuration creator will also prompt you to setup and configure Wi-Fi connectivity which will give remote access functionality to the Aerona Smart Controller from a web portal or the ecoNET24 mobile app. For further guidance on configuring the Wi-Fi, please watch our video here. 
l. You can then review the summary screen and check that all the settings are correct - if they are, you can then press the green tick to confirm. The Smart Controller will then return to the home screen, showing the setup is complete

3. The legionella protection must also be set up and you can do this separately using the Aerona Smart Controller – please watch our video here to learn more about this step

4. The Aerona 290 heat pump parameters can then be reviewed – you can access the heat pump parameters via the Smart Controller’s home screen by selecting the ‘settings’ icon in the bottom left hand corner, pressing ‘service settings’ and then entering the 4-digit password 1234 and select ‘enter’. The heat pump parameter menu will then display and you can adjust these to suit the system design requirements – you can find a full list of the parameter codes in the Aerona 290 Heat Pump Installation Manual.

Please note, the steps for using an Aerona Smart Controller to set up an Aerona 290 heat pump are the same as those used for setting up an Aerona³ R32 heat pump with this smart heat pump controller.

Further information and installation support for the Aerona Smart Controller can be found in the controller’s installation instructions.

Heat pump controller video tutorials

You can view a full playlist of videos about the Aerona Smart heat pump system controller via the Grant UK YouTube Channel which includes tutorials on the controller’s icons, core settings and ecoNET app set-up. The video below talks through how to set up a Grant heat pump using the Aerona Smart Controller.