High-Efficiency Heating Circulation Pump (EEI ≤ 0.20)

Replacing old heating pumps (often 60-100 W constant) with electronically controlled high-efficiency pumps (typically 8-25 W).

How does a high-efficiency circulation pump work?

The heating circulation pump moves the heating water from the heat generator to the heating surfaces and back. Conventional uncontrolled pumps run all year round at a fixed setting, typically 60 to 90 W – regardless of whether all radiators are open or just one. High-efficiency pumps use a permanent magnet motor and electronic differential pressure control: when thermostatic valves close, the flow rate drops and the pump automatically reduces its speed. Average power consumption therefore falls to 8 to 25 W. The energy efficiency index (EEI) describes the weighted electricity consumption; values of 0.20 or below denote the efficient class, and current top models reach 0.15. Under the EU Ecodesign Regulation, only pumps with an EEI ≤ 0.27 have been permitted on the market since 2013, and ≤ 0.23 since 2015.

Which buildings are suitable for a pump replacement?

In principle, all buildings with a water-based heating system in which the existing pump is older than about 10 years. Replacement makes sense if the existing pump is not yet in the high-efficiency class – recognisable by the absence of electronic control or a rating plate without an EEI value. In detached houses, old pumps of 50 to 90 W are common, in apartment buildings 100 to 300 W; the potential per pump is correspondingly greater there. The hydraulics of the heating circuit should be known so that the new pump is correctly sized and the control mode (proportional or constant pressure) is set appropriately. The replacement itself takes a few hours.

What does a high-efficiency pump actually deliver?

The heating system's auxiliary electricity consumption falls by 60 to 85 %. In a detached house, one pump saves around 380 kWh of electricity and about 59 kg of CO2 per year. Costs are 250 to 450 € including installation, with a service life of 15 years. With a payback of 2 to 4 years, pump replacement is among the most cost-effective individual measures on a heating system. Combined with hydraulic balancing, the pump can also be operated at a lower head, which increases the saving further.

Energy carrier

Strom → Strom

Savings potential

60-85 % Hilfsstrom Heizung

Worked example

In a detached house, an uncontrolled heating circulation pump from the 2000s runs with an average power consumption of 75 W. Over the heating season it accumulates 6,000 operating hours per year, corresponding to an electricity consumption of 450 kWh. It is replaced by an electronically controlled high-efficiency pump with an EEI ≤ 0.20, which draws an average of only 12 W in the same heating circuit. The saving is calculated from the power difference multiplied by the running time: (75 − 12) × 6,000 / 1,000 = 63 × 6 = 378 kWh/a. With the Austrian electricity mix emission factor of 0.156 kg CO2/kWh, this corresponds to about 59 kg of CO2 per year. At a cost of 250 to 450 € including installation, the replacement pays back in 2 to 4 years; over the 15-year service life, the saving adds up to around 5,700 kWh of electricity.

Investment & payback

250-450 € (EFH) inkl. Montage · Service life: 15 a · Payback: 2-4 a

Applicability

Requirements

Exclusion criteria

Typical buildings

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to replace a heating circulation pump?

Replacing a heating pump with a high-efficiency pump costs 250 to 450 € including installation in a detached house. With savings of around 380 kWh of electricity per year, the investment pays back in 2 to 4 years. In apartment buildings, the pumps are larger and more expensive, but with old pump ratings of 100 to 300 W they save correspondingly more. The service life is around 15 years.

How do you recognise an old, inefficient heating pump?

An old heating pump can be recognised by a mechanical selector switch with three fixed settings, a power rating of 60 to 100 W on the rating plate, and the absence of an energy efficiency index (EEI). High-efficiency pumps have a display or electronic controls and an EEI of 0.23 or less. Pumps installed before about 2013 are generally still uncontrolled.

What does the EEI mean for circulation pumps?

The EEI (energy efficiency index) is a metric from EU Ecodesign Regulation 641/2009 that describes a circulation pump's weighted electricity consumption over a typical load profile relative to a reference pump. The lower the value, the more economical the pump. Since 2015, only pumps with an EEI ≤ 0.23 may be sold; values of 0.20 or below are considered the high-efficiency class, and top models are at 0.15.

Is a pump replacement worthwhile even with a newer heating system?

A pump replacement is worthwhile if the existing pump is older than about 10 years and not yet electronically controlled. Boilers installed after 2015 usually already have an integrated high-efficiency pump; here a replacement brings nothing. For external pumps in heating circuit manifolds or circulation pipes of older systems, however, replacement makes sense even with a newer boiler and pays back within a few years.

Does hydraulic balancing need to be done after replacing the pump?

Hydraulic balancing is not mandatory after a pump replacement, but is highly recommended. Only when every radiator receives the correct amount of water can the controlled pump run at a low head and realise its full saving potential. Without balancing, the pump often has to be set higher to supply distant radiators. Both measures together deliver considerably more than either on its own.

Related measures

Standards & sources

Metering points in the EDM Toolbox

Einbau eines Hutschienenzählers (Modbus oder M-Bus) für die Pumpe ermöglicht direktes Monitoring der tatsächlichen Einsparung. Bei MFH oft im Schaltschrank gut nachrüstbar.

All measures