You may already know the advantages of installing commercial boilers in cascade — improved efficiency, flexibility and system resilience - but you may also have been put off cascading boilers because the control aspect appears potentially complex and expensive. But what if you could make cascade control quick, simple and cost-effective?
With our Varican plug-in control module, designed exclusively for our Evomax 2 range of wall mounted commercial boilers, that’s precisely what we have done.
What is a cascade system?
A cascade system links multiple smaller boilers so they can work together to meet a building’s varying heat demand. Instead of running one large boiler at part-load, a cascade brings individual units online only when needed, optimising efficiency and cutting energy waste. It also adds resilience as if one boiler is offline for maintenance, the others continue to operate, ensuring consistent heating and hot water supply across the building.
How to simplify cascade control
Designed specifically for the Evomax 2 – the UK’s number one selling wall-hung boiler - Varican provides full cascade sequencing without the need for a complex or costly Building Management System (BMS). Varican is a simple plug-in card and, along with a daisy-chain cable, enables up to 16 devices to be connected, providing scalable control for projects of all sizes.
Each Evomax 2 fitted with Varican can control two heating circuits (constant or variable temperature). Adding more boilers or extension modules expands this capability, giving you the flexibility to tailor heating and hot water systems to any commercial site.
Varican - a cost-effective alternative to BMS
Installing or upgrading a BMS to manage boiler sequencing can cost thousands of pounds. Varican delivers similar intelligent control for a fraction of the cost, making it ideal for smaller or retrofit projects, or for sites where a BMS isn’t installed. It also gives contractors greater autonomy, allowing for efficient, fully independent cascades to be designed without relying on third-party systems.
Intelligent efficiency and built-in resilience
Varican enables the Cascade Manager menu within the Evomax 2 control system, enabling advanced features such as auto lead rotation, modulation level control, and sequence-on delay. These optimise performance by sharing demand evenly across boilers and maximising part-load efficiency.
If the lead boiler goes offline, any unit in the cascade can automatically take over, ensuring continuous operation — a key advantage over external controllers that can introduce single-point failures.
Easy to install and retrofit
Compact, quick to fit and fully supported, Varican can be retrofitted to existing Evomax 2 boilers with minimal disruption. Installation involves connecting the supplied cable and following the step-by-step instructions provided, with additional support and training available from Ideal Heating’s technical team when required.
In summary, Varican offers:
- Cost-effective cascade control without a BMS
- Plug-and-play installation and retrofit options
- Scalable operation for up to 16 devices
- Intelligent load sharing and built-in redundancy
- Highly efficient commercial boiler solution
To learn more about Varican, cascades and the UK manufactured Evomax 2 commercial condensing boiler range, click here.
Blog article authored by: Charlie Mowbray, Senior Product Manager for Ideal Commercial Heating.
