Pressure Regulating Valves
Energy Savings & Reduced Maintenance
For decades the only way to control the pressure in a closed loop system was running a pump at a constant speed and using a pressure reducing/regulating valve.
This was generally done with a pilot operated diaphragm valve. This regulated the flow of water downstream of the valve in an attempt to maintain a constant pressure with varying flow rates.
The valve is mechanical and susceptible to failure due to poor water quality. Small orifices clog with debris and scale and the pumps are forced to run to a closed valve for long periods of time.
If the system is not operating at peak performance the pumps may short cycle wasting energy or run continuously. The valves rarely produce a constant pessure and require field adjustment and tuning along with frequent maintenance.
A common complaint with pump systems using PRVs is hot water on the cold water side due to pumps running to a closed valve.
Variable frequency drives control the speed of the motor to produce a constant pressure through varying flow rates. The drive will slow down the motor during low flow rates and shut the pump down at no flow. Pressure is regulated very precisely through electronics producing little variation in pressure output.
While running at reduced speeds the motor only consumes the energy required to meet demand and great energy savings can be realized. Even greater energy savings are seen by shutting the pump down during no demand.
Energy Savings & Reduced Maintenance
For decades the only way to control the pressure in a closed loop system was running a pump at a constant speed and using a pressure reducing/regulating valve.
This was generally done with a pilot operated diaphragm valve. This regulated the flow of water downstream of the valve in an attempt to maintain a constant pressure with varying flow rates.
The valve is mechanical and susceptible to failure due to poor water quality. Small orifices clog with debris and scale and the pumps are forced to run to a closed valve for long periods of time.
If the system is not operating at peak performance the pumps may short cycle wasting energy or run continuously. The valves rarely produce a constant pessure and require field adjustment and tuning along with frequent maintenance.
A common complaint with pump systems using PRVs is hot water on the cold water side due to pumps running to a closed valve.
Variable frequency drives control the speed of the motor to produce a constant pressure through varying flow rates. The drive will slow down the motor during low flow rates and shut the pump down at no flow. Pressure is regulated very precisely through electronics producing little variation in pressure output.
While running at reduced speeds the motor only consumes the energy required to meet demand and great energy savings can be realized. Even greater energy savings are seen by shutting the pump down during no demand.