Balancing crane appointment. balancing valve. What does it look like and why is it needed? What is a balancing valve for a heating system

Any heating system must be properly configured. The main goal of this setting is to ensure the same performance in all parts of the network. For example, if this is the heating system of a multi-storey building, then the heat should be both on the top and bottom floors. These indicators should not only be equivalent, but also close to the normative ones. One of the most effective ways to adjust is to use a balancing valve, the installation of which should ideally be thought out at the stage of creating a heating system project.

Peculiarities

Modern heating systems are characterized by uneven distribution of heat in individual rooms. The amount of heat depends on the flow rate of the coolant, and the flow of water is just controlled by the balancing valve. If this device is not used, then the amount of heat received will decrease, moving away from its source. Accordingly, there will be different temperatures at different points in the network.

Previously, in simpler systems, this problem was solved by installing pipes with certain diameters or installation of special throttle washers. The latter are characterized by a certain passage size, which ensures the supply of the required volume of water.

However, in order to achieve the required volume of coolant, it was necessary to stop the flow and disassemble the pipes. Today, a balancing valve is used to bring the water flow to the standard.

The design is a specific valve, with which the flow of the coolant is regulated. Sometimes, as an addition to this mechanism, two fittings are built in, which measure the pressure in different zones in relation to the regulating mechanism. In addition, it connects to a capillary tube to coordinate with other controls.

There are two types of these valves: manual and automatic.

The first type, as the name suggests, is manually operated. Products are inexpensive and therefore are the most common. By changing the pressure difference and water flow, they are able to adjust both individual sections and the whole system. In addition, at control points it will be possible to monitor the performance of the working environment, and in the event of a breakdown, turn off any fragment and arrange repair work. Unfortunately, the adjustment of such valves is carried out under the condition of a constant flow of coolant. If it changes, then the system will not be able to function. Therefore, it is better to install such models in private homes and with a simplified heating system.

Automatic valves are devices that do not require human intervention. They independently regulate the volume of the spent coolant or the pressure difference. Some models can work together with impulse piping, controlling both flow and differential pressure at the same time. It is also worth adding that very often measuring instruments are attached to the balancing valves to make it less difficult to debug the system.

Automatic devices are attached to both the inlet and return pipelines. They are interconnected by a thin tube, thanks to which the valve moves and the water flow is blocked depending on pressure surges. Such a device is configured once and does not require further adjustment.

Valve models may differ depending on the heat carrier (steam, water or glycol solution), type of building (private house or ordinary high-rise building), installation location (on the supply or return pipeline), working environment (at what pressure, temperature and volume of distilled water does the device). Finally, valves can exhibit other features, such as pressure control and be equipped with additional devices such as a measuring orifice.

Valves are usually made of brass and cast iron (for manual models) or a combination of these materials with carbon steel in the case of automatic options. It is also worth adding that they can be installed on a "warm floor" and on air conditioning pipes with water supply.

Principle of operation

Balancing will have to be carried out in the following cases:

initially at the stage of designing or installing the heating system, mistakes were made;
there was a radical replacement of batteries with those that do not correspond to the project;
changed the design of the pipeline;
the system, due to the lack of timely cleanings, became clogged.

Even one of the above situations can lead to problems with heating: there will be oxygen-hydrogen plugs, temperature fluctuations, and excessive consumption of energy required for heating. As a result, the tenants of the apartments will become very uncomfortable to be in the premises.

The installation of the valve should be started only after understanding the purpose of the device, as well as how it works. In short, the handle rotates - the size of the section changes due to the fact that the spool blocked the flow. The cross section has decreased - the hydraulic resistance has increased - the flows in different pipes have leveled off.

If in the apartments of a multi-storey building individual thermostatic valves are not installed on the radiator, and the amount of heat in each room must be unchanging and pre-calculated, then a manual balancing valve will have to be installed. This part is mounted on the return pipeline at the point where the pipe of a separate apartment is connected to a common line, just like ball valves.

The scheme with a balancing valve is easily implemented when the number of radiators does not exceed five pieces. However, if there are more of them, then a situation may well arise when the flow in one heating device will be blocked, but increase in another. As a result: some will overheat, while others will remain not warm enough. In addition, if the room is equipped with thermostatic controls, then the water flow will change regularly.

In this case, an automatic regulator will come to the rescue. The combination of data on system pressure drops and water volume will allow you to quickly respond and keep the system in balance.

The automatic balancing valve is adjusted using a differential pressure and flow table and a flow meter.

Installation

The balancing valve, designed to control the heating system, is very easy to install with your own hands. Installation is carried out in the same way as a conventional ball valve is mounted. In principle, it is not particularly important how the valve itself will be placed in space, but the arrow on the body must correspond to the direction of water flow. Otherwise, the valve will begin to create resistance to the coolant. The temperature and pressure of different valves may vary, therefore, having studied the characteristics of your own heating system, it is better to find the most suitable option from manufacturers.

Before the valve, it is necessary to place special protection in the form of a filter. This device will prevent debris and dirt from entering the individual elements of the regulator. In addition, it is recommended to mount the valve in such a way that there are significant straight pipe gaps before and after it. Thus, it will be possible to prevent the occurrence of bends that affect the movement of water. Also, before starting the installation, the pipes must be flushed.

The installation of the valve begins after the inspection of the condition of the pipes is completed - it is necessary to check their integrity and the absence of debris. Then the place where the device will be placed is determined. The parameters of the straight pipe sections before and after the valve should correspond to the following figures: five diameters before the element and two diameters after the element or even more, this will eliminate turbulence.

Then the valve is screwed into the thread of the pipe, pre-equipped with tow.

Threading on the nozzle can be done with a die or other similar tool. In order for a quality connection to the valve to occur, the thread length must be up to seven turns.

Adjustment can only be carried out when data on the calculated readings are received. You can get the latter from the documents of the thermal system project. The setting is given according to the valve diagram and the readings obtained. Turning the handle sets the spindle in motion, which in turn adjusts.
If a radiator thermostat is installed in the apartment, this means that it will constantly change the volume of coolant, depending on the slightest temperature fluctuations in the room. In this case, it is immediately necessary to install an automatic balancing valve, the second name of which, by the way, is “dynamic”.
It is important that the direction of flow indicated on the valve body is observed.
During installation, make sure that no debris or unnecessary objects get inside the pipeline. Otherwise, the operation of the device may be impaired.

Ordinary ball valves cannot control the flow of water in pipes or radiators. But for the correct distribution of the coolant among the batteries, such an adjustment is necessary. The manual balancing valve (otherwise - the valve) just serves to adjust the water heating system. In the publication, we will tell you where the balance valve is placed and how to use it correctly when balancing the heating network of a private house.

Why are balancing valves needed?

Let's make a reservation right away that not every system requires balancing as such. For example, 2-3 short dead-end branches with 2 batteries on each are able to immediately turn on in the normal operating mode, provided that the pipe diameters are correctly selected and the distances between the devices are small. Now let's look at 2 situations:

2-4 heating branches of unequal length with the number of radiators from 4 to 10 are connected to the boiler.
The same layout, but with batteries equipped with thermostatic valves (described in).

An example of a dead-end scheme with arms of unequal length and load. The last radiator of the short branch also needs a balance valve.

Since the bulk of the water always flows along the path of least hydraulic resistance, in situation No. 1, the first heaters located close to the boiler will receive more heat. If the flow of coolant to these radiators is not limited, then the last batteries in the chain will heat up much weaker, the temperature difference between them can be 10 ° C or more.

In order to direct the required amount of coolant to distant batteries, radiator balancing valves, shown in the photo, are installed on the connections to nearby devices. They limit the flow of water, partially blocking the flow area of the pipes and increasing the hydraulic resistance of the site.

In the same way, the coolant supply is regulated in systems with five or more dead-end branches. On the tie-ins close to the heat generator, manual balancing valves are installed for pipelines. Partially blocking the passage of water, they direct the main flow further along the highway.

Situation #2 is more complicated. The installation of radiator thermostats with heads allows you to change the coolant flow in automatic mode as needed. But imagine that a window opened in the room closest to the boiler, the air temperature dropped, and the thermostat opened completely. Then it will also become colder in the last room, because it will not have enough heat taken away by the first battery.

The task of the valves is to limit the coolant flow to the risers (or horizontal branches)

On long branches with a large number of heaters equipped with thermal heads, balancing valves are combined with automatic differential pressure regulators, as is done above in the diagram.

Regulators connected by capillary tubes to balance valves respond to a decrease / increase in water flow and maintain the return pressure at the same level. Then all consumers have enough coolant, despite the operation of thermal valves. The benefits of such control valves are described in detail in the video:

Where should the valve be placed?

Most private homes use only manual radiator valves. They are quite enough to set up the normal operation of water heating in cottages up to 500 m². Installation of balance cranes of the main type is carried out in such cases:

in buildings with an extensive heating network, consisting of many risers;
in apartment buildings heated by their own boiler room;
at .

When we figured out the purpose of the balancing valves, we will indicate the specific places for their installation. Radiator valves must be installed at the outlet of the batteries, and main valves - on the return pipe with a cooled coolant. If the element is used in tandem with an automatic pressure regulator, then it can be installed both on the supply and return pipelines, depending on the designed scheme.

An example of a scheme with group balancing of risers

Reference. In aluminum and steel radiators with a bottom connection, the balancing cock is built into a special fitting designed to connect the connections to such devices.

Let's highlight the moments when it is not necessary to install control valves:

in dead-end systems of small length with hydraulically equal "shoulders";
if all batteries are equipped with thermostatic valves with presetting;
on the last (dead-end) radiator;
in collector type heating systems.

Special fittings for bottom connection are equipped with built-in balancing valves

Temperature regulators with presetting, standing on the water supply to the battery, simultaneously play the role of a balance valve, so it is enough to install a shut-off ball valve at the outlet of the heater. The same fittings are mounted on the connections of the last radiator in the chain, since it is pointless to regulate it, it must be completely open.

Design and principle of operation

The radiator valve, designed for manual balancing of heating, consists of the following parts:

Brass body with threaded pipes for connecting pipes. Inside, a saddle is made by casting - a vertical round channel, slightly expanding upwards.
Locking and regulating spindle with a working part in the form of a cone, which enters the saddle when twisting and restricts the flow of water.
O-rings made of EPDM rubber.
Protective plastic or metal cap.

The figure shows a Caleffi valve (website - https://www.caleffi.com)

Note. All well-known manufacturers - Danfoss, Herz, Caleffi and others - offer 2 types of valves - straight and angle. The principle of operation is the same, only the form changes.

The balancing valve device is shown in more detail in the diagram above. It can be seen from it that the rotation of the spindle leads to an increase or decrease in the flow area, and this is how the adjustment is performed. The number of turns from closed to maximum open position is from 3 to 5 depending on the valve manufacturer. To turn the stem, you need to use a regular or special key in the form of a hex.

Main valves differ from radiator valves in size, inclined position of the spindle and fittings designed for:

coolant drain;
connection of measuring devices;
connecting the capillary tube from the pressure regulator.

Main valve device for balancing heating branches

For reference. The drain pipe is also equipped with radiator valve models, for example, from the Oventrop brand.

The range of balance cranes is constantly expanding due to the emergence of new high-tech products. An example is an Italian-made Caleffi vertical valve equipped with a flow meter.

Caleffi valve with flow meter can be mounted in 2 positions - horizontal and vertical

How to balance the radiator network

Usually, installers of heating systems set the flow rate of the coolant on the batteries in a simple way: they divide the number of revolutions of the balancing valve by the number of heaters and in this way calculate the adjustment step. Moving from the last radiator to the first, they close the taps with the resulting difference in speed.

Example. We have on one "shoulder" of the dead-end system 5 radiators with Oventrop manual valves for 4.5 turns of the spindle. We divide 4.5 by 5, we get an adjustment step of about 0.9 turns. This means that we open the penultimate heater by 3.6 turns, the third - by 2.7, the second - by 1.8, the first - by 0.9 turns.

The method is quite approximate and does not take into account the different power of the batteries, and therefore can be used as a preliminary setting with adjustments during operation.

A contact thermometer that measures the surface temperature of pipes and batteries will help to more accurately balance the heating.

Our experienced one offers another method based on measuring the actual surface temperature of the heaters. Step by step instructions for balancing looks like this:

Open all balancing valves to the maximum and bring the system into operation with a flow temperature of 80 °C.
Use a contact thermometer to measure the temperature of all heating appliances.
Eliminate the resulting difference by turning the taps of the first and middle radiators, do not touch the final ones. Open the nearest battery by 1-1.5 turns of the valve, the middle ones - by 2-2.5.
Allow the system to adapt to the new settings for 20 minutes and repeat the measurements. Your task is to achieve a minimum temperature difference between the battery farthest and closest to the boiler.

Note. Weather and temperature on the street does not play a role, only the difference in heating of radiators is important. By the way, in the normal operating mode at 50-70 ° C at the supply, the temperature delta will become even less. How the system is hydraulically balanced using balancing valves, watch the video from the expert:

Final Conclusion

If you yourself are engaged in the installation of heating, then you will surely encounter balancing. When all radiators except the last one have balancing valves, the procedure will not cause much trouble. It is better to take valves that are adjustable with a key or a screwdriver, and not with a plastic handle, so that children do not get to them. It is possible that in winter the position of the spindles will have to be adjusted, because the rooms are different. The only caveat: do not make sudden movements and open the taps in cold rooms slowly, ¼ of a turn.

Many people think that the heating system is just a set of pipes and radiators, which are complemented by a heating boiler and a circulation pump. But it is not so. The heating system also contains a number of auxiliary components, without which the work would not be of very high quality. One of these elements is the balancing valve for heating systems.

Application area

Valve (faucet) needed for hydraulic balancing of hydraulic circuits. It can control the allowable flow rate on heat carriers. As a result, the efficiency of the heating system will increase significantly.

The balancing valve is needed in order to throughout the plumbing, the distribution of heating was the same. This means that the hot liquid comes to the battery in the amount that is needed and is evenly distributed throughout the room. It should be noted that it can work even with strong pressure drops and high speed of the working medium.

Design

The design of the balancing valve is based on the design of the ball valve, with only some additions. Additions include an indicator for the shutter, a measuring diaphragm, a branch pipe (the valve itself is installed on it) and a special position lock. The body is made of steel, silumin or brass. A membrane system is used as a sealant. Such balancing valves will cost significantly more, but they do not require any maintenance.

The seat and plug of the balancing valve distributes the fluid flow. The valve stem can be: rising, falling, oblique or straight. When buying a balancing valve, these features of the stem must be taken into account.

The rod, with an oblique shape, has less hydraulic resistance. Such balancing valves have high control precision and good flow characteristics.

Main characteristics

In addition to regulating the heating flow, the balancing valve has some more devices and settings. For example, it can adjust the flow rate stepwise or continuously, can block the presets, regulate the operation of the bypass valve and regulate the operation of the special temperature fuse.

Balancing valves (regardless of their design) have the following characteristics:

Working temperature can be from -20 to 120 degrees.
It has the minimum length required for installation.
All information is read directly. No additional devices are needed.
No excess weight. This is possible due to its compact size.
Since the valve is made of durable material, it will not deform.

Balancing valve in the heating system

Depending on the number of circuits of the heating system, the required number of balancing valves is installed. The procedure for using valves for balancing will also depend on the type of heating system.

Balancing valve in a private house

Some users believe that balancing should only be done in large rooms. But in a private house, the heating system can have a rather complex scheme, which includes several circuits, in each of which it is necessary to maintain a certain mode of operation. To achieve this goal, a balancing valve is installed in each supply pipeline.

Balancing valve in a multi-storey building or building

In this case, manual or automatic balancing valves are used. They are installed in order to maintain the flow rate of the coolant in a constant mode.

It should be noted that in the construction of modern multi-storey buildings, a balancing crane is always used. The larger the heated room, the more balancing valves are installed. A balancing tap in any heating system allows you to save up to one to forty percent of all heat.

Mounting

Installation takes place in accordance with the rules for the installation of pipeline systems, with the exception of minor subtleties.

It should be noted that the use of such valves allows you to save from twenty-five to forty percent of heat.

Where else can you use such a valve

It can be used in systems with a solid fuel boiler. To do this, the valve must be installed in a small circulation circuit. Myself the circuit must be closed to the buffer tank. The meaning of such a connection is to maintain the water temperature in the circuit at least sixty degrees, and not to install a mixing unit. With this connection, the fuel consumption in the boiler circuit must be higher than in the heating circuit. For this, a valve is needed, which is placed on the supply in the system.

So, a balancing valve is a device necessary for heating systems. A balancing valve is needed in every heating system. Depending on the area of the room, the required number of valves is installed in the system for the correct operation of the entire system. Their use in heating systems will save from twenty-five to forty percent of heat, provided that the cost of the valve itself is no more than one percent of the total cost of the entire system.

The desire to have an economical and, at the same time, an ideal heating system in all directions, is desirable for everyone. In life, this happens, unfortunately, not always.

It is enough for designers to make a mistake in the hydraulic or thermal calculation, and additional costs for the heating system are provided.

Incorrectly selected heating fittings will also contribute. In order for the heating system to perform its functions reliably and correctly, in the arsenal of heating engineers there are various ways to achieve this goal.

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Classmates

The need for balancing

The design of the heating system assumes that at each heating point the heater will give the right amount of heat. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in practice.

This pattern is especially noticeable in multi-storey buildings. Often there is such a picture when the lower floors are literally suffocating from the heat, and at the same time, the batteries on the upper floors are slightly warm.

The same situation arises with heating entrances. It is much warmer in the one located closer to the entrance to the DHW house.

Such a difference in temperature difference is explained by the fact that the closer the heating radiator is to the hot water inlet, the more heat it receives. Naturally, he gives. Remote heaters receive less heat, so they are colder. This means that the hydraulic adjustment of the system is broken. The balance equilibrium of heat distribution has disappeared.

There are few reasons for system imbalance. The main ones are:

errors in the installation of the system;
an error in the project or its change;
airing the system;
mismanagement of the heating system;
ignoring seasonal service.

There is a need to adjust it to restore uniform heating. As a result of this work, each heater will receive the calculated amount of heat. The temperature regime will even out, the whole house will be equally warm. Balancing valves are used to achieve this goal.

It is worth noting: installation of a balancing system will ensure uniform heating of each heater in the house.

Types of cranes

Balancing valves are divided into automatic and manual.

Manual ones are designed to set up the network during its installation, and automatic ones change the parameters of the heating network during its operation.

When selecting a valve, it is necessary to take into account many parameters, which include:

type and parameters of the coolant;
classification of buildings;
adjustment parameters;
installation location in the system;
purpose of the system.

Types of heating systems depend on the coolant that they use. It can be water, steam, antifreeze. The performance of the system will directly depend on them.

Of great importance is the type of building where the balancing valve will be installed. The installation location of the valve is also important - the supply and return pipelines have very wide differences between themselves. Therefore, the balancing devices installed on them will also differ.

The purpose of the system is very important. According to their characteristics, the systems of hot and cold water supply and heating have quite large discrepancies. For example, in a DHW system, only thermostatic balancing valves are used. Thus, the choice of a balancing valve is not as simple as it seems at first.

Principle of operation

The device of the valve is clearly visible in the figure. But what is the principle of its work, this must be understood.

Turning the adjusting knob changes the position of the valve spool. As a result, the size of the section between it and the saddle changes.

Thus, the coolant, passing through a large or small section of the valve, changes its pressure, as the throughput changes. Thus, by adjusting the pressure, it is possible to achieve a uniform distribution of heat for each heating device.

To automatically adjust the heat distribution, two balancing valves are installed in the system - on the inlet circuit and in the return. They are interconnected. The balancing effect of the system will take place automatically.

But for this, it will be necessary at the very beginning, at the first start, to properly adjust and configure the entire heating system. If all the manufacturer's requirements are met, the balancing equipment works flawlessly.

Note: some mistakenly, on the advice of the local Kulibins, try to install a ball valve instead of a balancing valve. The absurdity of such an idea becomes apparent immediately after the system is launched. The valve does not belong to the control valves on any side.

Mounting

The tie-in rules are simple, but you must follow them all. Otherwise, the desired effect will not be achieved.

Performing the installation, you must do the following operations:

check the installation of the system;
cut the thread at the valve installation site;
prepare the valve for installation;
install the valve in its place in the system;
install in front of the valve.

After installing the balancing valve, it must be adjusted. This process is available only to specialists, requires special equipment and knowledge.

Take into account: you should not even try to do the installation of a heating balancing system with your own hands. In the best case, the system will not give the expected effect, in the worst case, the heating system will have to be redone.

Control valves are produced by several manufacturers. Among them, one of the leading places belongs to such well-known companies as Danfoss (Danfoss), Broen, Meibes. The list could go on.

A wide selection allows you to focus on price and quality. Such parameters as quality and reliability provide the consumer with not only comfort, but also significant savings in the long run.

Watch the video in which the specialist explains in detail the device and features of the operation of a manual balancing crane:

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Large multi-circuit heating systems quite often face the problem of uneven heating of different rooms. The coolant flows along the path of least resistance, which is why the farther from the heat source, the lower the consumption of thermal energy than next to it. A manual or automatic balancing valve for the heating system (otherwise - a valve) is used to equalize the coolant flow in different branches.

The design of the radiator element, which is used for manual balancing of heating branches, consists of the following parts:

Body with threaded fittings used to connect pipes, made of brass. With the help of casting, a so-called saddle is made inside, which is a round vertical channel, which slightly expands upward.
Locking and regulating spindle, the working part of which has the form of a cone, which enters the saddle during twisting, thereby limiting the flow of water.
O-rings made of EPDM rubber.
Protective cap made of plastic or metal.

All well-known manufacturers of products have two types of execution - angular and straight. Only the form has changed, but the principle of operation is the same.

How the valve works in the heating system: during the rotation of the spindle, the flow area decreases or increases, due to which the adjustment is carried out. The number of turns, from closed to open, to the limit, varies from three to five turns, depending on who is the manufacturer of this product. To turn the stem, a regular or special key having the shape of a hexagon is used.

Compared to radiator valves, main valves have a different size, inclined spindle position, excellent fittings, which are necessary for:

to drain the coolant if necessary
connection of metering and control devices;
connection of the capillary tube coming from the pressure regulator.

It should also be mentioned that not every system needs balancing as such. For example, 2-3 short dead-end branches, equipped with 2 radiators on each, can immediately enter normal operating mode, provided that the diameter of the pipes is chosen exactly and the distances between devices are not very large. Now consider 2 situations:

2-4 heating branches of unequal length lead from the boiler, the number of radiators on each is from 4 to 10.
The same, only the radiators are equipped with thermostatic valves.

Since the bulk of the coolant always flows along the path with the least hydraulic resistance, in the first case, the first radiators, which are closest to the boiler, will receive most of the heat. If the coolant enters these batteries, it will not be limited, then the batteries standing at the very end will receive the least amount of thermal energy, and thus the difference between the temperature regimes will be from 10 ° C or more.

In order for the most distant batteries to be provided with the necessary amount of coolant, balancing valves are installed on the connections to the nearest radiators from the boiler. By partially overlapping the internal section of the pipes, they limit the flow of water, thereby increasing the hydraulic resistance of this segment. In a similar way, the supply is also regulated in systems where there are 5 or more dead-end branches.

In the second case, the situation is somewhat more complicated. Installation of radiator thermostats makes it possible to change the water flow rate automatically if necessary. On long branches with a large number of heating devices that are equipped with thermostats, balancing valves are combined with automatic differential pressure regulators.

The latter, with the help of a capillary tube, are connected to a balance valve, react to a decrease or increase in the flow rate of the coolant in the system and maintain the return pressure at the required level. Thus, the coolant is evenly distributed among the consumers, despite the fact that the thermostats are triggered.

What are balancing valves?

Standard ball valves for heating radiators cannot cope with the regulation of the distribution of thermal energy in pipes and radiators. But nevertheless, in order to distribute heat evenly in the premises, such an adjustment is simply necessary.

Balancing valves are of two types - manual and automatic. Manual ones are needed in order to set up the network during its installation, and automatic ones change the parameters of the heating network at the time of heating.

When selecting a valve, many characteristics must be taken into account, which include:

type and characteristics of the coolant;
place of installation in the system;
adjustment characteristics;
adjustment parameters;
classification of buildings;

The types of heating systems directly depend on the coolant they use. It can be antifreeze, steam, water. They directly affect the performance of the system.

An important characteristic is the purpose of the system. In terms of their parameters, hot and cold water supply and heating systems differ quite a lot. For example, in a DHW system, only thermostatic balancing valves are used.

The type of building where the balancing valve will be installed is of great importance. The place of installation of the valve also plays a rather important role, since the return and supply pipelines are quite different from each other in terms of characteristics. And because of this, the balancing devices that will be mounted on them will have significant differences.

Where and when is the main crane installed?

Most private homes use manual radiator valves. They are quite enough for normal adjustment of the operation of water heating in cottages, whose area does not exceed 500 m². Installation Installation of balancing valves of the main type in the heating system is done in the following cases:

in buildings where an extensive heating network with a large number of risers is installed;
in apartment buildings that are heated by their own boiler room;
when tying a solid fuel boiler with a heat accumulator.

When there is an idea about the purpose of balancing valves, it is necessary to understand the specific places for their installation. Radiator valves must be installed at the outlet of the heater, that is, on the return line, and main valves must be installed on the pipeline that brings chilled water from consumers to the boiler room. In the case when the element is paired with an automatic pressure regulator, it can be installed both in the return and in the supply pipeline, depending on how the circuit itself is designed.

Note: aluminum and steel radiators with a bottom connection are already equipped with a balancing cock, which is built into the special fittings that are necessary to connect the connections to such devices.

We list the moments in which cases it is not necessary to install control valves:

in dead-end systems of small extent, which have the same "shoulders" in terms of hydraulics;
in the case when the batteries are equipped with thermostatic valves with presetting;
in collector type heating systems.
on the last (dead-end) heating radiator;

Temperature controllers with presetting, which are on the water supply to the battery, also act as a balance valve, so a shut-off ball valve must be installed at the outlet of the heater. Such fittings are installed on the connections to the last radiator in the chain, since it does not make much sense to regulate it, and it must be completely open.

How to balance the heating system?

As a rule, heating system installers determine the coolant flow in batteries by a fairly simple method: the number of revolutions of the balancing valve is divided by the number of heaters and thus the adjustment step is calculated. Moving from the last radiator to the first, the valves are twisted with the resulting speed difference.

For example, one arm of a dead-end system is equipped with 5 radiators with manual valves for 4.5 turns of the spindle. 4.5 must be divided by 5, as a result we get approximately 0.9 turns. And thus, the penultimate device must be opened by 3.6 turns, the third by 2., the second by 1.8 and finally the very first by 0.9 turns.

The method is very approximate and takes into account the different capacities of the radiators, and is therefore only used as a preliminary setting with adjustment during operation.

During the installation, you must do the following manipulations:

check the installation of the system;
in the place where the valve is to be installed, it is necessary to cut the thread;
prepare the valve for installation;
install the valve in its place in the system;
a filter must be installed in front of the valve.

After the balancing valve is installed in the heating system, it is necessary to start the process of setting it up. This operation can only be carried out by specialists, as it requires additional knowledge and instruments.

Step by step instructions for balancing can be represented as follows:

All balancing valves must be opened to the limit and bring the system into operation, whose flow temperature will be 80 ° C.
Use a contact thermometer to measure the temperature of all heating appliances.
In order to eliminate the resulting difference, it is necessary to close the taps of the first and middle batteries, the last ones do not need to be touched. The nearest heating radiator must be opened by 1-1.5 turns, and the middle ones - by 2-2.5.
The system will take about 20 minutes to adapt to the new settings, after which it is necessary to take measurements again. The main task is to achieve a minimum temperature difference between the closest and farthest radiators.

Note. The weather and outside temperature do not matter, the only important characteristic is the difference in heating the batteries.

Installation of balancing valves is needed for large heating systems. They help to optimally distribute the coolant over all circuits. For such equipment, correct operation is achieved by correct installation and adjustment. The installation of valves should only be considered when designing the system.

The owner of the house, who is engaged in self-installation of equipment for the heating system, will certainly have to deal with balancing. It is quite simple to implement if all devices except the last one have balance taps.

The best choice would be models that can be easily adjusted with a screwdriver or wrench, and not with a plastic handle that children can reach. It may be necessary to adjust the position of the spindles in winter, as heat losses in rooms are different.