The larger the heating system, the more difficult it is to ensure uniform distribution of heat to all rooms without exception, no matter how far from its source they are. In order for the temperature regime to be uniform, mechanisms are built into the heating network in different areas to adjust the heat flow. The most common and effective of them is the balancing valve in the heating system.
- durable brass body, equipped with pipes for connecting pipes, with a saddle located inside in the form of a special vertical channel;
- a cone-shaped spindle screwed into the seat body to adjust the flow of the coolant;
- rubber sealing rings;
- plastic (less often - a metal cap).
- determination of intrasystem pressure on both sides of the valve;
- capillary tube connection.
- fluoroplast;
- dense rubber;
- metal.
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general characteristics
There are several types of methods by which heat flow is regulated. In the first of them, pipes of different diameters are used to regulate the volume of coolant passing through the radiators. Another one is based on the use of special washers that correct the passage of the amount of heated water needed in this area.
A detailed description of these methods is not of interest, since they are already outdated and are not used. A modern mechanism for adjusting the supply of coolant is the installation for heating balancing valve, consisting of:
The main part of the device - two special fittings responsible for:
Each of the fittings has a pressure meter, and in case of a difference in values, it is necessary to calculate the rational amount of water flow.
Balancing valve VT.054
Operating principle
The principle of operation of the balancing valve in the heating system is to adjust the cross section of the through hole for the coolant inside the pipeline. With the help of the working elements of the valve, it is possible to adjust the heating system at any time without stopping its operation, to achieve a comfortable thermal regime in heated rooms with minimal energy consumption.
Rotation of the adjusting handle causes the spindle to move up or down, respectively opening or closing the through hole in the pipe or reducing its cross section. Reducing the cross section of the through hole creates an obstacle to the movement of water, artificially increasing the flow rate. As a result, water reaches the remote circuits faster and with less heat loss. This ensures uniform heating of all rooms.
With constant changes in operating pressure, it is important to ensure reliable tightness of the connections inside the valve. For the product of spindle o-rings use:
Danfoss manual balancing valves. Hydraulic balancing of engineering systems
Valve types
There are two types of valves: manual and automatic. Each of them has its own advantages. The manual balancing valve is more suitable for small-sized heating pipes with stable pressure, usually installed in individual houses and apartments. Here, balancing valves are installed on each radiator.
In addition to the individual configuration of each battery, if necessary, such a configuration provides repair of individual elements of the system without turning it off completely. Another advantage of a manual valve over an automatic valve is its lower cost.
Automatic faucet
Automatic devices for adjusting the supply of coolant are much more expensive than manual valves. They are installed on the risers of heating systems of apartment buildings, office buildings or industrial premises.
The principle of operation of the automatic valve is not the same as that of a mechanical crane. With manual adjustment, the amount of coolant passing through the pipe per unit time depends on the flow area, which is set using the valve.
And in the automatic system, the valve is constantly set to the maximum water flow; the pressure and quantity of the coolant supplied to the pipeline is regulated by means of thermostats and capillary tubes installed on the radiators.
Balancing valve with internal thread STAD
Balancing valve installation
Each balancing valve has an arrow on the body that indicates in which direction the fluid inside the body should move in order to minimize turbulence that affects the correct settings. The arrow serves as a guide when mounting the mechanism on the pipeline.
The device is installed on straight sections of pipes so that the length of the flat part of the pipe in front of the valve is at least five of its diameters and at least two at the outlet. You need to mount it in the return branch of the system, for this you only need a plumbing adjustable wrench.
During installation work several rules must be followed. First, a mandatory check is carried out, followed by flushing and cleaning the pipeline from the possible presence of metal chips or other foreign objects in it.
If the device has a removable head, it must be removed before installation, following the instructions. This makes it easier to install the valve. Then one end of the tap is screwed onto the pipe. The other end is connected to the radiator through a coupling. To seal the thread, it is necessary to use flax fiber threads impregnated with a special lubricant.
Manual balancing valves - master class
Setting methods
After installing the balancing valve in the heating system, it must be set to energy-saving mode. To do this, each valve is supplied with instructions for calculating the optimal number of revolutions of the handle. The valve can be adjusted in two ways.
Professionals use a simple and time-tested method. By dividing the number of valve turns by the number of radiators, they determine the corrective step for each valve. So, if the spindle speed is 4.5, and the number of radiators is 10, then the step is determined by 0.45 turns. The system will be optimally adjusted if each valve, starting from the last radiator, is open plus 0.45 turns.
For a faster and more accurate second method, it is necessary to use a contact type thermometer. To adjust, you will need to heat the system to 80 degrees with all valves open and measure the temperature of each radiator separately. Temperature discrepancy is eliminated by screwing the first and middle taps. Usually 1.5 turns are enough for the first valve, and 2.5 turns for the middle ones. After allowing the system to adapt, after half an hour to make control measurements.
The use of both methods eliminates temperature differentiation when heating radiators and promotes uniform heating of all rooms with a minimum consumption of thermal energy.
The installation of balancing valves in the heating system ensures uniform heating of all rooms without exception and economical consumption of energy resources. This is especially necessary for large heating systems. This device best of all helps to distribute the coolant along its contours. But the technology of installation work should be considered even when designing the heating system, since the quality of the valve operation depends on its correct installation and configuration.
Whatever the heating system, it involves setting up, which can be done in a certain way. This is necessary so that the parameters in individual sections are close to the calculated ones. Thus, it is possible to achieve work efficiency. Various means can be used for adjustment, however, the most common and modern is the balancing valve, the principle of which is presented in the article.
The need to use
Heating systems suggest the need for balancing, which is a hydraulic adjustment. The purpose of these manipulations is to bring the individual branches of the circuit to the required value, only in this way the required amount of heat will be supplied to each radiator. When it comes to simple systems, the required flow rate of the coolant is ensured with the help of correctly selected pipe diameters.
Use in complex systems
Complex systems in their work provide for adjustment with special washers, the passage size of which ensures the flow of water in the required volume. The listed methods are outdated, today a modern method is used, which is expressed in the installation of balancing valves. These devices are manual valves, with the help of which the flow of the coolant is regulated. The mechanism has an addition that blocks the flow, fittings are used for this.
Principle of operation
After you have learned what the principle of operation of which will be described below is used for, you can proceed to install the device. First you need to understand the principle. To do this, you can imagine a dead end branch that has several radiators, the latter act as energy consumers. A certain volume of coolant, heated to the design temperature, is supplied to them through pipes. It is determined depending on how much thermal energy will be needed to heat the premises.
It is used when there are no radiators and the water flow for each of them is constant. The mentioned device must be located on the return pipeline, in the place where it can be cut into a common line. This allows you to carry out the necessary measurements by setting the valve to the desired number of revolutions. A certain constant water flow in the regulated branch will be guaranteed. However, users quite often face the fact that the flow rate changes, this can happen when thermostatic regulators are installed on the radiators. They are designed to control the intensity of heating the room and create an obstacle in the way of water, reducing the volume of its flow. In this case, in the return common pipeline, the flow rate of the coolant volume will change.
For reference
A manual balancing valve will guarantee a certain volume of coolant, which will achieve the desired effect when the number of batteries is small and does not reach 5 pieces. If you limit the regulation limits of thermostats, then the existing circuit can be easily adjusted. If the number of radiators is more than mentioned, then they will go haywire. The thermostat installed on the first battery will block the flow of coolant, which will cause an increase in flow on the second radiator. The valve will close on it, the flow will go to the third radiator, and so on. Ultimately, such work will lead to the fact that some batteries will overheat unnecessarily, while others will remain cold, and the branch will be unbalanced. An automatic balancing valve must be installed on a riser or branch with a sufficiently large number of heating devices, only then the system will work clearly.
The principle of operation of the valve on the riser with a large number of radiators
If an automatic balancing valve is used under the conditions described above, then the principle of operation is somewhat different. In this case, the valve is adjusted to the maximum calculated water flow. During operation, when the thermostat of any battery will reduce the consumption of hot water, the pressure in the area will increase. The automatic regulator will receive a pulse through the capillary tube, this will allow the device to respond quickly by adjusting the water flow, then the other thermostats will not have time to work, the flow will not be blocked, and the system will remain hydraulically balanced.
Classification
The balancing valve, the principle of operation of which was described above, is offered for sale in a wide range. Before you make a purchase, you must understand the classification. Thus, when choosing, it is necessary to take into account the design parameters of the system at the installation point. The master must pay attention to the maximum pressure of the working medium and the nominal parameter, and also take into account the pressure difference in the return and supply circuits.
The valve may belong to one or another class depending on the area of use. Thus, the devices are used at individual construction sites, housing and communal services, in industrial facilities and on sections of main pipelines. The balancing valve, the principle of which you should know before purchasing the device, can be selected according to the type of piping system that is designed for air conditioning, hot or cold water supply, cooling or heating. Among other things, the described devices differ in the type of coolant, such as steam, water or glycol solution. By type of installation, valves are divided into fixed and adjustable.
Main types of valves
If you are interested in the MSV balancing valve, then it is offered for sale in a wide variety, among other models you can see devices with manual adjustment, with which it is easy to adjust individual sections of the system and the entire pipeline, determining the pressure and flow of the medium at control points. With the help of manual balancing valves, it is possible to turn off individual sections, freeing them from the working coolant. The main advantage is low cost, but you should pay attention to some disadvantages. Among the main ones is the ability to set the balance only for the average design parameters of direct current. With fluctuations in flow, which occurs in plumbing systems, balancing can be disturbed.
An automatic balancing valve, the price of which is 6,000 rubles, can also be automatic; it is installed on the return and inlet circuits. Another type of valve provides the ability to adjust the temperature of the working medium.
Installation Features
If you decide to purchase a Danfoss balancing valve, you should first familiarize yourself with the installation features. In order to guarantee measurement accuracy, there must be sections of pipe free of bends before and after the device. The length of the section will depend on the diameter. Before the valve, the length of the straight pipe should be equal to 5 pipe diameters, after the valve, the length should be two diameters or more. If these recommendations are not taken into account when a Danfoss balancing valve is installed, then the measurement error can reach 20%.
The heating system needs periodic adjustment. The coolant must be evenly distributed over it, which means that special equipment is required that will help make the adjustment correctly. Such a device is often a balancing valve.
By hydraulic balancing, the coolant is distributed to all sections of the heating circuit without exception.
Simple system options involve adjusting the coolant flow by selecting the optimal pipe diameter around the perimeter.
Special washers are also used, the passage in which is designed for uninterrupted water flow, and uniform heating of the elements.
Each of these options was used in old-style heating circuits. A new method is the installation of a balancing valve, which is a conventional valve that regulates the amount of coolant supply.
Design feature
A quality part includes reliable components:
- Robust brass body with threaded fittings for connecting pipes. Inside the product there is a saddle in the form of a special vertical channel.
- Adjusting spindle. The working part is represented by a cone that is screwed into the saddle. As a result of the spindle engagement, the coolant flow is blocked.
- Rubber sealing rings.
- Cap, usually made of plastic. There are also metal options.
A distinctive feature of the device is the presence of two special fittings.
They are responsible for the following functions:
- Determine the pressure inside the system both before and after the valve.
- Connect the capillary tube.
Each of the fittings measures the pressure, and if a difference in values is detected on the control mechanism, the water flow is calculated.
Operating principle
Balancing valves are designed to use them to achieve maximum efficiency of all heating elements of the system, as well as to adjust it at any time.
The efficient operation of the heating system is largely determined by its balance. It allows you to prevent the likelihood of situations where an excess amount of coolant is supplied to one radiator, while an insufficient amount is supplied to the other. To do this, the heating system must include Danfoss balancing valves, the principle of operation of which allows hydraulic balancing (coupling) of coolant flows through various elements of the heating system or stabilizing circulation pressures or temperatures in them.
If necessary, it is possible to install pipeline throttling fittings from other manufacturers, which will eliminate the instability of the heating system, difficult start-up of the system, uneven distribution of the coolant and the resulting uneven heating of the premises.
What kind of valves are there?
Balancing valves are usually divided into:
- automatic (dynamic), which are able to maintain a constant pressure drop in the risers of a two-pipe or flow in the risers of a single-pipe heating system;
- manual (static), which can be used as an adjusting diaphragm, in those systems where there is no automatic control device or the installed regulator does not allow limiting the flow rate. They belong to valve type devices.
Brass balancing valve
It should be noted that all modern heating systems that use radiator thermostats are dynamic systems. As a result of operation, the radiator thermostat constantly responds to the slightest changes in the air temperature in the room, thereby changing the flow rate of the coolant, which brings the heating system into a constantly changing (dynamic) mode of operation. This mode of operation necessitates the use of automatic (dynamic) balancing valves.
Also, valves are usually classified depending on:
- working medium used: water, glycol solution, steam;
- parameters of the working environment: pressure, flow, temperature;
- installation locations: supply or return pipeline, bypass;
- type of building (single-apartment or public);
- operating function, providing for the regulation of pressure, temperature, flow of the working medium. A combination of them is also possible;
- type of connection, which can be threaded or flanged.
Various materials can be used to make valves. Static valves are usually made of brass (can be flanged and threaded) or cast iron (flanged only). In the manufacture of dynamic products, brass, cast iron or carbon steel can be used to ensure the required technical characteristics.
For convenience of regulation of the valve can be completed:
- fixed position lock;
- shutter position indicator and setting value;
- branch pipe for drainage of the area where the valve is mounted
- measuring diaphragm, which allows for high-precision determination of the flow rate;
- nozzles for measuring the flow rate of the coolant, pressure and pressure drop across the valve.
Valve principle
The main difference between a balancing valve and a shut-off valve is that it can work when the shutter is in an intermediate position. It should be noted that the design of the balancing valve may be different. There are valves in which the stem is located at an angle relative to the flow, and the spool is made not only straight, but also cylindrical, conical or radial. Consider the principle of operation of a valve having a straight stem and a flat spool.
Straight stem valve
During operation of the valve, the flow area between the spool-seat pair changes. Due to this, the balance of the system is achieved. The spool is located in a plane parallel to the axis of the pipeline. While in a plane located perpendicular to the perpendicular axis of the pipeline, there is a threaded spindle, to which the spool is pivotally connected. In the valve body there is a fixed threaded nut, which together with the spindle forms a running pair.
By turning the setting knob, the torque is transmitted through the spindle and the fixed threaded nut associated with it, as a result of which the spool is given a translational movement, as a result of which it moves from the lowest to the highest position. Being in the lowest position, the spool is tightly connected to the seat in the valve body, thereby hermetically blocking the flow.
Depending on the type of coolant used, the hermetic shutoff of the flow is ensured by the presence of a seal between the valve and the seat, created by fluoroplastic or rubber rings or metal-to-metal. As a result of changing the flow area, the flow capacity of the balancing valve changes, which is understood as a value numerically equal to the flow, expressed in m³ / h, through a fully open valve, at which the head loss will be 1 bar. The dependence of the throughput on the change in the position of the valve can be found in the technical characteristics of the valve.
BALLOREX valves
The Polish company BROEN BALLOREX in its Venturi series produces a manual balancing valve with high control accuracy. Such a valve is a valve that performs two functions:
- valves with manual adjustment;
- shut-off ball valve.
It allows balancing and hydraulic regulation, flow limitation, opening and closing of the flow of the working medium in the system, as well as measuring the temperature of the working medium and flow using a standard flow meter. It can be purchased in various designs. The range of these valves is available with nominal diameters from DN 15 to DN 200 and nominal pressures PN 16 Var and PN 25 Var. Valves with a nominal diameter from DN 15 to DN 50 and a pressure of 16 Var have a flange connection, and valves with a pressure of PN 25 Var have a threaded connection.
Valve BROEN BALLOREX
All balancing valves and their elements (valve body, measuring diaphragm, shut-off ball, adjusting stem) with a nominal diameter from DN 15 to DN 50 are made of chrome-plated brass. And balancing valves with a nominal diameter from DN 65 to DN 200 are made of steel with a flange or threaded connection.
Valves of the Venturi series with the same conditional passage are produced with different throughputs depending on the type of execution: high (H), standard (S) and low (L). In addition, the Venturi series is available in two types Venturi FODRV and Venturi DRV these valves have flow control measuring nipples. All valves of this company can be installed in any position on any section of the pipeline before or immediately after the branch, before or after the narrowing of the pipeline.
Also, this Polish company offers automatic balancing valves in various modifications. Ballorex DP valves are installed on the return pipeline, providing the necessary pressure drop on the circulation ring under any load. This makes it possible to stage-by-stage commissioning of the object due to the possibility of zonal balancing. The use of Ballorex DP makes it possible to eliminate noise phenomena caused by overpressure generated in other parts of the heating system.
Valves from the Danish manufacturer
Another manufacturer is the Danish company Danfoss, which supplies valves of all types, which are of high quality. MSV-BD LENO™ manual valves are a new generation of valves. They allow you to solve problems of hydraulic balancing of heating systems. At the same time, they combine the functions of a standard manual valve and a ball valve, thus providing a quick and complete shut-off of the flow. Most models allow you to take data at the outlet and inlet, however, some models have a nipple on one side only.
Automatic valve ASV-M
Automatic ASV-M, the price of which allows us to talk about the optimal ratio of price and quality, can be used as a shut-off valve and, if necessary, to connect the impulse pipe from ASV-P(V). ASV-I. It allows you to limit the maximum flow rate of the transported coolant. The valve is completed with special plugs for measuring nipples. By installing nipples, you can measure the flow rate of the coolant that flows through a specific section of the system.
ASV series valves are of high quality. They allow you to maintain a constant pressure difference between the supply and return pipelines. The ASV-P, installed on the return line, is characterized by a fixed setting of 10 kPa. Whereas ASV-PV has a measurable setting of 5-25kPa and ASV-PV Plus is 20-40kPa.
How is the installation carried out?
When performing installation, it is very important to ensure the correct position of the valve. In this case, the arrow on the body must coincide with the direction of movement of the coolant. This position will ensure not only the desired design resistance of the valve, but also the required flow rate. At the same time, it is worth noting that some manufacturers allow the possibility of installing the valve not only in the direction, but also against the flow. The stem, in this case, in most models, can occupy a different spatial position.
During the installation process, it is worth protecting the working bodies of the fittings from the ingress of various mechanical contaminants. To do this, a sump or a special filter must be installed in front of the valve. To eliminate the turbulent movement of the liquid, it is necessary to provide straight sections of sufficient length before and after the valve. This requirement must be indicated in the documentation for the valve.
A heating system equipped with a balancing valve must be filled in a special way. To do this, in systems equipped with dynamic valves, it is necessary to provide filling fittings, which must be located in the immediate vicinity of the valve on the return pipeline. And the valves mounted on the supply pipeline must be prudently closed. To adjust the balancing valve, a special flow meter or differential pressure and flow tables are used. However, in any case, the initial calculation is carried out at the stage of calculating the heating system.
Most modern users perceive the heating system as a set of pipes and radiators, complemented by a heating boiler and. But such an opinion is erroneous. It also contains a number of auxiliary components, without which the heating operation, to put it mildly, would not be of very high quality. One of these elements is a balancing valve or valve.
Purpose
The balancing valve in the heating system is used to properly distribute heat transfer. That is, there are times when in one room the batteries are hotter than required, and in the other - much colder than we would like. That is, there is an incorrect distribution of the coolant. So, an adjustment is required to correct this situation.
The balancing valve is a type of shut-off valve, through which the hydraulic resistance is regulated. This is achieved by changing the diameter of the pipe section in a certain area.
Recently, when designing heating (both for an apartment building and for a private house). However, what should owners of ready-made heating systems do?
There are several "symptoms" that indicate the need to install this type of shut-off valves:
- Lack of comfortable temperature even at maximum load.
- Significant temperature fluctuations in the room with a constantly equal load in the heating system.
- Difficulties when starting the system - the impossibility of reaching the rated power.
All this indicates that it is required to install a balancing valve and carry out regulation. It will allow you to adjust the flow of the amount of coolant to a particular section of the system.
Benefits of using
Installing a balancing valve will help solve the above problems in the operation of heating.
In addition, the following advantages of using this equipment can be distinguished:
- Cost reduction - that is, the owners of private houses note that after balancing the system, the amount of fuel consumed is reduced.
- Increasing indoor comfort - you can achieve the temperature level that is more suitable for each individual room.
- No difficulties during start-up - the use of balancing fittings will make it as easy as possible to start the system.
The element is mounted using special fittings and adapters. In this case, you should be careful: some taps can be installed on pipes with a certain direction of movement of the coolant.
On such taps there is a special arrow that shows in which direction the water should move in the pipe. If you install a valve without following this instruction, an attempt to regulate the system with its help may lead to a breakdown of the element itself and a malfunction of the entire heating system.
If it is difficult for you to install the balancing crane yourself, then you can order this service from professional installers. Write to the form on the right on our website - and the consultant will guide you on the prices for services, answer additional questions.
Regulation
After installing the valve, using special equipment, measurements are taken that will determine to what level adjustment is required. Some experts call this method quite laborious.
Important: before carrying out the balancing procedure, you should start the heating system, connect the necessary measuring equipment - this will make it possible to determine the quality of work.
More accurate balancing results can be obtained by dividing the heating system into separate segments and adding balancing fittings to each of them. In this case, the balancing procedure itself will take a significant amount of time - it will be necessary to adjust each individual valve. But the results will be much better.
