What do you like as far as pressure regulating valves go?

Gordan

Durability and the ability to clean/service without much fuss being primary concerns, is there a brand/type that seems to outshine the others? The Honeywell cartridge-type ones (D05T, DS05) look interesting...



Also, what's a good reduced pressure falloff number to use when sizing these? Should I just watch the gauge to see what the falloff is with my highest anticipated concurrent usage, and size for that falloff and for slightly higher flow, at the desired pressure differential between street and domestic?

Mark Eatherton

Whatsa falloff?

I've fallen off my share of wagons, but never used the term in hydronic heating?



My fav pressure reducing valve is the Caleffi. It has a dial that you set for your desired pressure, and the pressure by golly ends up where you set it.



BTW, there is a difference between pressure reducing and pressure regulating valves. Reducing valves are typically deployed for make up on closed loop heating systems. Regulating valves are typically deployed on potable water lines to control the discharge pressure to a given point regardless of the demand factors on the down stream side.



Are you speaking of reducing or regulating? I'm speaking reducing...



ME

Gordan

Regulating...

Basically, having solved my monster hammer issue by removing the cold-side check on the mixing valve, now I'm looking to address my garden variety hammer issue which is doubtless aggravated by my high street water pressure (85-90 psi.) So, having been bitten already by unintended side effects of adding devices to solve a problem, I'm hoping to get a device that won't break on me all the time. Or, at least, tips on what causes these to fail and how to fix it - e.g., a particulate filter before it?



From what I gather from the manual for the ds05, falloff is, basically, allowed drop from selected pressure at a given flow rate. So, if my static is 90, when I turn on a faucet elsewhere that will drop a bit, leaving less pressure to drive water to other fixtures. Manual: http://customer.honeywell.com/techlit/pdf/62-0000s/62-3041.pdf

Mark Eatherton

Gotcha...

I have zero experience with these products, but can tell you that as long as you can maintain a residual discharge pressure of at least 50 or 60 PSI, you should be fine.



If you have an irrigation system, remember that your heads and lines were sized based on the high incoming pressure, and if you reduce the pressure, you can affect coverage and run times.



ME

Gordan

It's more like an irritation system...

Walk around with hose in hand. :-) I'm a bit of a luddite stoic and it takes quite a bit to convince me to resort to gadgets(*). But eventually everyone caves under pressure, and 90 psi is quite a bit...



(*) Yet I've now got a mod-con delta-P ECM proportional flow control ceiling radiating reverse indirect water heating thermostatic mixing yadda yadda yadda. With honors. Hey, at least I'm still pumping through the boiler...