Flow Meters

Santilal

Hi
Do you usually install flow meters into your hydronic circuits to verify calculated flows. I have not seen many used in any examples I have seen on-line. I thought they would be used more often to check that what you calculated was in fact what you got. If you do use them is there a type that you would recommend. I have seen a Califfee one combined with a balancing valve.

Thanks.
Santilal

Snowmelt

quick answer is nope

hot_rod

It's pretty much a given on commercial jobs that flow setters are used extensively. Not so much on residential with the exception of most radiant manifolds.

Part of the reason was that most installers don't own or have quick access to the differential meters that are required to set and confirm that the are balance valves are adjusted correctly.

On large commercial jobs a Balancing Contract is part of the job, and firms specialize in both air and fluid balance for the building. The mechanical engineers spec the valve and usually the appropriate setting.

Caleffi saw the need for a affordable, user friendly, balance valve and developed the Quicksetter, and they have been well received.

If you are going to spend the time to crunch the numbers, do a load calc and system design, then you should also have a means to confirm and adjust flow rates.

It's the fine resolution to a perfectly performing system. If your not measuring, you're guessing.

Tinman

This past winter I used the Caleffi Quicksetters on a good size snow melt job. There were two different manifold locations and I wasn't the contractor who installed the tubing. It allowed me to "see" what I couldn't and set what I needed to.