Whatever the heating system, it involves adjustments that can be made 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 operational efficiency. Various means can be used for adjustment, but the most common and modern is the balancing valve, the principle of which is presented in the article.
Need to use
Heating systems require balancing, which is a hydraulic setting. The purpose of these manipulations is to bring the flow rate of the individual branches of the circuit to the required value, only in this way will the required amount of heat be delivered to each radiator. If we are talking about simple systems, the required coolant flow rate is ensured by using correctly selected pipe diameters.
Use in complex systems
Complex systems in their work provide for adjustment with special washers, the passage of which ensures the flow of water in the right volume. The methods listed are obsolete, 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 find out what the balancing valve is used for, the principle of operation of which will be described below, you can proceed with the installation of the device. First you need to understand the principle of balancing the heating system. To do this, you can imagine a dead end branch, which has several radiators, the latter act as energy consumers. A certain volume of coolant heated to the design temperature is supplied to them through the pipes. It is determined depending on how much heat energy will be needed for space heating.
A manual balancing valve is used when the radiators are devoid of a thermostatic valve, and the water flow for each of them is constant. The mentioned device must be located on the return pipe, in the place where it can be cut into a common trunk. This allows you to make the necessary measurements by setting the valve at the desired speed. A certain constant flow of water in the regulated branch will be guaranteed. However, users often encounter 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. At the same time, in the return common pipeline, the flow rate of the coolant volume will change.
For reference
Manual balancing valve will guarantee a certain amount 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 of thermostats, then the existing circuit can be easily configured. If the number of radiators is greater than the above, then they will go peddling. 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 be unnecessarily overheated, 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 in a riser with a large number of radiators
If an automatic balancing valve will be used under the conditions described above, the principle of operation is somewhat different here. At the same time, the valve is set to the maximum calculated water flow. During operation, when the thermostat of any battery reduces the consumption of hot water, the pressure in the area will increase. The automatic controller will receive an impulse through a capillary tube, this will allow the device to quickly respond by adjusting the water flow, then the rest of the thermostats will not have time to work, the flow will not shut off, and the system will remain hydraulically balanced.
Classification
The balancing valve, the principle of which was described above, is presented for sale in a wide range. Before making an acquisition, 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 circuit.
The valve may belong to one class or another, depending on the area of use. So, the devices are used on the objects of individual construction, housing and communal services, in industrial facilities and on sections of main pipelines. The balancing valve, the operating principle of which you should be familiar with before purchasing the device, can be selected by the type of pipeline 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. According to the type of installation, the valves are divided into fixed and adjustable.
The main types of valves
If you are interested in the balancing valve MSV, 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 configure individual sections of the system and the entire pipeline, determining the pressure and flow rate of the medium at control points. With the help of manual balancing valves, you can disable individual sections, freeing them from the working fluid. The main advantage is the low cost, but you should pay attention to some disadvantages. Among the main ones is the ability to set the balance only for average design parameters of direct current. With fluctuations in flow that occurs in plumbing systems, balancing may be disturbed.
An automatic balancing valve, the price of which is 6,000 rubles, can be automatic, it is installed on the return and inlet circuits. Another type of valve provides the ability to adjust the temperature of the medium.
Installation Features
If you decide to purchase a Danfoss balancing valve, you must first familiarize yourself with the features of the installation. In order to guarantee the accuracy of measurements, pipe sections devoid of bends should be located before and after the device. The length of the plot 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 the Danfoss balancing valve is installed, the measurement error can reach 20%.