Service Clinic: How To Measure Flow Through A Water Balancing Valve

14/10/2019 how to measure flow water balancing valve
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Service Clinic: How to Measure Flow Through a Water Balancing Valve
Balancing valves must be installed into the piping before you can you
measure and adjust system water ow. Here are the basic principles.
Rob 'Doc' Falke | Feb 07, 2019
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Airflow from a supply register is easy to measure. Cover the grille with a balancing
hood, and the airflow measurement appears on the screen. Measuring water flow
isn’t as easy. Since a water system is closed, balancing valves must be installed into
the piping before you can you measure and adjust system water flow.
Let’s take a look at how to measure flow through a water balancing valve.
Most technicians are stronger on measuring airflow than waterflow. This short
article is intended to introduce the basic principles of balancing valve waterflow
measurement.
How the Test Works

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A balancing valve is a fitting installed in a hydronic system. It has two test ports
that allow you to insert test probes into the system water stream. These probes are
attached to a water manometer that reads the water pressure before and after the
balancing valve.
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A balancing valve is a fitting installed in a hydronic system. It has two test ports that allow you to insert test probes into the system
water stream.
The manometer displays the pressure drop across the valve. Using valve
manufacturer information, you convert the pressure drop across the valve to the
flow gallons per minute (gpm).
Testing Accessories
As with most mechanical tests, there are a few accessories you’ll need before you
can successfully measure flow through a balancing valve.
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The test instrument you need is a hydro-manometer. It operates like an airside manometer by measuring pressure. A hydro-
manometer measures water pressure throughout the system.
The test instrument you need is a hydro-manometer. It operates like an airside

manometer by measuring pressure. A hydro-manometer measures water pressure
throughout the system.
Required accessories for the manometer include:
• Two hoses that connect the manometer to the balancing valve

• Needle-like test probes installed onto the hoses to pierce the semi-sealed test
ports contained in the balancing valve. Tiny holes in the probe tips allow
pressures in the valve to transfer into the manometer where pressure is
displayed
• An assortment of fittings is needed to connect the probes to the valve.
• You will also need the manufacturer’s flow calculator that matches the valve
MENU being tested. There are other methods to interpret the pressure reading, but we
won’t discuss those in this article.

Test Conditions
A few conditions need to be right for the test to be effective:
• The system pump must be functioning during the test

• The system controls must be set to call for full heating or cooling, assuring
full flow
• The water or fluid in the system, and the strainer (water filter) should be
clean.
• The system must be purged of any air in the water.
• The manometer hoses must be filled with the system fluid before the test is
taken.
• Assure the water balance valve is properly installed so you have access to
attach the hoses to the balancing valve.
• The manometer must be calibrated annually, then zeroed before connecting to
the valve.
• Ideally, the balancing valve is properly installed with a minimum of 10 or
more diameters of straight pipe before the valve and two or more diameters of
straight pipe after the valve, or as the valve manufacturer directs.
Test Procedure
Depending on the hydro manometer used, adjust the manifold valves on according
to manufacturer’s instructions. Set the meter or the manifold to read flow through
a balancing valve.
The essence of this test is to read the water pressure before and after it passes
through the valve. Each valve has a fixed orifice that creates a certain pressure drop
as water passes through it. The measured pressure drop over the valve is compared
to data published for the valve that interprets flow (gpm) through the valve.
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NCI/Dwyer Instruments
Dwyer 490A hydro-manometer kit.
Here are the steps to complete the test:
1. Attach the positive pressure hose from the manometer to the ½-in. tap in the
flange upstream of the balancing valve. Insert the probe onto the hose end. Then
insert the probe into this test port. Hand tighten the brass fitting to the valve test
port.
2. Next, fasten the negative pressure hose from the manometer by inserting the
probe into the downstream ½-in. flange on the balancing valve.
3. Take the pressure reading by pressing the test button on the manometer. The
instrument displays the pressure drop across the balancing valve.
4. Then read the degree setting on the balancing valve handle.
5 Plot the pressure drop with the corresponding degree setting of the balancing
5. Plot the pressure drop with the corresponding degree setting of the balancing
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valve on the manufacturer’s flow calculator to interpret gpm.
6. Compare the measured gpm to required system gpm.

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8. Once the design water flow is achieved, lock-down the valve by removing the cap
on top of the handle and closing the screw until tight. Snap the cap back onto the
valve handle.
When you assume the volume of water flow through a system it can create many
problems when troubleshooting and diagnosing HVAC system performance.
According to many HVAC company service managers, up to 70% of unresolved
service issues can be quickly solved once the flow value through the system is
known
known.
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Temperature rise calculations used to verify acceptable system performance
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fail because of water flow assumptions. Water system diagnostics are often
incorrect
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Many smaller hydronic systems are built without balancing valves. This cost
cutting decision leaves the system frequently operating well below the intended
results. Equipment installed in these systems are forced to operate outside of
manufacturer published specifications. This means they regularly perform at half
their laboratory-rated capacity and efficiencies under these conditions.
Knowing the water flow through a hydronic system is a real game changer. Perhaps
this information will arouse your curiosity and move you to plug the leak in your
quest to better diagnose the water side of HVAC systems.
Rob “Doc” Falke serves the industry aspresident of National Comfort Institute,
Inc., an HVAC-based training company and membership organization. If you're
an HVAC contractor or technician interested in a free test procedure to measure
and plot pump flow,contact Doc atrobf@ncihvac.comor call him at 800-633-
7058. Go to NCI’s website at nationalcomfortinstitute.com for free
information, articles, and downloads.
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Report Available From Verizon Connect on Commercial Vehicle Safety
The new report from highlights misperceptions around the level of danger
posed by commercial drivers.
Oct 11, 2019
     
A new report now available from Verizon Connet provides insights into current
consumer perceptions of commercial vehicle road safety in the U.S., highlighting
the role AI- and IoT-enabled smart video monitoring can play in improving safety
and shifting common misperceptions. For plumbing, heating and HVAC
businesses, new AI- and IoT-enabled solutions not only help improve safety, but
also transform operations for improved efficiencies and business performance.
To summarize the study’s key findings:
• American drivers have major misperceptions around the level of

danger posed by commercial drivers Eighty three percent of survey
danger posed by commercial drivers. Eighty-three percent of survey
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respondents believe they are safer drivers than most drivers of commercial
vehicles. But the reality is that only 3% of all severe crashes in the U.S. involve
commercial trucks.
• So, why does the perception of unsafe commercial drivers
persist? The study reveals an overwhelming majority of American drivers say
they have witnessed a commercial vehicle driving dangerously. Eighty-one
percent of respondents said they have witnessed a commercial vehicle being
driven dangerously on the road, with more than half (54%) of those also saying
they have also witnessed an accident involving a commercial vehicle.
• Drivers behaving badly: More than 2 in 3 (69%) people who have
witnessed a commercial vehicle driving dangerously have seen a commercial
vehicle speeding on the highway. Other top dangerous maneuvers that have
been observed include abrupt lane changes (55%), driving erratically – e.g.
swerving in and out of lanes (46%), running or nearly running off the road
(38%) and taking turns or corners too quickly (37%).
• People by far believe the most effective way to reduce the number
of accidents involving commercial vehicles is to monitor drivers
when they are on the road. Nearly 3 in 4 (74%) respondents agreed that
commercial vehicle drivers shouldn’t be allowed on the road without a
dashboard camera or some sort of video monitoring of their driving habits.
Forty-two percent believe installing a dashboard camera is the number one way
to reduce the number of accidents involving commercial vehicles.
Verizon Connect recently launched a new smart video solution, Verizon Connect
Integrated Video, bringing advanced AI- and IoT-based technology to fleets and
fleet managers. The smart dash-cam uses AI to intelligently capture and
automatically classify video of harsh driving events, providing real data insights
that help commercial drivers stay safe on the road and also protect them against
false claims in the event of any incident.
The report can be downloaded for free by clicking the download button below. A
video demo of the Integrated Video system can be viewed here.
DOWNLOAD
TAGS:
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