More than 40 years of experience in industrial heating systems. More than 1500 projects deployed in 80+ countries in 5 continents.

Pressure Reducing Valves, abbreviated as PRV, are valves that decrease incoming water pressure into your home. Although high water pressure is often seen as a positive, most homes should have a maximum PSI of 75. Anything above 75 can be detrimental to your comfort and home. Normal operating pressure is 60-65. This level of water pressure is more comfortable and better suited for your home’s infrastructure. Because of this, many homeowners choose to add PRVs to their homes for the health of their fixtures such as water heaters and RO systems.

The equipment must be provided with a suitable tared safety valve at a pressure not exceeding the maximum pressure of the expansion vessel, taking into account the difference in level between the safety valve position and expansion vessel.

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Expansion tank level control is carried out by a magnetic reed level transmitter also including a minimum level alarm. This instrument allows the tank’s level to be read easily, regardless of its accessibility. It basically consists of a chamber parallel to the tank, connected to it at two points, in which a float with a magnet moves which shows the position of the fluid level on an external strip with magnetic reeds.

The tank contains an EPDM membrane fixed in the bottom of the tank via a flanged connection arranged to allow the entrance of fluid in its interior. This membrane completely isolates the air inside and provides practically the total capacity of the tank as expansion volume.

Besides improving the comfort level of your water when your water pressure is too high, PRVs have a few additional benefits. Adding a PRV can reduce water waste and improve energy savings. Most of our clients experience savings on their utility bill when less water is rushing through the pipes for the same effect. In fact, our plumbers agree that high water pressure is the leading cause of slab leaks, broken fixtures (as many can only manage certain pressure levels), leaky faucets, broken pipes, water heaters, and water softeners. Just like blood pressure in your veins, high water pressure can weaken your pipes ability to hold the water.

It is therefore responsible for compensating for the increase in fluid volume and preventing the circuit pressure from exceeding the nominal pressure of its components.

The easiest way to determine if your Pressure Reducing Valve is working correctly would be to locate the arrow on the valve. This arrow indicates the direction of the water flow. This arrow should be pointing from the meter to your home or commercial property.

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Before installing an expansion tank, a proper dimensioning exercise must be carried out, according to precise calculation rules, by authorized technical personnel following the regulations applicable in the country of destination.

Before installation, make sure there is sufficient space for maintenance and disassembly of valves, instrumentation or other parts of the facility.

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It is vertically mounted on the side of the expansion tank with flanges. Electrical switch or continuous reading signals are added to complement it.

In the absence of nitrogen pressurization, generally we recommend they are installed about 2 meters above the highest point of the facility.

The normal version of these tanks connects to the heat oil collection tank without pressurization. The volume of these expansion tanks depends on three factors: the type of heat transfer fluid, the temperature of the circuit and the total volume of the system. Consult our engineering department for proper sizing of the tank volume.

As the fluid enters the tank, it does so inside the diaphragm or membrane, which separates the air and fluid. The entry of fluid expands the volume of the membrane, causing a decrease in the initial volume of air contained within the tank and the consequent increase in pressure.

It is of vertical orientation and supported on 4 metal “L-profile” legs welded on 4 base plates with drill holes for fixing in position.

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Unfortunately, the city can increase your water pressure at any time to accommodate new construction. In fact, having a PRV has been mandatory for all homes in Austin with a PSI of 80 since 1980; however, each jurisdiction can override that regulation if they choose to. Homeowners in Austin can take advantage of a PRV rebate, provided by the City of Austin.

Changing Water Pressure: You may notice that as you take a shower or do your dishes there will initially be high water pressure, but then it drops off starkly.

Profibus or Hart communication can also be provided for integration in distributed control systems (DCS), as well as safety integration levels (SIL) and ATEX area classification.

Expansion tanks are intended to be used in closed circuits of water or other fluids, to allow for their expansion following a temperature increase in the heating fluid.

Our expansion tanks are designed and manufactured under both the Ad Merkblätter design code and ASME Section VIII, Division I U Stamp.

The sealing and resistance to pressure of the tank is verified by a hydrostatic test of at least 60 minutes duration. According to the code ASME BPVC VIII Div.1 – UG-99, this test must be at least equal to PS x 1.3 x LSR, where, PS is the equipment design pressure and LSR the stress ratio of the materials the container is constructed with.

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You should always replace your PRV when you notice any of the above issues, but depending on the quality of your valve, you may want to replace it every three to six years. The best PRV’s are made of solid brass, no plastic parts. Keep in mind that you won’t want to replace your valve within its first year of being installed due to a risk for corrosion.

PRVs are located near the shutoff valve on your main water supply line where the water enters your house. A PRV’s main job is to keep the water pressure stable, even when water events change the pressure. For example, fire fighting trucks use a ton of water to fight fires. Because of this, it can affect the water supply levels and sometimes disturb the existing water supply. A pressure reducing valve prevents the water from flowing backwards into your home’s water.

Bolt Issues: If you adjust the pressure using your Pressure Reducing Valve and the bolt on the valve breaks, it’s time to replace it.

Installing a pressurized device which is not properly dimensioned can cause damage to people, pets or property, as well as the device itself. All pressure devices must be installed and maintained by specialized personnel in accordance with the national regulations of the country in which the device is installed.

To comply with operation and safety requirements, the tank is equipped with an overpressure safety valve, a socket indicating the pressure in the tank and a fluid inlet and outlet.

Pirobloc’s expansion tanks also have a safety valve for the discharge leading to the collection tank, a vacuum breaker valve and another drain valve.

The technical features of the expansion vessels are shown on the rating plate: year of manufacture, volume in litres, maximum and minimum admissible temperature (TS), maximum admissible pressure (PS), group to which the fluid belongs (air, water or other fluid), pre-load pressure category to which it belongs and test pressure (PT). The technical features described on the expansion vessel rating plate must be preventively checked to be compatible with those of the facility, as well as checking that the prescribed limits are never exceeded.

The Pirobloc DE-2500-V-HP expansion tank is a reservoir suitable for being pressurized, with a diaphragm dividing the tank into two parts (air and fluid). This maintains a constant pre-set pressure by a change in the volume of fluid inside the tank and later, as it is emptied of fluid, of the air inlet without oil via a compressor, until the established or desired working pressure is again reached.

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This magnetic reed transmitter reduces to a minimum the risk of leaks due to accidents involving breakages which may occur in other systems which use, e.g., glass or methacrylate in their reading chambers containing the hot oil.

Hammering Pipes: If your pipes are extremely noisy and make hammering sounds while your water is on, the water pressure is too high for your infrastructure to handle.

The expansion tanks designed and manufactured by Pirobloc maximize the efficiency and safety of industrial heating systems using thermal fluid, as they ensure proper management of volume variations at high temperatures, keeping the pressure within safe limits. Our expansion tanks ensure continuous and uninterrupted operation, prolonging the life of the entire thermal oil system.

If you’re in the Austin or San Antonio areas, choose Reliant Plumbing for all of your Pressure Reducing Valve needs. Give us a call today!

The volume of the expansion tank is based on the total volume of the heating oil circuit, working temperatures and the type of fluid used.

Our tanks are provided with a level switch connected to the heater control cabinet which emits a general stop alarm when the level is insufficient. It also has a lateral magnetic sheet visual level easily visible from anywhere.

The unit is made up of two KLOPPER type torispherical ends joined together by cylindrical sheet metal, through joints welded by officially approved procedures and personnel, according to the aforementioned design code.

Another component to check is the material of your PRV. Instead, ensure your valve is made fully of brass. Many home builders use lower-quality valves; PRVs with plastic caps will often not even last a year. Finally, the reason many PRVs fail is that they are located in the ground which can be very corrosive.