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The WiFi Snow Melting Control 670 operates hydronic and electric heating equipment designed to melt snow and/or ice from roads and walkway surfaces. The control works with the tekmar Snow/Ice Sensor 090 or Snow Sensor 095 to automatically detect snow or ice and operates a single boiler, steam valve, or electric cable to supply heat to the slab. Boiler return protection is provided to non-condensing boilers using a mixing valve or variable speed injection mixing pump. When connected to the Internet, the Watts® Home mobile app allows the 670 to be controlled remotely.

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Pressure-balanced shower valves are of particular concern since they do not offer thermal protection; large increases to the domestic hot water temperature will be directly felt by the end-user. If a master mixing valve is installed, the large increase in hot water temperature from the heat source is tempered down and end-users are better protected.

The Zone Valve Control 306V connects up to six thermostats and operates zone valves to provide heating to a zoned hydronic heating system. The 306V operates a system pump whenever a zone valve opens. Zone 1 can operate either a zone valve or a circulator to provide heat to an indirect domestic hot water tank with optional priority over zones 2 through 6. The 306V includes optional exercising to prevent circulator seizure when not in use, and optional post purge operation of the domestic hot water tank to maximize energy savings. The 306V provides a RoomResponse™ signal to modulating-condensing boilers to optimize comfort while improving boiler efficiency.

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One of the biggest concerns for hot water systems in commercial buildings is Legionella bacteria. Legionella is a bacterium that enters the human body by inhalation and aspiration of water droplets, and is responsible for Legionnaires’ disease, a bacterial infection of the lower respiratory system that often gets misdiagnosed as pneumonia; one in 10 people who contract Legionnaires’ disease will not survive. Below is a Legionella Growth Chart, which shows the bacteria growth behavior. These organisms live and multiply in water between 68° F and 122° F, and thrive in water 95° to 115°. At 121°, Legionella bacterium stops multiplying, but is still present in water.

The Nucleus line of electronic mixing valves have all been certified as meeting lead-free requirements and feature a user programmable set point, integral daily sweep and sanitation.

Energy and cost savings are other benefits of installing a master mixing valve. Instead of having to heat 100% of the hot water needed for the building, the heater is only needed for a fraction of that when a master mixer is present in the system. Consider a system that requires a domestic hot water temperature of 125°. If the hot water supply is set to 140° with a mixing valve installed downstream, 83% of the volume needs to be heated, assuming the cold water temperature is 50°. At 160°, only 68% of the domestic hot water needs to be heated. This reduction will save the facility energy and the system becomes environmentally friendly. In addition, since the heaters are heating a lower volume of water, a smaller unit may be sufficient and wear and tear to the heater and related equipment is reduced.

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These higher temperatures, while necessary, pose a scald danger for end users. This is where a master mixing valve becomes extremely valuable. A master mixer is regularly used to reduce the temperature down to a more usable area (between 124° to 130°), and then circulated throughout the building. A portion of the return water from the domestic hot water line is sent back to the hot water source to be reheated, which helps keep Legionella growth in check.

The WiFi Thermostat 561 provides precise temperature control of a one-stage heating system. When connected to the Internet, the Watts® Home mobile app allows the thermostat to be controlled remotely. A 7-day, 4-event programmable schedule is available and the early start feature automatically learns to heat up the room by the scheduled time. An Away mode is quickly and easily accessed to provide energy savings when the space is unoccupied. The thermostat supports radiant floor heating and optional floor sensors can be installed to enhance comfort and protect floor coverings.

The Smart Boiler Control 294 provides central and indirect domestic hot water heating or volume domestic hot water heating by operating up to four boilers. This can be expanded in groups of four boilers through the use of expansion controls up to a maximum of sixteen boilers. The 294 operates both condensing and non-condensing boilers that are either modulating, single, two, three or four-stage to provide a flexible, cost effective hybrid boiler plant solution. The Watts® OnSite web and mobile applications provide real-time remote monitoring, setting adjustments, and notifications.

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Master mixing valves also keep domestic hot water temperatures consistent, even with large inlet temperature changes. As part of the ASSE 1017 certification, all master mixers must control the outlet temperature within a specified range from the initial set point when there is a 25° increase to the hot water inlet temperature. The allowable variance can range from ±3° to ±7°, depending on the size and flow rate. The majority of thermostatic master mixers hold to within ±3°, and digital master mixing valves are known to hold within ±2°. Without a master mixing valve, a large increase in hot water temperature can be a dangerous situation.

Hot water has been around since man first harnessed the power of fire, but when at elevated temperatures, it is dangerous and even deadly. Today’s hot water heaters offer a diverse range of technologies that perform leaps and bounds ahead of their predecessors, but what temperature should they deliver? Some facilities may simply set the heater to a usable temperature, but while this may seem like an acceptable practice, there is an issue that needs to be addressed: Legionella.

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Installing a master mixing valve on a domestic hot water system is simply good practice. They add an extra layer of safety to any system. Having a master mixer allows facilities to heat and store water at elevated temperatures, which kills Legionella bacteria, while delivering safe hot water temperatures for multiple applications. If a heating system malfunctions and a large increase to the hot water temperature is seen, a master mixing valve will flatten the spike to the domestic hot water system. The inclusion of a mixing valve will also save energy and lengthen heater equipment service life.

There are many ways to combat Legionella in a domestic hot water system. UV light treatment is a method used to treat bacterial removal; however, additional heat is the most common method. Since the first clinical study was done in 1977 by the Allegheny County Health Department, more and more commercial water heater systems are heating to temperatures above 140° to kill the bacteria. Since then, the plumbing design industry generally follows the ASHRAE 2000-12 guideline, which suggests thermal disinfection by sending hot water 165° to 175° through the domestic hot water system.

This white finish Invita® WiFi Thermostat makes upgrading easy by using the existing 2 wires from any living space to connect to an HVAC Interface Module in the mechanical room. It works with most types of heating and cooling systems including conventional, heat pump and dual fuel while offering fan, relative humidity and ventilation control. The Watts® Home app provides secure WiFi adjustment, remote temperature control and can send email notifications when there are problems with the HVAC system. The Invita WiFi offers a choice of five display screen color themes.

Master mixing valves provide a buffer between the high-temperature heat source and endpoint fixtures. Hand washing faucets in public restrooms will typically have hot water supplied from a small point-of-use mixing valve. The presence of these valves will tempt designers and contractors to skip the installation of a master mixing valve. While this does work initially, the building is at a higher risk of scalding end users since these small valves are often forgotten and not well maintained. Over time, these valves will fail and potentially allow “full hot” through them. If “full hot” is 140° or above, the risk of scald is significant. By installing a master mixing valve, “full hot” is tempered down to the fixtures keeping a set temperature safe for end-users. For reference, below is a water burn chart so that the danger can be fully appreciated.