Water pressure reducer: the purpose and principle of operation, varieties and adjustment

Table of contents:
Water pressure reducer: the purpose and principle of operation
Varieties of water pressure reducer

Have you ever wondered why a practically new water heater leaks or a puddle of water forms under the washing machine? Just do not have to respond immediately and say that something there is rusted or someone has installed a defective hose. Not without this, of course, but in most cases the fault of all leaks is the water pressure in the pipeline, which, to put it mildly, is not always stable - at some moments it may exceed the allowable values ​​several times, which leads to gusts of even metal plumbing parts . The so-called hydraulic shocks are able to break anything and oppose them with destructive force except that a modern water pressure reducer, which will be discussed in this article. Together with the site stroisovety.org we will understand its purpose and principle of operation, we will study the varieties and technology of adjustment.

Water Pressure Reducer Photo

Water pressure reducer: the purpose and principle of operation

With the appointment of a water reducer, everything is more or less clear - as a rule, it is used to stabilize the pressure and thus prevent the failure of some plumbing equipment. In most cases, the installation of a water pressure reducer is carried out when devices such as storage tanks and thermostatic mixers are used in the domestic water supply system - in general, pressure-sensitive aggregates. Everything is simple and understandable here, which cannot be said about the principle of operation of the water pressure reducer - let's deal with it in more detail, since in this respect we can distinguish as many as three types of such devices.

1. Piston pressure reducer water - its main advantage is the simplicity of the design. The pressure in the plumbing system is controlled by a small spring-loaded piston, which, by reducing or increasing the borehole, regulates the water pressure in the system — setting the output pressure in such gearboxes is done by loosening or compressing the spring by rotating a special valve. If we talk about the disadvantages of such gears, then it is necessary to highlight such a moment as the need to pre-filter the liquid - without cleaning the water from debris, such devices very quickly become clogged and fail. Because of this behavior, manufacturers quite often equip such devices with a complete filtering element - a piston water pressure reducer with a filter is capable of adjusting pressure in the range from 1 to 5 atm.
2. Diaphragm pressure reducer. This type of gearbox is distinguished by high reliability and unpretentiousness in operation - they stand out against the background of all other similar devices with a wide range of throughput. As a rule, they are able to provide a working fluid flow rate in the range from 0.5 to 3 cubic meters per hour, which is quite a lot, especially if we talk about their use in everyday life. The work of such a reducer is responsible for a spring-loaded membrane, which in order to prevent blockages is placed in a separate sealed chamber - depending on the degree of compression of the spring, it exerts a particular pressure on a small valve, which reduces or increases the capacity of the device.
3. Flow-through gearbox to reduce water pressure. Devices of this type are distinguished by the fact that there are no moving parts in them, due to which their reliability and durability increase - the pressure drop here is achieved due to the internal maze of small duct masses. Passing countless turns of these channels, splitting into several streams and again combining into one, the water velocity is extinguished, and, as a result, the fluid pressure at the outlet of such devices decreases. In everyday life, such devices are usually used for irrigation systems - their main disadvantage is the need to install an additional regulator at the output.
   

   The principle of operation of the water pressure reducer photo

In general, this is all that can be said about the water pressure reducer, or rather, its working principle, studying which we inevitably touched on the topic of their varieties. But as they say, this is only the beginning, and the types of these devices are not limited to this.

Water pressure reducer - a device that stabilizes and reduces the pressure in the water supply network, thereby protecting both the pipeline itself and the household equipment connected to it from high pressure and water hammer. The pressure reducer is a compact device in a sealed metal housing with two threaded holes at the inlet and outlet. Sometimes for convenience, connect the pressure gauge and screw to adjust the pressure.

Appearance and diagram of the gearbox

1. Housing
2. Cap
3. Filter mesh
4. Spring
5. Adjusting screw
6. Adjusting nut
7. Manometer
8. Central caliper
9. Piston
10. Diaphragm
11. Piston plate
12. Clamping bolt
13. Valve
14. Valve gasket
15. Small O ring
16. Large sealing ring

Operating principle

The work of such a gearbox is based on the principle of equalizing the efforts of the diaphragm and the tuning spring . When you open the tap in the water supply, the output pressure of the reducer decreases, which leads to a decrease in pressure on the diaphragm. In this case, the spring force is large, and, by aligning it, it simultaneously opens the operating valve until the working pressure at the outlet becomes equal to the specified value. At the same time, the pressure at the inlet of the gearbox, as well as its jumps, have no effect on the opening or closing of the valve. The reducer installed on the inlet pipe reduces to the required level and stabilizes the pressure in the entire water supply system of the house or apartment. If this was not done during the installation of the system, then you can install the gearbox separately on a boiler, dishwasher or washing machine, which are usually not designed for high pressure. It is especially important to do this if there is a pump in the system, when it is turned on and off, a hydraulic shock occurs.

Conditions of use:

• Water-free environment without oil and compressed air.
• Maximum pressure not more than 16 bar.
• Maximum temperature not exceeding 70 ° C.

Varieties of water pressure reducer

Due to its demand in various fields of human activity, a water pressure reducer has a lot of various differences - they can be classified according to several criteria.

1. By performance. In this regard, they are divided into three subspecies - domestic, whose performance does not exceed 3 cubic meters per hour; commercial with a capacity of 3 to 15 cubic meters per hour; industrial, with a capacity of more than 15 cubic meters per hour. If it is a question of purchasing a water pressure reducer for a boiler or other household sanitary fixture, then the best option would be a domestic pressure reducer.
2. By the principle of connection. Here there are few options - these are threaded gearboxes and flanged. The former are used on pipelines with a diameter of up to 50mm (2 inches), and the latter, respectively, on thicker pipelines.
3. According to the adjustment range, almost all pressure reducers are divided into two types - water pressure reducers with a wide adjustment range and finely tuned reducers. The first version of the device is able to regulate the pressure in the range from 1.5 to 12 bar, and the second only in the range from 0.5 to 2 bar.
4. At maximum input pressure. There are also two options here - in the first case, the gearboxes are designed to work in water supply systems with pressures up to 16 bar, and in the second case up to 25 bar.
5. According to the maximum operating temperature of the fluid. Everything is simple here and there are also only a couple of options - there is a pressure reducer for cold water and hot water. The pressure reducer for hot water is able to pass water through to itself with a temperature of up to + 70 ° C, and a cold water reducer up to + 40 ° C.
   

   Water pressure reducer for boiler photo

In principle, there are other differences in some models of water reducers - for example, there is a water pressure reducer with a pressure gauge that facilitates the process of pressure adjustment. Also, some differences may be observed in the installed filter elements - in some models the mesh may be smaller, and in others larger. And some models can be equipped with fine flask filters - it all depends on the manufacturer’s desire to protect their products from damage.

And at the end of the topic a few words about how to adjust the water pressure reducer. You understand that if the model you purchased is equipped with a pressure gauge, then there will be no problems - by rotating the special valve of the gearbox, we simply achieve the necessary readings of the pressure gauge, bringing them in line with the passport data of the most vulnerable equipment of your water supply system. If the gearbox is not equipped with a pressure gauge, then to adjust the device you will need to purchase it additionally - this is an inexpensive pleasure that will allow you to be sure that the pressure in the water supply system is within the norm and you can not worry about the safety of the same water tank.

Water pressure reducer with pressure gauge photo

In principle, this is all that is necessary to know about such a device for water supply that has become indispensable in our time, as a water pressure reducer. Why it happened, it is not necessary to explain for a long time - the water utility uses old equipment, and we acquire modern equipment that is very sensitive to various deviations from the norm. Moreover, the use of water reducers is also due to the need to raise water to a height, and if, for example, on the tenth floor, the pressure is within the normal range, then it will be very high on the first floor, which must be compensated by means of a water pressure reducer.