How to configure a water pressure sensor in a water supply system

Very often in large high-rise buildings in the hot and cold water supply system, the pressure exceeds the standard value of 6 atmospheres. Despite the good constant pressure, this situation has several disadvantages: too much pressure significantly reduces the service life of various plumbing fixtures (faucets, faucets), can cause breakdown of household appliances connected to the water supply system (washing machine and dishwasher), creates too much noise when the passage of water through the inlet pipes of the shower cubicle, faucets. To avoid such problems, install a regulator (reducer) of water pressure.

Device and principle of operation

Water pressure regulator - a plumbing device designed to reduce and regulate water pressure in an apartment building.

The simplest gearbox consists of the following parts:

• thick-walled brass or metal case, having the form of a cross;
• dial gauge located in the upper part of the gearbox housing and used to measure pressure;
• connecting branch pipes with a female thread and a diameter of 15-25 mm (1 / 2-1 inch);
• adjusting screw compressing the spring;
• adjusting spring;
• diaphragm - a flexible plate that regulates the compression ratio of the spring;
• piston with a plate (valve) - a rod with a small round plate overlapping a horizontal bore and regulating the flow rate of water.

The principle of operation of the water pressure regulator in the water supply system of an apartment or private house is as follows:

1. When the adjusting screw is clamped, the spring located under it presses through the diaphragm against the piston with the valve.
2. A piston with a valve covers a certain diameter of the horizontal bore inside the housing.
3. When water is taken by various plumbing fixtures, the pressure on both sides of the passage opening closed by a piston with a valve is the same.
4. If water is not drawn, the diaphragm connected to the internal cavity of the gearbox by a small channel weakens the compression of the spring located above it, which leads to the passage opening being closed by the valve.

Thanks to this principle of operation, an intra-apartment or house water supply system has constant pressure, the value of which is sufficient for various domestic and household needs.

Types of gearboxes

Depending on the design and the principle of adjusting the water pressure, the gearboxes are of the following types:

• Piston - the simplest device in which the regulation of water pressure is due to a vertically moving stem with a valve.
• Membrane - a type of shut-off and control valves in which the water pressure decreases due to the spring-adjustable membrane.
• Flowing - regulators in which a decrease in water pressure occurs due to the labyrinths of small channels. Such gearboxes are durable and reliable, as they do not have moving parts that will wear out over time. In addition to water supply, they are also used in irrigation systems.
• Automatic - gearboxes that adjust pressure to standard pressure using special springs and membranes without human intervention. An automatic water supply regulator is installed, as a rule, on a forced-circulation circulation pump. The regulator works by periodically turning on the pump when the pressure drops below the set value.
• Electronic - devices consisting of an electronic unit (printed circuit board - controller, control buttons), a connection pipe and a water flow sensor.Like the automatic analogue, it is installed on circulation pumps and pumping stations.

The most common and popular for apartments and private homes are piston and membrane gears.

Regulatory requirements

The pressure reducers are subject to the following regulatory requirements:

• High quality workmanship - the device body must be made of durable material that can withstand high pressure, withstand corrosion and water hammer. The use of gearboxes with housings having walls with internal cavities and cracks is not allowed.
• Subtlety of adjustment - the reducer must provide pressure adjustment in the water supply system with an accuracy of up to 0.5 atmospheres.
• Tightness of the case, eliminating even the most minor leaks. This is achieved by various sealing gaskets and metal rings installed at the junction of collapsible parts of the gearbox.
• Reliability of threaded connections of inlet and outlet pipes.
• Ease of maintenance - the device must carry out quality control and maintenance of the required water pressure in the system and have convenient maintenance and repair. All moving internal components must be easily and easily removed from the housing for inspection or replacement.

Devices must have the appropriate marking - the connecting diameter of the nozzles (in inches and millimeters), the name of the manufacturer, an arrow indicating the direction of water movement.

Criterias of choice

The main criteria for the selection of valves for water supply systems:

• View - piston and membrane gearboxes are more often used for apartments and private houses. In the conditions of large cottages and multi-storey private houses, automatic and electronic models are the most convenient and reliable.
• Housing material - the most reliable and durable brass gearboxes.
• Connecting diameter - for a house or an apartment with 3 water points, gearboxes with nozzles having a thread diameter of 1/2 inch (15 mm) are used. If there are more than 3 points, regulators with connecting diameters of 3/4 inch (20 mm) are used.
• Manufacturer - the most reliable and high-quality gearboxes are manufactured by Honeywell, Valtec.

Cost is also an important criterion, but first of all, you need to pay attention to quality.

Features of installation and settings

Stages of mounting the gearbox in the water supply system:

1. on a riser or inlet pipe, a shut-off ball valve is closed;
2. through the nearest mixers, the pressure in the intra-apartment wiring is relieved;
3. after removing the seals, the water meter assembly is dismantled by a local water utility specialist;
4. with the help of two quickly collapsible couplings (“American women”), the regulator is connected to the oblique coarse filter or non-return valve installed after the inlet tap.

Install the gearbox between the inlet tap and the water meter. To configure the water pressure sensor in the water supply system in a private house or apartment after installation, you must:

1. close the inlet tap on the water supply from the riser or the pipe entering the house;
2. through the plumbing fixtures closest to the device, bleed air;
3. using the adjusting screw, set the required pressure value;
4. open the input tap and check the correctness of the setting using the installed pressure gauge.

During operation of the gearbox, when the pressure in the system undergoes some changes, it must be periodically adjusted, repeating all the operations described above.

The cost of devices depends on the quality of manufacture, type and brand. Budget models with connecting diameters of 1/2 inch on average have a price from 600-700 to 1000 rubles. More expensive and high-quality gearboxes can be purchased for 2500 - 3000 rubles.