Author
Chuck McGovern
Take the Guesswork Out of Sizing a Master Mixing Valve
Sizing a commercial master mixing valve for a project usually feels like a job within the job; it’s that one annoying part of the project that has you procrastinating, when all you really want to do is get the right valve and get to work.
Going in, you understand the building needs a dedicated tempered water system. You know the fixture count, the expected demand, the incoming water temperatures, and the available pressure. But turning all those variables into the right mixing valve? That’s the challenge.
Getting Started
Sizing the valve typically begins with a full-tilt blueprint breakdown, a slew of GPM calculations, and an unhealthy dose of second-guessing. Choose a valve that’s too small, and it may not deliver the flow needed during peak demand. Go too large, and you could specify a valve that may not function the way it was intended.
Matching a properly sized valve to the application is a critical element of a well-designed commercial tempered water system. And you better get it right.
Where It Gets Dicey
Commercial plumbing systems come in all shapes and sizes, and calculating demand isn’t always straightforward. A building may have dozens—or hundreds—of plumbing fixtures, each with different usage patterns and flow requirements.
Determining whether the tempered water system will be managed by a thermostatic or digital master mixing valve is the first decision that should be made in the process.
Then there are the system conditions themselves. What water temperature does the building require? What are the minimum and maximum GPM flow rates? Is the demand constant? What hours, days, or even seasons will see limited or no flow? All of these factors, and more, can affect the final valve selection.
Narrowing down the information to pinpoint the correct valve could mean digging through product information, running calculations, comparing valve capacities, and checking the building demand repeatedly before making a selection.
When the Math Isn’t Mathing, The TempControl Sizing Tool Steps Up
Rather than working through the sizing process manually, just enter the specific project info into the TempControl Sizing Tool and let it do the math for you. It walks you through the entire sizing process in just three simple steps: Naming your project, adding your property details, and adding your fixture counts.
The tool uses calculations based on The Hunter’s Method—a tried-and-true formula that has been the industry standard for decades. The results clearly list which valves are compatible for the job, and a spec sheet is created automatically that you can download.
To keep things organized, the entire project is saved under a History section so you can easily access it again. And since all of the information is web-based, you’ll have the info ready to go, wherever and whenever you need it.
Size It Right. Right Now.
At Symmons, We Make Things Right. Giving you the right tools to choose the right valve with confidence is just another example of our motto.
Ready to size up your next project? Try the Symmons TempControl Sizing Tool to help you select the right thermostatic or digital master mixing valve.
