Watch the Video below to see how it works.
By Keeping Entrained Gases (Air) in a Dissolved Mode
The valve is installed on the downstream side of the water meter. It reduces the pressure drop across the meter; thus, keeping entrained gas in a dissolved mode (limiting its volume) as the water passes through the meter – so that a volumetric meter more accurately measures the actual water usage.
A Bubble Demonstration
When the volume of water or PSI is reduced at its final point of use, the valve will also conserve water in addition to reducing your water bill.
Example 1 – House Tank – Saves Money, but does not conserve water.
In this situation, the water is dropped into an open-house tank that is not pressurized. This means that the water pressure drops from let’s say a municipal water pressure of 35-95 PSI to zero PSI. In this situation, the water bill $ savings can be quite large because the air in the city water immediately expands when the Cla-Val is opened and, in addition, turbulence is created at the meter. We typically see 20-35% savings in open-house tank situations. However, in this situation, no actual water is conserved because the building pressure and volume is controlled after the open tank. (This is the same situation your toilet tank is in. Whatever you do before the tank does not affect the actual amount of water you use downstream of the tank – although you could reduce the amount of air you buy with our valve.)
Example II -Direct Drive Booster Pump – Save Money, Conserve Water
These pumps maintain a constant PSI boost regardless of incoming PSI. If a lower PSI (due to the SmartWaterValve) is carried to the end use point, water conservation is possible in addition to dollars being saved due to the meter reading more accurately.
Example III – Variable speed drive or variable frequency drive Booster Pumps – Save Money, No Water Conservation
These boost PSI to a set point, and the amount of the increase is adjusted based on the changing incoming PSI. However, the PSI in the building stays constant. Therefore, no water conservation is achieved because there is no change in PSI at the end-use point. But again, your water bill will be reduced because the pressure drop across the meter, and the cavitation at the meter is reduced.
Example IV – No Booster Pump or House Tank – Save Money and Conserve Water
This example is what is seen at many one and two-story apartment buildings. In this case the valve both conserves water (by reducing the PSI at the endpoint) and reduces the pressure drop across the meter and cavitation at the meter (thus causing the water meter to charge you for the less water you do use and not the air you never use.)
Example V – Irrigation Systems – Save Money and Conserve Water
In this example, assuming you always need the same volume of water delivered to your grass and plants, SmartWaterValve produces savings by reducing the pressure drop across the meter and by reducing cavitation at the meter. Because these systems turn on and off frequently and spray water into the open, the savings produced by the SmartWaterValve can be significant because as the valves turn on and off, there is a rush of water across the meter – likely causing cavitation and the entrained air in the city line to quickly expand as the water moves across the meter.
Because the valve is adjustable, it may be very easily adjusted by the building engineer in situ if conditions unexpectedly change. The SmartWaterValve air compression benefit works on all single-jet, multi-jet, and turbine category positive displacement meters. These makeup over 99% of all water meters in use.
The science is based on Boyle’s Law regarding gas pressure and volume and Le Chatelier’s Principle of Volumetric Dynamics. The SmartWaterValve is installed in your water line on your side of the meter. The variable spring-loaded plunger maintains a constant pressure on the incoming water supply.
This manifests itself into a high-pressure point on the other side of the water meter. When air reaches this pressure point, the entrained or suspended air remains compressed. It passes through the water meter in its original compressed state until after it passes through the SmartWaterValve and soon, after the city meter, returns to its original uncompressed state. The SmartWaterValve does NOT remove the air and nor does it compress the air, it just keeps the air volume from expanding.
A common example of “entrained” or suspended gasses is seen when we shake up a soda bottle. The SmartWaterValve is like the bottle cap keeping the system pressurized. The gasses are in there but you can’t see them until you remove the cap – and neither can your water meter.
Other ways in which water meters can be inaccurate are during very high, low flow, or pressure surges. Water meters are designed to be accurate within a specific flow range. If the flow exceeds this range it can ‘over-spin’ causing your readings to be inflated. An example is when your water is off but then something is opened and this creates an initial surge and then a pressure drop. These surges and drops can also be caused by variability in the municipal water supply.
The SmartWaterValve proprietary spring-loaded technology acts as a ‘shock absorber’, eliminating these peaks and valleys and creating a smooth, even flow that keeps your meter readings accurate and protects against damage that can occur from a surge.
Any time you insert anything into a water line it will act as a flow restrictor to some extent. The SmartWaterValve creates a minimal amount of flow restriction that will save the user additional money when the volume or PSI at the exit final exit point is reduced – such as showers, sinks, hoses, and the like. In apartment complexes, for example, a SmartWaterValve can also be used to convert the entire facility to a water conservation low-flow profile without the need to install individual flow regulators or replace older fixtures. The flow restriction continues at each fixture, regardless of any tenant changes made at the fixture.
Furthermore, almost all water devices are designed for approximately 65 PSI water supply. A higher psi can cause excessive water use and leakage at seals and gaskets that often go undetected. In these cases, a pressure reducer is typically used to maintain a 60-65 PSI in the facility. Unfortunately, these devices require maintenance and often fail. The SmartWaterValve acts as a pressure reducer in high-PSI water systems, eliminating the problems caused by excessive water pressure.
By virtue of its design, the SmartWaterValve acts as a secondary backflow preventer to protect the municipal water supply. This is becoming more and more important as municipalities seek to better protect our water reserves from contamination.
High quality UPC (Uniform Plumbing Code) Approved product with 10 year warranty
From 5 to 20% typical annual savings
Externally adjustable valve (you do not have to remove it to adjust it)
Acetron GP construction reduces pipe hammering, valve fatigue
Acetron GP prevents scale buildup
Potable water California certification
Modulates surges in water pressure
Facility pipe connections may be less likely to fail
Typical payback is 6 months to 5 years
Call: 713-530-7922
Email: info@smartwatervalve.com