Manual Balance Valve

Manual balance valves have a combination of a ball valve and a venturi balancing device.  They also have adjustable stems for valve port opening and used as a flow shut off point.

Pros:

• Suitable for residential homes and small buildings
• Has low turbulence from the venturi device which provides accurate flow readings
• Can read flow as low as .01 GPM
• Has a higher flow range than fixed circuit setters
• Best used on the return side of the hydronic system
• Saves energy with the a lower pressure drop and a smaller pump can be used

Cons:

• Valves must be manually calibrated
• They require constant costly maintenance

Circuit Setter

Circuit setters are calibrated balancing valves with a built in slide rule.  They have predetermined C_v (flow coefficient) values that automatically regulates the flow of water through the terminals.

Pros:

• Suitable for large buildings
• Easy maintenance
• Work on a minimum level of horsepower
• Low setup and initial balance time
• Able to shut down water flow for individual parts of a building but keep water circulating in the rest of the building

Cons:

• High energy usage
• Has limited flow range
• Inaccurate flow readings due to high turbulence at measuring point