INACTIVE "NORMALLY-OPEN" THERMOSTATIC VALVES

High Energy Consumption and Discomfort from Passive Crossover Control

A closer look at thermostatic valve operations reveal why homeowners are having to wait long periods for cold water as well as receiving excessively high monthly gas bills after a thermostatic crossover / mixing valve recirculation system was installed in  their home.  These problems exist with thermostatic comfort valve recirculation systems according to nearly 100 professionals at the 2006 Southern California Annual Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors trade show.  After explaining the following information it was apparent why homeowners were receiving excessively high utility bills and having to wait for cold water comfort.

USING COLD WATER CAUSES COSTLY DEMAND ON WATER HEATER

Thermostatic mixing / crossover / comfort valves connect to join a homes hot and cold water lines together.  Materials within these valves expand and contract from temperature changes, opening and closing the valve.  These "normally open" valves continuously remain open unless 95F degree water continuously contacts the valve.  Anyone who's experienced shower-shock when someone flushed a toilet understands the influence water pressure has on household comfort.  Similarly, any use of cold water significantly drops the pressure throughout the homes cold water lines.  Since the water pressure in the hot water lines remain considerably higher any water <95F degrees (temperature needed to closes these valves) in the hot water lines gets forced rapidly through any open thermostatic valves and enters the cold water line.  This costly inefficiency repeatedly  increases the demand on the water heater as very cold city water must now enter the water heater to replace the water which crossed over / siphoned into the cold water line during the cold water usage.    Resulting in significantly higher monthly gas bills as well as reducing the life span of the water heater.   The last thing any energy minded homeowner wants is very cold city water entering their hot water heater whenever they used their homes cold water or watered their lawn.

 

 

THE    ADVANTAGE

 

ReadyTemp is engineered with two separate flow control devices to prevent inefficient water crossover flow between the hot and cold water lines accept during an active pumping cycle.  This premium technology maximizes hot and cold water comfort, reduces demand on the hot water heater and prevents the discomfort of shower-shock associated with water pressure fluctuations which can occur when using normally open valves to control flow.  Utilizing a calcium proof / hard water friendly check valve and a stainless steel "normally closed" solenoid valve the ReadyTemp prevents inefficient water siphoning from the hot water line to the cold water line.   Thereby, eliminating the discomfort and energy waste that occurs with thermostatic crossover valves  Energy minded homeowners will also appreciate ReadyTemp's temperature based cyclic pump operations which reduces electrical energy consumption by pumping only as needed to maintain temperature, compared to continuously operating pumps required for thermostatic valve recirculation systems.

Recognizing Thermostatic Valve Recirculation Systems

Any system in which a pump is located at the water heater and a non-electrical valve gets installed at a distant faucet / tap is a "normally-open" valve.

Thermal convection systems

Thermal convection systems rely on the movement of water caused when heated water contacts cooler water.  These systems waste the most energy because, the crossover flow occurs all throughout the day and night, continually drawing heated water from your water heater as well as depriving the homeowner of their cold water comfort..