Special to Plumbing Engineer from ThermOmegaTech®
Many buildings require multiple branches off the hot water supply line. Water flows to the path of least resistance. Hot water use is hyper-dynamic, so the path of least resistance constantly changes. Because flow rates often have to be set much higher than “optimum,” manual balancing valves or constant flow balancing valves cannot effectively resolve these issues.
ThermOmegaTech® has a solution.
By installing the self-operating CircuitSolver®, a thermostatic balancing valve at the end of each hot water supply branch before it connects back into the return, you are assured of having the right water temperature at all times. This allows for the right temperature of hot water to be made available at any hot water fixture in a building, regardless of the time of day.
For more than 30 years, ThermOmegaTech® has been building freeze protection valves for Class 1 locomotives. Presently, the company has over 98 percent market share for Class 1 locomotives in North America. All of the ThermOmegaTech® products, including CircuitSolver®, use the same technology that was developed for the railroad industry. The company has branched out with numerous products supporting a number of industries.
Plumbing Engineer learned more about CircuitSolver® and some of the questions that ThermOmegaTech® frequently hears about the offering.
Plumbing Engineer: What was the genesis of CircuitSolver® and its design?
ThermOmegaTech®: It’s not an unusual source for new ideas, but a customer came to us with a problem because they saw we make the types of valves or devices that might help his application. ThermOmegaTech® was already manufacturing an inline, self-operating, thermostatic valve that closes on temperature rise, so we showed the customer this valve.
The customer (in this case a commercial plumbing systems expert) asked if this valve could be made to open at 110°F and close at 120°F, for example. We already had such a valve, but the discussion progressed further and with some development work the valve was simplified, made more compact, optimized for recirculating domestic hot water systems; and thus was born CircuitSolver®.
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The Energy Efficient Buildings (EEB) Hub recently welcomed a new demonstration unit to its Industry Partner Gallery, as Warminster-based ThermOmegaTech® introduced its latest EEB-related product, CircuitSolver® self-actuating thermostatic recirculation valves.
In replacing the display by FARO Technologies, which completed its demonstration run in July, ThermOmegaTech® is the latest area business to occupy the Gallery with a product for the commercial building Advanced Energy Retrofit (AER) market.
ThermOmegaTech® specializes in the design and manufacture of self-actualizing temperature control valves. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractors, as well as architectural firms, rely on CircuitSolver® valves and similar ThermOmegaTech® products to dramatically reduce the expense and energy required to supply hot water throughout large residential, industrial, and other buildings.
“CircuitSolver® valves deliver hot water instantly, eliminating the need to purchase and power oversized recirculating pumps,” says ThermOmegaTech® Chris Ashworth. “We offer significant electrical savings by virtue of our design—an application that required a five-horsepower pump before CircuitSolver® may need less than one horsepower with CircuitSolver® valves. The smaller pump is far less expensive to buy, and the energy savings can be on the order of hundreds of watts per hour.”
The product also represents dramatic labor savings. While traditional water systems might require a crew of workers to properly balance the temperature for a high-rise building, CircuitSolver® valves automate the entire process.
“You used to have a series of manual balancing valves that required a lot of fine adjustment,” Ashworth adds. “They would turn the system on, see how it worked, and radio to workers on other floors to gauge their temperature. Unfortunately, once you get it set for the empty building, everything is going to change once you get people in it. Unless you have someone there opening and closing valves around the clock, you won’t have an optimal system. CircuitSolver® valves optimize those water flow rates to maximize efficiency.”
When asked about the opportunity to exhibit in the Industry Partner Gallery, Ashworth says it’s a way to raise awareness for CircuitSolver® valves as a supremely cost-effective upgrade option.
“I’m excited for those contemplating building retrofits to see there is a way to significantly reduce utility bills without having to spend a whole lot of money. A lot of green projects have high costs of entry, and you may not see a return for a number of years. With CircuitSolver® valves, it’s as fast as 3-4 months.”
“ThermOmegaTech® has developed a product that not only preserves a limited resource, but they did it in a way that exemplifies the kind of innovative thinking we foster here at DVIRC and through the EEB Hub,” says Barry Miller, DVIRC’s President & COO. “We’re proud to have been active with ThermOmegaTech® through a host of Lean, continuous improvement, and marketing projects. CircuitSolver® valves are proof that their spirit of creative problem solving is alive and well.”
The Industry Partner Gallery can be found on the third floor of the Hub’s temporary headquarters in Building 101 at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. The program will accompany the EEB Hub when it moves to its new home, Building 661, in 2014, which will include a permanent display space to showcase building retrofit technologies such as CircuitSolver® valves.
Rob Crossett, DVIRC’s Business Development Manager, coordinates the Regional Supplier Program for the Gallery. These suppliers’ displays rotate at 2-3 month intervals and can be seen together with those of the Hub Industry partners: Lutron Electronics, Inc., United Technologies Research Center, PPG Industries, and Bayer MaterialScience, which manages the Gallery display area. The displays are open for viewing to all visitors and participants in EEB Hub activities.
About ThermOmegaTech®
ThermOmegaTech®, Inc. was established in 1983 to produce a proprietary freeze valve for the railroad industry. This valve is now the industry standard for North American railroads, and ThermOmegaTech® has applied that same technology to develop valves and systems for the industrial market. These include valves for freeze protection, scald protection, steam traps, ambient sensing, and surface sensing, as well as many other applications. ThermOmegaTech, Inc. is a privately held organization whose products are distributed and used worldwide. CircuitSolver® is a trademark of ThermOmegaTech®, Inc.
About the EEB Hub
The Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) was established in by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on February 1, 2011 with a mission of improving energy efficiency in buildings—literally re-energizing them for the future—from its headquarters in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, one of the nation’s largest and most dynamic redevelopment opportunities.
Federal funding for the EEB Hub’s first five years of operation comes primarily from the DOE, with additional contributions from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST/MEP), the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and the Small Business Administration (SBA).
About DVIRC
The Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) is a private, non-profit economic development business consulting firm established in 1988 to serve the needs of the 4,500 small and mid-sized manufacturers in southeastern Philadelphia. The organization’s primary focus is to grow the value of our clients’ businesses through consulting services, training and education, and executive network groups. Our vision is to establish the region as an internationally recognized leader in manufacturing competitiveness. We believe growing business value improves the standard of living and quality of life for those that live and/or work in the region. DVIRC is a founding partner of the EEB Hub and a member of the executive board.
DVIRC is one of seven affiliates of the Industrial Resource Center (IRC) Network in Pennsylvania. DVIRC is funded in part by the NIST/Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Department of Community and Economic Development. The collective role of DVIRC and its sister organization New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) is to connect Greater Philadelphia’s manufacturers to projects and opportunities being developed at the EEB Hub, and to grow business value and spur job creation.
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From PM Engineer Magazine
ThermOmegaTech®, Inc. introduces its CircuitSolver® valve for domestic hot water systems.
The stainless-steel valve has received NSF/ANSI 61 and California Lead Plumbing Law (AB1953) certifications from IAPMO. This is the first of its kind for a self-actuating temperature control valve used for balancing domestic hot water systems. It eliminates the need for oversized recirculating pumps, minimizes heat loss by reducing fluctuations in average temperature and flow rate and lowers flow in hot water return lines.
View article here…
Certification Believed to be First for a Self-Actuating Temperature Control Valve for Domestic Hot Water Systems
WARMINSTER, PA. – ThermOmegaTech, Inc. the global leader in the design and manufacture of self-actuating temperature control valves, announced today that its new CircuitSolver valve for domestic hot water systems has received NSF/ANSI 61 certification and California Lead Plumbing Law (AB1953) certification from the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), an independent laboratory.
The certification is believed to be the first of its kind for a self-actuating temperature control valve used for balancing domestic hot water systems.
“The NSF/ANSI 61 certification further cements our belief that the CircuitSolver is an elite product that can solve long-standing issues related to hot water flow,” said ThermOmegaTech, Inc. President and CEO James Logue, Jr. “This valve can change the way engineers solve domestic hot water system and is a clear upgrade over manual balancing valves.”
Water flows to the path of least resistance, and many buildings require multiple branches off the hot water supply line. Since hot water use is dynamic, the path of least resistance is constantly changing and manual balancing valves cannot efficiently resolve these issues. CircuitSolver fixes this problem when installed on the end of each supply branch. Additionally, it eliminates the need for oversized recirculating pumps, minimizes heat-loss by reducing fluctuations in average temperature and flow rate and lowers flow in hot water return lines, minimizing erosion-corrosion problems caused by excessive velocity. The result is a dramatic reduction in water waste, energy savings and greatly improves comfort and satisfaction from all users of the domestic hot water system.
When entering water temperature is below CircuitSolver’s set point, the thermal actuator will begin to open the valve to establish a flow rate that will achieve set point. If the water temperature exceeds the set point, the valve will begin to throttle back to find the current equilibrium point. Continuously operating at the optimum temperature minimizes system heat-loss thereby saving energy. This constant, automatic response to water temperature enables each hot water branch to quickly and consistently deliver the right temperature of hot water to each connected fixture. The valve is constructed of all stainless steel.
CircuitSolver is now available for sale. More information is available at www.CircuitSolver.com. Appointments with engineers from ThermOmegaTech, Inc. can be made through the Web site to determine if CircuitSolver is the right solution for any hot water distribution challenge.
About ThermOmegaTech, Inc.
Founded in 1983, ThermOmegaTech, Inc. is the global leader in the design and manufacturing of the most advanced, reliable, and compact self-actuated valves for temperature control. The company holds over 25 patents for the design and manufacturing of valves for freeze control, scald protection, and tepid water mixing in the rail, manufacturing, processing, health care, hospitality, and building industries, to name a few. All ThermOmegaTech products are made in the United States of America. More details are available at www.ThermOmegaTech.com.
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From Buildings Magazine
The facts are frightening – especially since the problem can be avoided.
Consider this: As many as one in 10 patients hospitalized in the U.S. contracts an infection, according to the Wall Street Journal. That means nearly 2 million patients annually are infected by bacterium or other agents.
The end result?
The cost is nearly 100,000 deaths and $6.5 billion in overall losses.
Hand washing is a long-standing means of fighting such infections. Doctors, nurses, and other hospital employees, as well as patients and guests, constantly wash their hands typically using hot water to do so.
The supply of hot water — and the time in which it is delivered – makes an efficiently designed domestic hot water system paramount in a hospital. And that makes thermostatically controlled hot water flow control valves just what the doctors ordered. Unfortunately, these valves aren’t used as often as they should.
Normally, a domestic hot water system is manually balanced. Enough hot water flows at a rate to ensure that when a faucet is turned on, heated water is quickly delivered at a specified temperature set point – often 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To achieve this, the system is balanced with manually operated valves opened to produce the desired flow rate.
With multiple endpoints at sinks and showers, balancing usually requires two or more plumbing contractors. They must spend significant amounts of time between the hot water supply and the loop that services a particular bank of sinks or other fixtures, tweaking flow rates until the desired temperature is delivered.
A better method of achieving hot water balancing while using a fraction of the labor is to use a thermostatically controlled valve that opens and closes mechanically based on a temperature set point. For a hospital, this design has many advantages.
One major advantage is the cost reduction realized from the reduced flow. Using a thermostatically controlled valve only requires hot water flow when the temperature drops — not the constant flow that a manually balanced system needs.
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WARMINSTER, PA – ThermOmegaTech, Inc., the global leader in the design and manufacture of self-actuating temperature control valves, has announced that its CircuitSolver valve for domestic hot water systems is now approved by the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters for installation in Massachusetts.
“We are excited that CircuitSolver has been approved for sale and installation in Massachusetts,” said James Logue Jr., President and CEO of ThermOmegaTech. “Massachusetts has a strict policy when it comes to plumbing systems. This approval further cements CircuitSolver as the best solution for domestic hot water delivery problems.”
Water flows to the path of least resistance and many buildings require multiple branches off the hot water supply line. Since hot water use is dynamic, the path of least resistance is constantly changing and manual balancing valves cannot properly resolve these issues. CircuitSolver fixes this problem when installed at the end of each supply branch.
Additionally, it eliminates the need for oversized recirculating pumps, minimizes heat loss by reducing fluctuations in average temperature and flow rate, and lowers flow in hot water return lines minimizing erosion-corrosion problems caused by excessive velocity. The result is a dramatic reduction in water waste, energy savings, and greatly improved comfort and satisfaction from all users of the domestic hot water system.
When entering water temperature is below CircuitSolver’s set point, the thermal actuator will begin to open the valve to establish a flow rate that will achieve set point. If the water temperature exceeds the set point, the valve will begin to throttle backflow as required. Continuously operating at the optimum temperature minimizes system heat loss thereby saving water and energy. This constant, automatic response to water temperature enables each hot water branch to quickly and consistently deliver the right temperature of hot water to each connected fixture. The valve, which is constructed of all stainless steel, complies with California AB1953, and meets NSF-61 standards.
CircuitSolver is currently available for sale. More information is available at www.CircuitSolver.com. Appointments for a live discussion with engineers from ThermOmegaTech can also be made through the website to determine if CircuitSolver is the right solution for any hot water distribution challenge.
ThermOmegaTech has over two decades of experience in the design and manufacture of valves for freeze and scald protection, mixing and diverting, steam traps, ambient temperature control, surface sensing applications, and custom-designed valves. The company’s valves protect billions of dollars of rail equipment each year, and can be found in hotels and condominiums, commercial dishwashers, boiler systems, commercial laundries, safety showers and eyewash stations, and more. ThermOmegaTech’s valves are all environmentally friendly, and no outside power source is needed to activate them.
About ThermOmegaTech, Inc.
Founded in 1983, ThermOmegaTech is the global leader in the design and manufacturing of the most advanced, reliable, and compact self-actuated valves for temperature control. The company holds over 25 patents for the design and manufacturing of valves for freeze control, scald protection, and tepid water mixing in the rail, manufacturing, processing, healthcare, hospitality, and building industries, to name a few. All ThermOmegaTech products are made in the United States of America. More details are available at www.ThermOmegaTech.com.
CircuitSolver® was recently featured in Contractor Magazine, the online resource for mechanical contracting.
THE CIRCUITSOLVER® VALVE for domestic hot water systems is easy to install and maintain. It responds to changing water temperature and automatically changes flow to keep temperatures evenly distributed. It is constructed of all stainless steel.
View the release here
Valve Delivers Rapid Hot Water and Savings in Domestic Hot Water Systems
WARMINSTER, PA – September 26, 2012 – ThermOmegaTech, the global leader in the design and manufacture of self-actuating temperature control valves, has announced the launch of its new CircuitSolver valve for domestic hot water systems.
The company extensively researched the problem of hot water not being rapidly delivered to all parts of a building and utilized its self-actuating temperature control valve technology to solve it. The result is simple, an elegant piece of equipment that is easy to install and maintain, saving time, money, and energy.
“We are thrilled to announce CircuitSolver after hearing what trouble it can be to get hot water instantly to all parts of many buildings,” said James Logue Jr., President and CEO of ThermOmegaTech. “We have been developing valves to control the temperature and flow of water in many settings over the past 27 years. When we recognized this problem in the plumbing industry, we knew that we could develop a simple valve that would change the way engineers solved domestic hot water system problems. It is no longer necessary to install manual balancing valves and spend lots of time and money installing and maintaining them. Instead, CircuitSolver responds to changing water temperature and automatically changes flow to keep domestic hot water temperatures evenly distributed.”
Water flows to the path of least resistance and many buildings require multiple branches off the hot water supply line. Since hot water use is dynamic, the path of least resistance is constantly changing and manual balancing valves cannot properly resolve these issues. CircuitSolver fixes this problem when installed at the end of each supply branch.
Additionally, it eliminates the need for oversized recirculating pumps, minimizes heat loss by reducing fluctuations in average temperature and flow rate, and lowers flow in hot water return lines minimizing erosion-corrosion problems caused by excessive velocity.
The result is a dramatic reduction in water waste, energy savings, and greatly improves comfort and satisfaction from all users of the domestic hot water system.
When entering water temperature is below CircuitSolver’s set point, the thermal actuator will begin to open the valve to establish a flow rate that will achieve set point. If the water temperature exceeds the set point, the valve will begin to throttle back to find the current equilibrium point.
Continuously operating at the optimum temperature minimizes system heat-loss thereby saving energy. This constant, automatic response to water temperature enables each hot water branch to quickly and consistently deliver the right temperature of hot water to each connected fixture. The valve, which is constructed of all stainless steel, complies with California AB1953, and meets NSF-61 standards.
“After we installed CircuitSolver, we saw nearly 50% reduction in the time it took for the enhanced hot water delivery to reach the plumbing fixtures,” stated Bob Albanese, Construction Manager representing the Austonian in Texas. “It was simple to install and looks like it will be even easier to maintain. Our residents are quite pleased with the enhancements we’ve made to our system.”
CircuitSolver is currently available for sale. More information is available at www.CircuitSolver.com. Appointments with engineers from ThermOmegaTech can also be made through the website to determine if CircuitSolver is the right solution for any hot water distribution challenge.
ThermOmegaTech has over two decades of experience in the design and manufacture of valves for freeze protection and scald protection, mixing and diverting, steam traps, ambient temperature control, surface sensing applications, and custom designed valves. The company’s valves protect billions of dollars of rail equipment each year, and can be found in hotels and condominiums, commercial dishwashers, boiler systems, commercial laundries, safety showers and eyewash stations, thermal solar panels, and more. ThermOmegaTech’s valves are all environmentally friendly, and no outside power source is needed to activate them.
About ThermOmegaTech, Inc.
Founded in 1983, ThermOmegaTech is the global leader in the design and manufacturing of the most advanced, reliable, and compact self-actuated valves for temperature control. The company holds over 25 patents for the design and manufacturing of valves for freeze control, scald protection, and tepid water mixing in the rail, manufacturing, processing, healthcare, hospitality, and building industries, to name a few. All ThermOmegaTech products are made in the United States of America.
More details are available here.
