Frequently Asked Questions
All About The Smart Valve™
How does the Smart Valve™ save me money?
In a number of ways:
It maintains close to ‘city pressure’ UPSTREAM through the water meter to the city main by preventing the pressure drops that come from the property during normal water usage from reaching the water meter.
By not allowing the pressure to drop as much at the meter, it doesn’t allow the air to expand in volume and be measured by the water meter. Furthermore, it keeps your water meter operating within its designed flow range, and it reduces over-supply caused by higher-than-desired city pressure.
How much money will I save?
The amount of money you will save is determined by several factors including:
- City pressure (PSI) and amount of pressure fluctuation
- Flow rate and flow capacity (GPM)
- The amount of air in the line at any given time
- The amount of non-volumetric water consumption
- The actual savings you will experience is impossible to accurately predict and will vary with the conditions above. On average, our customers see +/- 20% savings, but we have seen users have savings as high as 35% and as low as 10%. What’s important is that once you install the Smart Valve™ it begins working 24/7/365. You will realize the full amount of savings available within your water supply without having to ever think about it again, and it will keep saving you money for as long as it is installed your water line.
Is the Smart Valve™ safe & legal to install?
The Smart Valve™ is legal to install on the user side of the water meter (after the backflow preventer if one is present). Installation must be done in conjunction with all applicable laws, codes and standard plumbing practice in your area, however, no special permits or permission should be necessary.
The Smart Valve™ is constructed of extremely strong and durable Acetron GP and stainless steel, is in compliance with NSF / ANSI 61 (potable water) and NSF / ANSI 372 (lead free) and is safe for use with all potable and non-potable water applications.
How difficult/expensive is it to install the Smart Valve™?
The valve is designed to fit into standard pipe sizes and can be easily installed by any licensed plumber. Flow Dynamics does not install the Smart Valve™ directly but your sales representative can arrange the installation for you by a qualified local plumber at a competitive rate. You are also free to use your own favorite plumber. The cost will vary by the valve size, local plumber rates, and the configuration of your water system. As an example, a 2” Smart Valve™ typically takes 45-60 minutes to install.
Should I put the Smart Valve™ on every water meter?
Most water meters are candidates. There are some rare instances where the water meter is not a candidate for the Smart Valve™. These include where the water usage is too low for a reasonable return on investment, or where there are currently low-pressure problems.
Your local distributor will help you assess whether your property is a good candidate for the Smart Valve™. Rest assured, if you shouldn’t install a Smart Valve™ we will be the first to let you know.
The Smart Valve™ should NEVER be installed on a water system supplying firefighting water.
How reliable is the Smart Valve™?
The Smart Valve™’s only movement function is the compression of a spring and the associated opening and closing of a gasket-less plunger and housing. The valve is made of Acetron GP and stainless steel. Acetron GP is self-lubricating and has strength characteristics close to those of steel while still being flexible and impact absorbent.
The Smart Valve™ comes with a 10-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty, however the valve should continue to work reliably for much longer.
Does the Smart Valve™ really work?
Yes, it really does work and it’s amazing! We guarantee it will save you money!
Wouldn't an all metal Smart Valve™ be better?
No, it would be much more expensive, need maintenance and be likely to fail prematurely. Metals can corrode, they will accumulate particulates such as dirt or scale and will fail over time. The Smart Valve™ is made primarily from Acetron GP produced by Quadrants, and it is the absolute ideal material for this type of application.
All About Air
Is there really air in my water?
There is no debate that air is present in our water lines. Water systems are pressurized, but they are not vacuums. They are designed with this fact in mind to prevent potentially serious problems such as air blocks and air hammering. In fact, if there were no air to compensate for normal pressure drop during demand, we would see cavitation and damage to our pipes and fixtures. The only real question is how much air is there? The VOLUME is not constant and is determined largely by system pressure at any given point in the system. Because the volume of a gas is inversely related to pressure, the greater the pressure drop, the greater the increase in air volume.
Further reading:
How does air get into the water line?
As well as being released from entrainment in water, air can be physically introduced to water distribution systems. Water providers work to prevent outside air infusion; however, air is inevitably drawn into the line through:
Tiny cracks, poor or damaged joint seals and leaking flange connections. Temperature, flow rate and pressure changes can generate a significant amount of air volume. Pumps that are positioned throughout the distribution system create pockets of air in the pipeline because of the vortex action of pumps. Surprisingly common main line breakages which can introduce huge amounts of air into the water system.
“Air behaves very unpredictably in a pipeline…in the normal operation of water pipeline system, maintenance activities and fluctuating period of consumption in demand will cause air to be released from solution and accumulate in the localized piping” – A New Understanding Of Air Transfer – Clean Water Legacy, January, 2003
How am I paying for the air?
There are many types of water meters, but they all use their various methods to measure VOLUME of water consumption. This volume measurement is measuring total volume, which includes any volume of air present. Typically, the volume of air can make up between 10% and 30% of total volume measured, however, we have seen cases of it being even higher.
Does air still go through the water meter?
The Smart Valve™ does NOT remove the air. It prevents it from DECOMPRESSING and expanding in volume due to pressure drop caused by normal demand. Once the air passes through the water meter and the Smart Valve, the pressure drops as it did before, and continues on to the property as before.
All About Pressure
How does water pressure affect my consumption?
The higher the pressure is in a system the more water that will be ‘pushed’ through the system. We are seeing higher and higher city pressure readings as municipalities grow and must deliver more and more water through their existing infrastructure. The only way to deliver more water is to replace the water system with larger pipes, which in most cases is not a feasible option, or to ‘crank up’ the pressure.
This is a problem because water fixtures are designed for pressure no higher than 65 PSI, and even more so in older facilities where there is no pressure regulator, or water fixtures were not designed for water conservation.
Will the Smart Valve™ affect my water pressure?
Anything in a water line will create some pressure drop. Even your water meter or a bend in a pipe causes a pressure drop. Fortunately, water systems are designed to have excess pressure.
The Smart Valve ‘borrows’ some of the excess downstream pressure found in every system to create the desired effect upstream. For the Smart Valve™ to work the system must be able to tolerate at least a small drop in PSI, however, with the EXTERNALLY ADJUSTABLE versions of the Smart Valve™ we can control the amount of PSI drop between zero (no effect) and a significant pressure drop, all depending on what can be tolerated. The goal is to find the strongest setting on the Smart Valve (to get the best possible results) that will not cause too much pressure loss. This is why external adjustability is critical to success.
As a rule of thumb, if you currently have no problems or complaints due to low water pressure, then your property is a good candidate for the Smart Valve™.
Is the Smart Valve™ the same thing as a pressure reducing valve (PRV)?
No, the Smart Valve is not a PRV. The job of a PRV is to maintain low pressure downstream at any flow rate, including no flow. The job of the Smart Valve is to maintain high pressure upstream while adjusting to flow. Neither device does the job of the other. The Smart Valve does cause some pressure drop as a side effect (the amount is calibrated based on system tolerance), but it is variable depending on flow rate. When there is no flow, the SV is doing nothing. Because of this, if you needed a PRV before, you would still need to have a PRV downstream of the Smart Valve.
Guarantee/Warranty
Is there a guarantee on the Smart Valve™?
Every Smart Valve™ comes with a 90-Day No Questions Asked Satisfaction Guarantee. This is an unrestricted guarantee, unlike some others who offer a more restrictive 5% or 10% savings guarantee, then argue with you later about how much you actually saved. We have heard stories of some vendors arguing when the savings aren’t there that the customer must have had a leak or just used more water. FLOW DYNAMICS will not argue with you about your happiness. YOU decide if it is working to your satisfaction. NO QUESTIONS ASKED!
Is there a warranty on the Smart Valve™?
Every Smart Valve™ comes with a 10-Year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty.