An electric water heater is disposed close to a faucet to readily provide heated water to the faucet. This heater provides heated water without the wait required to obtain hot water from the main, remotely-located, hot water heater such as a hot water tank. The electric hot water heater includes a heater tube disposed in contact with an electric resistance heater. The electric resistance heater does not directly contact the water in the heater tube. The electric resistance heater heats the sidewall of the heater tube which, in turn, heats the water in the heater tube. Two layers of insulation are disposed over the electric resistance heater. The heater tube is placed in line with the regular hot water supply pipe.

A valve having a balancing function for a fluid distribution system. A valve closing member is movable between a closed position and a fully opened position. An actuation device is provided for changing the position of the valve closing member. A control unit is provided and includes an electronic memory adapted to receive and store an opening limitation value, the opening limitation value being representative of a selected intermediate position between the closed position and the fully opened position of the valve closing member, wherein the control unit controls the actuation device to limit the movement of the valve closing member to positions from the closed position to the selected intermediate position. Also, a valve system and to a method of operating a valve.

A hydraulic unit is for use in a multi zone heating system. The hydraulic unit comprises a variable output pump; a plurality of independently controllable valves, each valve being associated with one heating zone; and at least one temperature sensor. Each heating zone receives a heated water supply from a common heat source via the pump. The heating system includes a controller comprising a processor which receives signals from the at least one temperature sensor which processes the signals in accordance with control software. Command signals are sent to the pump and the plurality of independently controllable valves, to vary the flow rate of water from the common heat source to each of the heating zones independently one to another. Remote fault diagnosis and control is also provided.

A method of controlling a Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system including a fluid transportation network that includes one or more network sections, each network section being connected to a fluid transportation circuit through respective supply lines and return lines, each network section including plural parallel zones, includes arranging a pressure regulating device in the supply lines and/or respective return lines of the network sections, arranging flow regulating devices in the zones of the network sections, measuring a remote differential pressure of the fluid in a first zone of the plurality of zones of each of the network sections, and controlling, by a controller, the pressure regulating devices of each network section to maintain the measured remote differential pressure within a specified differential pressure range.

A conditioning or heating plant and a process of controlling the plant, wherein plant comprises at least one circuit for distributing a carrier fluid, having a delivery line, a return line, and a plurality of channels directly or indirectly connected to the delivery line and return line and configured for supplying respective environments to be conditioned and/or heated, at least one heat treatment central group placed on the circuit. The plant has, for each of the channels, at least one respective heat exchange unit and at least one flow-rate regulator.

A conditioning or heating plant and a process of controlling the plant, wherein plant comprises at least one circuit for distributing a carrier fluid, having a delivery line, a return line, and a plurality of channels directly or indirectly connected to the delivery line and return line and configured for supplying respective environments to be conditioned and/or heated, at least one heat treatment central group placed on the circuit. The plant has, for each of the channels, at least one respective heat exchange unit and at least one flow-rate regulator.

A flow control valve comprises three orifices. Each of the three orifices is connectable to a fluid conduit, respectively. Each of two orifices of the three orifices is modulatable between a closed mode in which that orifice is substantially closed, and an open mode in which that orifice is open. Each of the two orifices is also modulatable between the closed mode and the open mode while the other one of the two orifices is in the closed mode. Depending on the application, the orifices may be used as inlets or outlets and in different combinations of inlets and outlets. A hydronic system that includes the flow control valve is also described.

To balance (S3) a group of consumers in a fluid transport system in which each consumer is provided with a motorized control valve for regulating the flow through the consumer, characteristic data for the consumers is stored (S2) which determines a valve position of the relevant control valve for target flows through one of the consumers in each case. A current total flow through the group of consumers is determined by means of a common flow sensor (S32) and a balance factor (S34) is defined on the basis of the current total flow and a sum of the desired target flows through the consumers. The consumers are dynamically balanced by setting (S31) the valve settings for the corresponding control valves on the basis of the characteristic data and the balance factor.

A flow control valve includes a valve body with inlet and outlet ports, and an intermediate chamber therebetween. The valve further includes a static flow rate regulator for the fluid, accessible from outside the valve body and adapted to vary the cross-section of a passage orifice between the inlet and the outlet of the valve. The valve further includes a dynamic flow rate balancer, regulating flow rate based on a change of the incoming flow rate. The flow rate balancer includes a perforated element interposed between the inlet port and the intermediate chamber, allowing fluid passage only through at least one opening of the perforated element and an elastic element at one face of the perforated element facing the inlet port of the fluid into the valve body. An increase in the inlet/outlet differential pressure corresponds to an enlargement of the elastic element, guaranteeing a constant flow rate.

An apparatus configured to regulate the circulation of a fluid in a thermal plant includes a differential pressure regulator, a three-way selection valve, and a two-way zone valve. The apparatus can be installed according to a plurality of installation modes, in which: the differential pressure regulator intercepts the delivery circuit or the return circuit of the plant; the two-way zone valve intercepts the delivery circuit or the return circuit; the three-way selection valve is operatively interposed between the delivery circuit and the return circuit; a first inlet/outlet terminal of the three-way selection valve is placed in fluid communication with a high-pressure inlet or a low-pressure inlet of the differential pressure regulator; a second inlet/outlet terminal of the three-way selection valve is in fluid communication with a point of the delivery circuit or of the return circuit; and a third inlet/outlet terminal of the three-way selection valve is in fluid communication with a respective point of the return circuit, if the second inlet/outlet terminal is in communication with the delivery circuit, or of the delivery circuit, if the second inlet/outlet terminal is in communication with the return circuit.