Hot Water Tempering Valve

Hot Water Tempering Valve Regulations, Adjustment, Installation & Mixing Valve Types

A tempering valve for the hot water unit is a temperature-controlled and activated valve for 3-way mixing. It is used to manage the temperature of the water by mixing hot water and cold water. This delivers lower temperature water for enhanced safety and decreased risk of scalding.

A hot water tempering valve can be adjusted by 2-inlet mixing, through which water temperature is moderated by mixing cold water and hot water. Here, the tempering valve aims to achieve a temperature of 50-degrees. This decreased temperature is dispatched from the shower heads and taps. The temperature achieved by the tempering valve is set with the help of local building codes.

However, a tempering valve or a mixing valve still keeps the water hot enough in the tank to eliminate bacterial growth but provides water at a temperature that reduces the risk of scalding and accidental burning of a child or human.

According to the regulations for hot water system installation, it is now necessary to have tempering valves in the hot water unit to avoid scalding. Your plumber should make this installation or adjust a tempering valve in your system to avoid dispense of water that has a temperature higher than 50-degrees.

Hot Water Tempering for Scalding Hazard Prevention

In reality, scalding causes serious injuries to children. These injuries are extremely painful and slow healing. Without a tempering valve, scalding can happen rather quickly, depending on the water temperature that you have set.

On the other hand, if a tempering unit is being used, then hot water burns won’t happen too quickly with a temperature of 50-degrees. This is why you can benefit a lot with a hot water tempering valve that can control the temperature of dispensed water.

Hot Water Tempering Valve Compliance

A hot water tempering valve is engineered in a manner to maintain a temperature which is suitable for the tank as well as for dispensing. This means that when the water is in the tank, it’s temperature is above 60-degree. This kills harmful bacteria and germs present inside the tank. However, when the tap is turned on, the water is mixed with cold water to maintain a temperature of 50-degree. This helps in avoiding accidents. This means that the tempering valve mixes water before it ever reaches you.

How Hot Water Tempering Valve Works

A water tempering valve is an element that checks water sensitivity by mixing hot and cold water, depending on the requirements and adjusted temperature on the value. The mechanism through which the hot water mixing valve works contains a sliding valve inside a tempering valve, which adjusts and changes the ratio of the cold and hot water accordingly. Typically, this valve mechanism controls the dispensed water temperature between +- 3%.

When your plumber installs a tempering valve in your hot water system, he needs to necessarily set the minimum required tank temperature to 60-degree. However, he may set the tap water temperature or 45-50-degree depending on the needs of the household. These two adjustments by the licensed plumber help the tempering valve to function correctly.

Hot Water Tempering Valve Regulations

As per the Plumbing Code of Australia, we need to follow two strict guidelines.

1. Firstly, it is legally necessary to maintain a minimum of 60-degree inside the tank to avoid bacterial growth. However, this temperature can cause burns in 1 second.
2. As a result, the second requirement is to dispense water at 45-degree or 50-degree. While 45-degree is for primary, secondary schools, child centers, and nursing homes, 50-degree is for personal hygiene situations.

Hot Water Mixing Valve Is Now Necessary

The above requirements are achieved with the help of a hot water tempering valve. However, in the laundry and kitchen, this requirement can be bypassed and water can be fetched directly from the gas or electric unit.

This rule is an exception for tankless systems or continuous hot water systems. Since a continuous hot water unit doesn’t have a tank, the growth of bacteria is eliminated, which eliminates the need for a 60-degree temperature inside the tank. This is why these units come with a pre-set of 50-degree temperature, so you don’t require a hot water tempering valve in these systems.

Hot Water Tempering Valve Adjustment

When checking the hot water tempering valve, your plumber may first ensure that the tank temperature is 60-degree and then he may use the closest tap to check the dispensed water. But, in the closest tap, the flow of hot water should be minimum 4L/ min to correctly check the efficiency of the tempering valve. After this, the plumber may switch on the valve to set it to 50-degree temperature.

As the task is crucial and legally necessary, you need a licensed plumber Sydney to achieve this. Don’t try this task at home yourself.

Types of Hot Water Mixing Valve

There are various types of tempering valves. While the primary purpose is the same, the functioning is different. Let’s see a few types of tempering valves.

Blue

A blue tempering valve is the most common one. We utilize it in electric heaters to deliver temperatures between 65-75 degrees.

Green

The green valve is commonly used for gas systems, such as tankless continuous flow models. However, if your gas system is new, then it may already have a pre-set 50-degree as adjusted in the factory during manufacturing. So, you may not require a tempering valve for this.

Orange

The orange valve is used for a heat pump or solar hot water system. This is used when the hot water can reach a boiling point.

Black

The black valves are used for low-pressure gravity feed or large capacity systems. However, the lifespan of these systems is not fixed. Hence, you may want to replace this valve in every 5 years.

For every installation, remember to consult a licensed plumber. Don’t try this installation yourself to avoid damage of any kind.