Solar Hot Water Tempering Valve

Water heated by a solar water heater can reach temperatures of up to 90 degrees Celsius. To prevent accidental scolding, we are putting in a tempering valve.

It automatically mixes the hot water with cold water to reach 50 degrees Celsius. So in effect any hot water tap has 50 degree Water coming out of it. It is hot enough to want to mix it with cold water before having a shower. But it will not burn anyone.

The tempering valve works mechanically. The valve inside expands and contracts depending on how hot the water is that comes through. When it expands, it lets less hot water pass and instead adds cold water. The opposite happens as the hot water flows through loses heat: the valve contracts and therefore opens up more of the hot water stream. Out comes the 50 degree Water.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 13th, 2008 at 8:08 am and is filed under FAQ. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.