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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two devices in one body?
A differential pressure regulator and a control valve.
The regulator holds a constant drop across the control element.
A given position then always passes the same flow.
System pressure changes stop mattering.
That is the whole mechanism.
Neither part alone achieves it.
What problem does that remove?
Interaction between terminals.
Closing valves raise pressure on those still open.
Those then overflow beyond their balanced figure.
Opening valves starve the far end of the system.
Balancing is a snapshot at one condition.
Buildings run at every other condition.
What does it do to commissioning?
Largely removes proportional balancing.
Flow is set on each valve directly.
No iteration across the circuit is needed.
On multi-storey systems the saving is substantial.
It also removes an activity often rushed at handover.
That is a real quality benefit.
Why does the setting need recording?
Because the valve looks the same at any setting.
An undocumented PICV is a mystery later.
A room misbehaving cannot be diagnosed without it.
Record settings against the schedule at commissioning.
Keep them with the operation manuals.
Photograph the scale if nothing else.
What differential pressure does it need?
A stated minimum, to regulate at all.
Below that it behaves as an ordinary valve.
The pump must deliver it at the index terminal.
Too much pressure wastes pump energy.
Manufacturers publish the working range.
Check the whole circuit against it.
Is a strainer required?
Yes, and it is not an optional extra.
The regulating element has fine passages.
Debris there stops it holding flow.
That is the usual cause of a PICV failing.
Commissioning debris causes most of it.
Flush the system before commissioning.
How does it relate to an energy valve?
It solves pressure variation mechanically.
An energy valve measures and controls to a result.
PICV is simpler and needs no power or data.
Energy valves address low delta-T directly.
Many systems use PICVs widely and energy valves selectively.
They are complementary.