WATER TREATMENT, DRAINAGE & PIPED SERVICES
Valve actuators: designed to make a difference
Andrew Stokes-Roberts, senior account manager at Resideo, explains the role water actuators play to support effective building management systems and what to look out for as new valve actuator products come onto the market
W
ithin large and sometimes complex commercial building environments, such as universities, schools and hospitals, building managers face pressures
around system robustness, running costs, as well as meeting future needs and effective HVAC performance. Additionally, these pressures must be balanced with ensuring indoor comfort levels are consistently maintained to meet client expectations for building users and tenants. To support with this, those responsible for
HVAC systems within these properties must keep informed on the system components that help to optimise energy usage and reliability with minimal maintenance contribution. At a time when a standard hospital will face annual electricity bills of up to £431,000* every penny saved is a penny gained. Thankfully, there are many components which contribute to an effective heating and cooling solution, and an HVAC valve actuator is one of them. Installers can therefore offer vital support to building management operators through the specification of best-practice HVAC valve actuators, at a time when reliable performance, installation flexibility, and cost efficiency are key priorities.
The role of HVAC valve actuators
In commercial buildings, the ability to effectively control hydronic valves is important in ensuring individual rooms and zones are consistently maintaining a comfortable temperature for
Water actuators, also
known as valve actuators, play a crucial role in controlling the flow of water in various systems by converting energy to provide precise control, and therefore lower energy consumption.
users. As building operators demand better efficiencies in the management of their energy costs and systems, engineers must be prepared with controls that provide installation flexibility, at the same time as keeping downtime and commissioning costs to a minimum. Water actuators, also known as valve actuators, play a crucial role in controlling the flow of water in various systems by converting energy to provide precise control, and therefore lower energy consumption. It is an engineered mechanism that controls the opening and closing of a hydronic valve, which in turn regulates the flow of water for heating and cooling systems. It converts a control signal sent by the building management system, such as electricity, pneumatic pressure, or hydraulic pressure, into a mechanical motion, enabling the valve to adjust the water flow as required to suit the building’s need and demand. The building management system controls the actuator by dictating how open or closed the valve needs to be to optimise the building’s heating system performance and efficiency, for the very best user comfort and smooth running.
Suited for use in commercial buildings with occupied rooms situated away from the central boiler room, they can help to regulate water use, impact energy consumption, and deliver reliable system control.
Designed to drive performance
Some of the new valve actuators coming onto the market are delivering advantages around installation, ongoing system maintenance needs and overall system optimisation, helping engineers and system integrators to present building management customers with a list of tangible benefits.
1. Ease of system servicing and use Look for valve actuators that are compatible with a wide range of valves and offer simplified installation procedures, set up and servicing. This will help to keep commissioning time to a minimum, enable servicing to be completed quickly and reduce the potential for system downtime. Also look for easy access to control signal settings and the ability to use a rotary signal selector for speed and efficiency.
2. Compact design Today’s small valve actuator designs provide installation advantages without compromising performance. The flexibility to be installed in a variety of locations can provide practical benefits in terms of time and cost efficiency.
3. High control accuracy
Actuators can help drive effective control and help to achieve energy consumption objectives as part of a building’s holistic heating and cooling energy control system. Opting not to utilise the control technology solution removes an operational advantage in terms of accessing potential energy use savings over the long term.
Resideo, has launched a new linear valve actuator, specifically designed for Building Management System (BMS) applications. The actuator has been engineered to help simplify system maintenance and optimise the performance of hydronic valves in commercial heating and cooling installations through precision-controlled motors. It will be available across Europe from Summer 2025. Sylvain Baladon, Global Water Product
Director at Resideo, says: “We are delighted to be bringing this product to the market to help make a system integrator’s job simpler and easier. We know how important it is to supply high quality products with the right technical specification and support, reliable product availability, compatibility, and ease of system maintenance. Our new actuator has been designed to be dependable, cost-effective and is ready for multi-purpose applications. It is a great addition to our existing hydronic control portfolio.” *
https://www.lightupenergy.co.uk/average- hospital-electric-bill/
** 5-year warranty is applicable for trade channel, not OEM channel
*** Existing small linear actuators in Resideo portfolio
26 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AUGUST 2025
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www.bsee.co.uk
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