Many commercial buildings use storage tanks for Domestic (Potable) and Fire Water Applications, especially in Houston, where it is required by Houston Amendments to the Uniform Plumbing Code Section 607. As water is used in the building, an automatic system is required to replenish the water and maintain a constant level in the tank. In domestic applications, this process can repeat multiple times an hour during peak demand loads. An automatic level-control system has two main components, Fill Valves and Controls.
Float Controlled Valves (Cla-Val model 124-01) are widely used on break tanks in commercial buildings. Float valves operate on the same principle as the valves in the back of a toilet: a float attached to a rod moves up and down with the level of the water in the tank. Float valves are simple and effective, but there are drawbacks in commercial applications (link to float vs electronic blog).
Cougar recommends using an Electronic Solenoid Actuated Fill Valve and a Level Control Panel to avoid all of these issues. The Cla-Val Model 136-01 fill valve uses the same base valve as the 124-01, but it uses an electric solenoid valve to open and close the valve rather than a float rod.
A Level Sensor and Control Panel are used with the electronic fill valves to maintain the level in the tank, which allows the fill station design to be improved in multiple ways, including valve alternation and alarms. (link to float vs electronic blog)
The Cougar Systems Level Control Panels have Tank Alarms and Level Outputs for the Building Management Systems to monitor. Level-control systems must be monitored for Low Level (loss of water) and High Level (tank overflow) alarms to prevent equipment failures and potential flooding. For more information on overflow and flood protection, see our blog post here.
Links
https://cougarusa.com/break-tank-fill-valve-types-float-versus-electronic/
https://cougarusa.com/why-is-a-break-tank-required-in-houston-for-pumping-applications/
