Mitsubishi Split Air Conditioners in Syracuse – What Is an Electric Valve Actuator?

Valves on chemical process equipment may be a long distance from control rooms, or high in the air on towers or elevated tanks. An electric valve actuator can be used to remotely control them without the need for manually turning the valves. Although all of these actuators run on electricity, the designs can vary greatly, and they come in a variety of sizes to fit different valve applications. 

Split Central Air Conditioners in Syracuse – Electric Valve Actuator.

Power can be direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) depending on the plant design. A key factor in all electric actuators is available torque, or the force available from the electric motor for opening and closing the valve.

Split Air Conditioners in Syracuse – Heating and Cooling Equipment.

Heating and cooling equipment can use an electric valve actuator for both damper and valve control. Dampers are metal plates hung inside the vent piping leaving a furnace. As the furnace turns on and off, the actuator can open and close the damper to control the vent gases exiting the furnace. Similar dampers can be installed on fresh air vents entering the furnace to control air used for burning gas or fuel oil, typically connected to sensors that monitor gases leaving the furnace. Adjusting inlet air and flue vent flow rates can provide maximum combustion efficiency.

Mini Split Air Conditioners in Syracuse – Reversing Valve.

Electric actuators on furnace valves can control gas or oil flows to the burner, or water flow to boilers that circulate hot water through a building for heat. Heat pumps have a reversing valve that switches the refrigerant flow direction when changing from heat to air conditioning. An electric valve actuator can control the valve based on the heat/cool selection switch at the thermostat inside the building.