WATER-SAVING SOLUTIONS

ARE YOUR WATER BILLS OUT OF CONTROL?

TPI Efficiency’s latest product offering is water cost-saving retrofits on your side of the water meter, reduce water and sewer costs by 10-30% with pressure optimization technology.

The Smart Valve™ will save you money and water. It works 24/7/365 and requires no maintenance. All you have to do is set it and forget it. The only difference you will notice will be in your wallet.

It does not negatively affect any pressure-sensitive equipment in your facility, as our engineers custom-design the valves.

Is Your Facility Wasting Water and Money?

If your monthly water bill exceeds $2,000, you’re likely paying for water you don’t need due to excessive pressure. Our Smart Valve™ system can reduce your costs with payback typically under 2 years.

WATER SOLUTIONS

Introducing the Smart Valve™ - Reduce Your Water and Sewer Bills Up to 30%

TPI Efficiency has an innovative solution that can help you save 10-30% on your monthly water bills with a quick payback period – the Smart Valve™.

What is the Smart Valve?

The Smart Valve™ is a patented, cost-effective retrofit installed on your side of the water meter. It works 24/7 to maximize water pressure and decrease water consumption, reducing utility costs.

Is your business paying too much for water and sewer costs?

TPI Efficiency has an innovative solution that can help you save 10-30% on your monthly water bills with a quick payback period – the Smart Valve™.

What is the Smart Valve™?

The Smart Valve™ is a patented, cost-effective retrofit installed on your side of the water meter. It works 24/7 to maximize water pressure and decrease water consumption, reducing utility costs.

How Does it Work?

Mitigating billing for entrapped air that gets measured by water meters
Stabilizes water flow and pressure to ensure accurate meter readings
Reduces excessive water pressure to prevent overconsumption and leaks
Acts as a shock absorber against damaging pressure surges

Once installed, the Smart Valve™ requires no maintenance. You “set it and forget it” and watch the savings add up on your monthly bills.

video | how the smart valve works

Visual Bubble Test

Benefits & Results

Delivery: The Problem With Water

Several potential problems inherent in water delivery, usage, and metering can impact water consumption and costs. Most of these concerns revolve around water system pressure (PSI), flow rate (GPM), and turbulence.

It’s a simple fact that along with the volume of water passing through your water meter is a volume of air. The volume of that air will vary as the water pressure fluctuates between static and dynamic pressure. The problem is that over 99% of water meters are measured by volume, regardless of whether that volume is liquid or gas.

Water meters are designed to be accurate within a specific flow range (GPM). If the flow rate exceeds this range, the meter can measure inaccurately, charging you for more than the gallonage used.

City pressure can fluctuate significantly, causing pressure surges and drops. These can cause the meter to overspin and damage water systems and equipment. Surges also occur anytime you go from a closed system (static) to an open system (dynamic), such as when you use no water and turn on your faucet or hose.

Water fixtures in your building are typically designed for water pressure of no more than 65 PSI. The water pressure delivered by your municipality (city pressure) is often much higher, resulting in too much water being pushed through your fixtures and potentially leaking through seals and gaskets designed for 65 PSI, resulting in increased maintenance and replacement costs.

Benefits & Results

Air Compression

The SMART VALVE™ air compression benefit works on all single-jet, multi-jet, and turbine category positive displacement meters. These makeup over 99% of all water meters in use. The physics are based upon Boyle’s Law regarding gas pressure and volume and Le Chatelier’s principle of volumetric dynamics.

The SMART VALVE™ is installed in the water line on the USER side of the water meter. The variable spring-loaded plunger maintains a constant ‘backpressure.’

This pressurized column of water extends upstream through and past the water meter. When air reaches this pressurized water, the air becomes compressed and no longer maintains any volume. It passes by the water meter in this compressed state until it passes through the SMART VALVE™ and soon returns to its original uncompressed state. The SMART VALVE™ does NOT physically remove the air from the water; it just eliminates the volume of the air and prevents the water meter from measuring it.

A typical example of entrained gasses in a fluid is shaking up a soda bottle.

The gasses are trapped in the soda but have no volume until you remove the bottle cap. Once you remove the cap and thus reduce the pressure, the gasses suddenly have a lot of volume! The SMART VALVE is like a bottle cap that keeps the system pressurized at the water meter. You won’t notice any difference in the water coming into your facility, but you will see that your water meter is now spinning less.

CASE STUDY - SMART VALVE

Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a multi-purpose medical facility in Nashville, TN, installed the Smart Valve™ to address high water consumption and costs. The results have been impressive, with significant savings in both water usage and expenses.

Property Description: Multi-Purpose Medical

Consumption before installation:

2000 Dates/Time Period: May 2021 – Aug 2021

CCF per month: 3,2101

Consumption after installation:

Dates/Time Period: May 2022 – Aug 2022

CCF per month: 2,473

Annualized Savings: $90,000
Gallons: 551,276
23% Reduction

“…the Smart Valve appears to be making a significant impact. Through 7 months we have experienced a savings of about 23%, equaling to more than $67,000. If this trend continues, we should see a savings in excess of $90,000/year."

Mike Gable

P.E., CEM, CHFM

Conclusion:

The installation of the Smart Valve™ at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has led to substantial cost savings and a significant reduction in water consumption.

This case study highlights the effectiveness of the Smart Valve™ in managing water usage and reducing utility bills for large facilities.

Another way in which water meters can be inaccurate is during very high or low flow or a pressure surge. Water meters are designed to be accurate within a specific flow range. If the flow exceeds this range, the metering can overread consumption. This is especially true during a surge, such as when no water is flowing, resulting in a higher static pressure, which can create an initial surge when the water line is opened.

The pressure suddenly drops to the lower dynamic pressure. Surges can also be caused by variability in the municipal water supply.

The SMART VALVE’s™ proprietary variable spring-loaded technology eliminates these peaks and valleys. It creates a smooth, even flow that keeps your meter readings more accurate and protects against damage from a surge.

An effect of creating backpressure upstream is a corresponding pressure drop downstream. With the 2nd Generation SMART VALVE™ we can precisely control the amount of pressure drop from a little to a lot to fit your system needs.

A positive side effect of this pressure drop is that it will save the user additional money by reducing water consumption in non-volumetric water uses such as showers, sinks, hoses, etc. The same five-minute shower will use slightly less water. While you won’t notice it in the shower, it adds to your water bill!

Furthermore, almost all water devices are designed for approximately 60-65 psi water supply. A higher psi can cause excessive water delivery and leaks at seals and gaskets that can often go undetected.

In these cases, a pressure reducer is typically used to maintain a 60-65 psi to the facility. Unfortunately, these devices require maintenance and often fail. The SMART VALVE™ can act like a controllable pressure reducer in high-PSI water systems, eliminating the problems caused by excessive water pressure.

Other Benefits:

The SMART VALVE™ is a secondary backflow preventer to protect the municipal water supply.

This is becoming increasingly important as municipalities seek to protect their water reserves from contamination better.

The Bottom Line - The Smart Valve™ will:

Keep the water line pressurized at the meter to avoid being charged for air volume
Keep your flow rate in the desired range for additional water meter accuracy
Reduce excessively high water pressure
Eliminate overconsumption due to high-pressure
Conserve water, especially in facilities without pressure reducers or flow regulators
Act as a shock absorber against pressure surges and drops

The Smart Valve™ will save you money and water; it works 24/7/365 with no maintenance needed. All you have to do is set it and forget it. The only difference you will notice will be in your wallet.

Specs & Technical Data

Customized Specifications

Each SMART VALVE™ is built to exact specifications based on the specific water system parameters. Spring tension is calibrated based on the users’ pressure and flow profile. The existing pipe configuration determines connection types. A completed site survey is required for all orders.

Construction

The SMART VALVE™ is made primarily of Acetron GP, a solid, self-lubricating space-age resin created by Quadrants. Acetron GP is the material of choice when precision parts are required for impact and wear resistance in various industrial and mechanical applications. With low, consistent internal stress, this material experiences little dimensional change during use.

Acetron GP is also an ideal material for use in wet environments because it resists moisture, will not accumulate particulates, will not rust, and self-seals exceptionally well, eliminating the need for seals and gaskets that would wear out, making Acetron GP the ideal choice for the SMART VALVE. All non-Acetron GP components are manufactured from food-grade stainless steel.

Every dollar saved on energy boosts your profit margin.

TPI Efficiency’s Energy Savings Calculator shows exactly where your business can reduce costs—without disrupting operations or requiring upfront investment.

Get your custom benchmark report and see how optimization could improve your ROI immediately.

Calculate your opportunity today and uncover your hidden savings potential.

Trusted Partners

With access to over 150 suppliers and decades of experience, we help organizations reduce operating costs, improve efficiency, and achieve environmental goals through tailored strategies and objective advice. TUG’s longstanding presence in Cincinnati and Dayton, paired with TPI’s established operations in Cleveland, means we now offer our clients an even broader geographic reach and enhanced resources.