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Certified energy results

30% saving on the annual energy bill with Vigorfluss for sink

26% saving on the annual energy bill with Vigorfluss for shower

The department of hydraulic engineering from the University of Napoli, under the coordination of professor Armando Carravetta, has performed the following tests on the Vigorfluss products, provided by Ecolcap SRL:

• Flow tests for Vigorfluss valves for sink – both 7l/min and 4l/min variants
• Comparative flow tests on 2 types of traditional water saving products (economizers)
• Flow tests for Vigorfluss valves for shower – both the internal and external variants
• Comparative flow tests with no economizer present

The tests were performed according to the UNI EN 246 normative regarding “The acceptance criteria for water flow regulation”. For each of the tested products, the following sequence of operations was performed:

• The pressure reducing valve was opened and adjusted until the desired pressure was obtained;
• A constant water flux was obtained
• The volume of running water for an interval of minimum 5 min. was measured.

Table I presents the results of the flow tests for sink. The tests were performed for differents pressure. The graph in Fig. 1 illustrates the results. It shows that the effluent flow rates increase with increase with the value of the pressure imposed.

 Table I: results of the flow test for sink

Vigorfluss valve 7L		Vigorfluss valve 4L		Traditional new economizer		Traditional used economizer
Pressure (bars)	Flow (l/min)	Pressure (bars)	Flow (l/min)	Pressure (bars)	Flow (l/min)	Pressure (bars)	Flow (l/min)
0,5	2,75	0,5	1,46	0,5	9,83	0,6	8,93
1,0	3,58	1,0	2,13	1,0	12,52	1,0	11,56
1,5	4,43	1,5	2,64	1,5	15,24	1,4	13,77
2,0	5,11	2,0	3,09	2,0	17,71	2,0	16,71
2,5	5,79	2,5	3,48
3,0	6,29	3,0	3,84

 

Fig. 2

 

The 7l/min Vigorfluss valve for sink limits the flow to 6.3 l/min when a pressure of 3 bars is applied.

The 4l/min Vigorfluss valve for sink limits the flow to 3.84 l/min when a pressure of 3 bars is applied.

Table II presents the results of the flow tests for shower. The tests were performed for differents pressure. In the absence of a similar competitive product, the tests were conducted for an extended range of pressures.

 Table II: results of the flow test for shower

Vigorfluss valve for shower (external)		Vigorfluss valve for shower (internal)		No economizer
Pressure (bars)	Flow (l/min)	Pressure (bars)	Flow (l/min)	Pressure (bars)	Flow (l/min)
0,5	5,94	0,5	12,24	0,5	17,44
1,0	7,36	1,0	7,32	1,0	25,96
1,5	8,61	1,5	8,91
2,0	9,38	2,0	9,70
2,5	10,00	2,5	10,53
3,0	10,68	3,0	11,21

 For the internal Vigorfluss valve for shower, to a predetermined test pressure, the same flow did not always correspond. Therefore, more tests were carried out for each pressure, and found an increasingly reduced variability with increasing pressure.

The graph in Fig.2 illustrates the results obtained for the shower valve. For the internal shower valve, mean values have been reported for each pressure. The graph clearly shows that, for the external shower valve, the effluent flow rates grow with the pressure. Conversely, for the internal shower valve, average effluent flow rates, measured for each pressure imposed, remain almost constant around the value of 10 l/min, regardless of the pressure. Both in the case of the internal and external shower valve, the effluent flow was limited to a maximum value of about 12 l/min.

 Fig. 2

 

The graph in Fig.1 shows that, for the same pressure, the flow rates obtained for Vigorfluss valves are much lower than those of the traditional products. This water saving, little dependant on the applied pressure, ranges around 69% for the 7l/min Vigorfluss valve for sink and 82% for the 4l/min Vigorfluss valve for sink.

The water saving is also significant in the case of the Vigorfluss valves for shower: minimum 65% for the external model and 61% for the internal model versus the situation with no economizer product present.

The ministerial procedures provide some reference value for the calculation  of primary energy savings for aerators (products that mix air with water) and for the providers of low-flow shower heads. ln particular, the case of a water saving equal to 50% implies an annual saving of energy equal to 20%.

The below table presents the necessary energy for heating 1 cubic meter of water from 0 to 30⁰C.

 

 

Based on the collected data for Vigorfluss valves during the performed tests and taking into account the ministerial reference values, we can conclude the following:

Vigorfluss valves for sink bring an annual energy saving of 30%

Vigorfluss valves for shower (both internal and external models), for a range of pressures between 1.5 to 3 bars, bring an annual energy saving of 26%.