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Valves Solve Water Temperature Problems

  • 06/01/15

The University of Hartford is an independent institution with a rich history dating back to 1877. The university’s spacious 340-acre main campus is located in suburban West Hartford, CT, and features housing for 3,200 students, a modern sports and recreation complex, performing arts center, theater and more.

In 2002, the University of Hartford’s facility staff decided to install thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) to better control water temperatures in the student dorms. The valves were added to seven student apartment clusters to reduce the risk of scalding for students at the university.

According to sales representative Peter Burkholder, president of A.R. Burkholder Assocs., Inc., in Simsbury, CT, the University of Hartford contacted them early in the process to discuss product options. “We’ve worked with the university on many projects over the last 25 years,” notes Burkholder. “In this case, we took several valve samples over and ultimately they chose the Bradley Corporation valves we recommended.”

“We decided to try the standard Bradley valves because they have a simple cartridge with individual parts that can be easily replaced,” says Lou Perleoni, head of plumbing services for the University of Hartford. Other valves on campus have been costly to maintain, and Perleoni particularly appreciates spending less time maintaining the new valves.

In total, about 12 Bradley Navigator TMVs have been installed at the university. For efficiency, these master TMVs are each installed near the hot water source. This eliminates the need for installing individual valves for each shower.

Compared with multi-valve systems, Bradley’s Navigator valves are easier to install, setup and maintain. Available in high-low, standard and emergency fixture models, each Navigator valve reliably controls water temperatures for various demands — even for the high volumes of water at the University of Hartford.

“The new Bradley TMVs are working marvelously,” Perleoni says. “I’m amazed by the lack of maintenance on these valves.” Perleoni also mentions that he appreciates the compact Navigator design and that cleaning the cartridge is not an issue.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

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