Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

If you want to generally discussion the merits of preinfusion or have any other generic question about preinfusion post it here. Please use the specific Progressive Preinfusion or Programmable Preinfusion forums if your topic specific to those solutions.
Locked
mswanson

Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by mswanson »

Reading about the pre-infusion and how the incoming water pressure matters, I had an idea I wanted to run past you guys.

I have the typical softener/ filter setup, and after the filter I have a pressure regulator, and after that I have a shut off valve.

I was wondering if there is any value in adding a tee and the pressure gauge before the shut off valve. So it looks like this:

Softener -> filter -> pressure regulator -> tee -> shutoff -> to S1
-> shutoff -> pressure gauge

The idea that I wouldn't have to keep disconnecting plumbing in order to test the pressure, I would just have to reverse the shutfoffs (after shutting down the machine).

Or, perhaps the shutoff after the tee to the pressure gauge is not needed. Then I could monitor and adjust the pressure of the system on-the-fly.

Or is this all over-engineering, as setting the pressure is something that is only done once...

THanks.
MDL
Barista
Posts: 329
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:29 am
Location: San Diego

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by MDL »

My pressure regulator (bought from Chris along with the softening system) has a pressure gauge on it that reads the output. No plumbing or valves required. I never even considered having a regulator without a gauge to see where I was setting the regulation...
Last edited by MDL on Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
slo
Barista
Posts: 419
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:51 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by slo »

I also have a pressure guage mounted downstream of the regulator. I like to know the exact pressure coming in. You really do not need one but it is noice to have.

Also, typically the filter is installed upstream of the softener device. This is to protect the softener device against stuff that the filter would catch.
Vivaldi II, Multiple (a collection really) Lever machines
Currently on deck grinders: Mythos and MXKR
Backup grinders: Robur, Major.
Toper Cafemino Electric and Poppery 1 roaster

I have a serious problem ... Can you guess what?
JohnB

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by JohnB »

slo wrote:Also, typically the filter is installed upstream of the softener device. This is to protect the softener device against stuff that the filter would catch.
Are you thinking of a sediment filter? The carbon filter we all use is always installed after the softener cartridge.
User avatar
chas
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 3044
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:52 pm
Location: Central Maryland
Contact:

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by chas »

Maybe you can actually purchase a true pressure regulator but the one that Chris sells really ought to be called a pressure reducer. I had to pull mine apart when I first received it to see if I could figure out why it wasn't working. The only part inside is a dome shaped metal disk that seals the top of a tunnel the water passes through from input to output. The plastic screw just pushes the dome down into the "tunnel" to restrict the flow.

To me the term regulator implies an active process that maintains a set pressure. These devices don't do that.

BTW: The reason mine didn't work was that the CC tech that added the John Guest fittings screwed one of them in so far that it prevented the screw from pushing down on the dome.
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
User avatar
slo
Barista
Posts: 419
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:51 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by slo »

JohnB wrote:
slo wrote:Also, typically the filter is installed upstream of the softener device. This is to protect the softener device against stuff that the filter would catch.
Are you thinking of a sediment filter? The carbon filter we all use is always installed after the softener cartridge.
Yes I meant the "sediment" filter. This is a typical installation for home softening system. These do not always have a carbon filter in addition. For a cartridge softener it probably does not make much of a difference but for installation using a rechargeable softener, it is very important to have a pre-filtering device otherwise a lot of stuff may accumulate... Carbon filtering is just one more step (that I forgot about), although I have it.
Vivaldi II, Multiple (a collection really) Lever machines
Currently on deck grinders: Mythos and MXKR
Backup grinders: Robur, Major.
Toper Cafemino Electric and Poppery 1 roaster

I have a serious problem ... Can you guess what?
mswanson

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by mswanson »

I have the the pressure regulator shown at the bottom of this page: http://www.chriscoffee.com/products/hom ... ngfittings

I called chris coffee and they said their pressure gauges are plumbed in-line which kind of makes this whole thread about needing a tee moot. From the picture it looked like it was a terminal connection. They also mentioned they set their pressure regulators at about 25 psi. Thus i didn't think I needed to measure the pressure when i first installed my machine. But with this pre-infusion, I was thinking that i might want to change it...

Chas, I didn't know that's how the pressure regulator they sold works. From how it's been explained to me, reducing the size of the opening does not always reduce the pressure. I have very high pressure city water. I can't remember for sure, but when it was measured for my irrigation system, I believe I had over 65 for pressure.
JohnB

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by JohnB »

If you've got a 65psi main pressure set your regulator to give the S1 3 bar if you want to get the most out of your pre infusion.
mswanson

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by mswanson »

Just to make sure, 3 bar (~45 psi) incoming water line pressure? Has nothing to do with the group gauge on the machine...
JohnB

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by JohnB »

chas wrote:Maybe you can actually purchase a true pressure regulator but the one that Chris sells really ought to be called a pressure reducer. I had to pull mine apart when I first received it to see if I could figure out why it wasn't working. The only part inside is a dome shaped metal disk that seals the top of a tunnel the water passes through from input to output. The plastic screw just pushes the dome down into the "tunnel" to restrict the flow.

To me the term regulator implies an active process that maintains a set pressure. These devices don't do that.
Actually that is exactly what it does do. That metal disc is just the face of a rubber diaphram which pushes on a small metal rod. My line pressure cycles between 40-60 psi & if I set the regulator to 38 psi that is where the water pressure feeding the machine stays no matter what my line pressure is doing.
JohnB

Re: Adding incoming water pressure gauge in line

Post by JohnB »

mswanson wrote:Just to make sure, 3 bar (~45 psi) incoming water line pressure? Has nothing to do with the group gauge on the machine...
42-45 psi should be sufficient & that is what your group pressure gauge should read when the machine is idle. If you previously had the line pressure set lower you will have to readjust your group pressure back down to your previous setting (9b?) using the adjustment on your pump.
Locked

Return to “Generic Discussions about Pre-infusion”