Regulators

Any gas circuit that uses fuel in any fluid state requires installing a regulator to maintain a steady pressure and flow rate. Too little gas will eventually allow a fire to go out, while too much could damage the system and enable it to run at a much higher rate than it otherwise should. 

HVAC Modules With Intervals

As a result, HVAC technicians will usually install regulator modules at specific intervals. With these intervals, the regulators can accurately predict the amount of gas flowing through any part of the system at a given time.

Irrespective of the actual configuration of the equipment you're currently working with, you should have some extra regulators. In case something goes wrong in the future, you can replace them quickly. 

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Principles Of HVAC Regulator Operation

Standard gas regulators utilize an internal valve to restrict gas flow through a point. While they can be left entirely closed to prevent the flow or open all the way, they're generally kept between these extremes. That gives HVAC installers the freedom to dial in a specific flow rate.

More extensive systems need more gas than smaller ones, so regulators offer a wide selection of potential settings. Gas that's not burned efficiently is getting sent out of the exhaust stack. Those who don't need as much gas can dial the devices back a bit, so they're not wasting anything.

You'd always want to run a furnace in a manner that's consistent with its labeling. Environmental authorities have sometimes pushed for these devices to be required on many units. There are also safety-related issues that necessitate their installation. Thus, these have become as important as said authorities have imagined.

Sizing A Gas Regulator

Several standard sizes of regulators have come out over the years. Some are designed to match the pipe coming into them and how much gas they have to let flow at any given time. 

Those were working with 1½" components might want to consider an LF340X-8-125 piece from Watts and a similar LF340-3-125 since these are designed specifically with these sized parts in mind. You'll want to take a few moments to measure everything attached to your existing regulators when replacing them, just to be specific. 

Remember that Watts, as well as other manufacturers like the gas division of Sensus, makes the 121-8-1 1_2 1, also all vend parts that are interchangeable within the same model number. That means if any of the ones you're swapping out matches one of these, you can generally order a like part and expect it to fit correctly. 

Control Your Gas Flow With Furnace Part Source

Here at Furnace Part Source, our team has put together quite a collection. Whether from newer product lines or discontinued ones, we stock them all. You can find the right part for the system you're restoring.

Always look through our materials to see if we have the perfect part in stock. Contact us online for more information about sizing requirements and the best potential components for a given installation.