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A back pressure regulator – also called a back pressure valve – is an instrument that is designed to maintain its upstream pressure at its own inlet. When the process pressure of the fluid or other medium in the process rises above the setpoint pressure, the valve opening increases to relieve pressure until it is back at the setpoint pressure. When the pressure in the process becomes lower than setpoint pressure, the valve opening in the back pressure regulator decreases so that pressure is built up to the given set point pressure. You can find more details – including animated video – on our back pressure regulators page and in our blog that zooms in how back pressure regulators work. What is the difference between back pressure regulators and relief valves?Equilibar Back pressure regulators – other than common relief valves that operate on the basis of on/off actuation – are designed to maintain pressure at a stable level under the given process conditions, resulting in stable and frictionless control of the process pressure. To do this, Equilibar back pressure regulators use a flexible diaphragm that is pushed onto and lifted from the regulator body to allow the openings in the back pressure regulator to open smoothly and with extremely small response times. Equilibar® back pressure regulators help engineers to achieve high precision pressure control in their process under the most demanding process conditions. Equilibar® Back Pressure Regulators versus Pressure Reducing RegulatorsPressure reducing regulators are designed to decrease a pressure to a regulated lower pressure at the outlet, thus regulating the downstream pressure. Back-pressure regulators are designed to work in opposite direction: Equilibar back pressure regulators control the upstream pressure by opening up at the inlet only as much as necessary to keep the desired pressure level upstream. Contact Pressure Control Solutions for more information about the perfect Back Pressure Regulator for your processYou can contact us via email, web form, chat or phone to get advice about the best Back Pressure Rgeulator for your process. If you prefer to explore your options online you can also use our online product configurator to play around with possible combinations of process parameters. Once you are happy with the chosen configuration or when you need our advice, simply submit your then current configuration and we will guide you through the ideal product set-up from there. We look forward to hearing from you! |
Frequently asked questions
What is a back pressure regulator and how does it work?▼
A back pressure regulator, also called a back pressure valve, maintains upstream pressure at its inlet by automatically adjusting valve opening. When process pressure exceeds the setpoint, the valve opens to relieve pressure; when it drops below setpoint, the valve closes to build pressure back up.
What is the main difference between back pressure regulators and relief valves?▼
Back pressure regulators use flexible diaphragms for smooth, continuous pressure control with extremely small response times, while relief valves operate on basic on/off actuation. This makes back pressure regulators ideal for stable, frictionless process pressure control.
How do back pressure regulators differ from pressure reducing regulators?▼
Back pressure regulators control upstream pressure by opening at the inlet only as much as necessary to maintain desired pressure levels. In contrast, pressure reducing regulators decrease pressure to a regulated lower pressure at the outlet, controlling downstream pressure instead.
Why would I choose a back pressure regulator over other valve types?▼
Back pressure regulators provide high precision pressure control under demanding process conditions with stable and frictionless operation. Their flexible diaphragm design enables smooth valve openings and extremely fast response times for optimal process performance.
What happens when process pressure exceeds the setpoint in a back pressure regulator?▼
When process pressure rises above the setpoint pressure, the valve opening automatically increases to relieve the excess pressure until the system returns to the desired setpoint pressure level.