Pressure regulators are essentially valves that control the pressure of a fluid in a system. There may be fluctuations or changes in any feature of the system or the fluid, which will lead to damage to sensitive equipment. Regulators prevent this from happening by maintaining the desired pressure of the system at all times.

Regulators consist of three essential components: a control element, a sensing element, and a loading element. The sensing element, which is the part that controls the inlet or the outlet pressure, can either be a piston or a diaphragm. It works with the control element and loading element together to restore the balance inside the regulator when the pressure of the system fluctuates.

There are mainly two types of pressure regulators, pressure reducing and back pressure regulators.

Pressure Reducing Regulators control the pressure of the downstream with the help of either a diaphragm or a piston. The outlet pressure can be adjusted by the handle of the regulator, or it can be pre-set to the desired value as per the type of the regulator. Pressure-reducing regulators are normally-open and they are mostly installed before sensitive equipment in order to protect it.

Back Pressure Regulators, on the other hand, control the pressure of the upstream. The inlet pressure of the regulator is kept constant and the vent opens if the inlet pressure exceeds the set value. They basically have the same working principle of the pressure-reducing regulators, the only significant difference is that back pressure regulators are normally-close. To prevent any damage to sensitive equipment, they can be installed either parallel to or after.

The below diagram shows how pressure reducing and back pressure regulators are correctly installed in a system.

Re-Lok provides you with solutions and products, especially in sensitive high-pressure applications. Pressure Reducing Regulators with pressure control range up to 700 bar and Back Pressure Regulators with pressure control range up to 70 bar are some of Re-Lok’s most demanded products. You can download our Regulators Catalog here.