The GURU Plug is a self-operating, thermostatic freeze protection drain valve. Designed to monitor engine coolant water temperature and drain before any freeze damage can occur, this compact device has protected millions of dollars in railroad investments from freeze damage for more than 35 years.

Are you ordering GURUs for a new locomotive? Read on for the 3 most important factors to consider when choosing the appropriate GURU Plugs for your locomotive.

1. Drain Rate

The GURU is offered in two standard sizes: the GURU DL and the Magnum GURU, with their respective bore sizes: 1″ and 1.25″. While the size difference may seem insignificant, they have considerably different drain rates. The GURU DL drains an estimated 300 gallons in 28 minutes, and the Magnum GURU will drain approximately 300 gallons in 14 minutes.

The GURU DL utilizes 1.25″ NPT thread and requires thread sealant upon installation, while the Magnum GURU utilizes an SAE straight thread o-ring design which does not require a sealant. This makes the Magnum GURU easier to service when rebuilding your current plug with the GURU Rebuild Program.

2. Temperature Set-Point

The GURU Plug is offered in 35°F and 40°F set-points. The “pop” temperature is entirely up to preference, but it is important to consider maintenance as a factor since a 40°F GURU will likely trip more frequently than a 35°F GURU, which could result in higher fuel costs due to the locomotive idling in between dumps.

3. Location, Location, Location

For GURUs installed on the main drain, you will likely require a standard Type T GURU. A flanged style may be selected depending on the set-up. We offer three different flange options: Type FL (with grooves), Type-FL-GX (without grooves), and Type-FL/FL-GX (with and without grooves). These are a direct replacement for the Prime Electric valve.

When the GURU is installed on the compressor head, the style selected will depend on the compressor style and manufacturer:

• Type CH – water-cooled air compressors
• Type CHS – Gardner Denver, WLA, and WNA water-cooled air compressors
• Type S – installed in the manifold, this valve acts as an air vent to decrease drain time

To learn more about implementing the GURU into your new or existing locomotive, click here. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

As always, thank you for your continued support.

The Therm-O-Mix Station is an industrial tepid water delivery system for safety showers and face/eyewash stations. The station uses a facility’s existing steam and water supply to instantaneously deliver tepid water and requires no source of electricity, making it ideal for explosion-proof environments.

Check out some frequently asked questions about this product below:

 

A3: No. The Therm-O-Mix is designed for intermittent use, making it unsuitable for a continuous supply recirculation system.

Q4: Can I capture the steam condensate? 

A4: No. The drain line must be unobstructed and free-flowing for the unit to operate correctly. No steam trap should be used on this line; the addition of a steam trap or restriction may result in a scalding hazard. The drain line must be piped so that there is no back pressure restriction. Do not tie other drain lines into drain pipe.

Q5: I have an existing safety shower setup, can I use the Therm-O-Mix?

A5: Of course, the Therm-O-Mix has a small footprint and doesn’t require a water tank or extensive piping, making it easy to retrofit on existing safety shower and face/eyewash stations.

To learn more about this tepid water delivery station, check out our YouTube video here.

For more information on the Therm-O-Mix Station or our other tepid water delivery options, we invite you to click here to visit our website.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

GURU Plug test: The effect of extreme cold on the GURU Plug

The Study

On January 6, 2020, ThermOmegaTech conducted an environmental exposure test to determine if extremely cold air temperatures could cause the GURU Plug to nuisance dump when engine coolant water temperature is above the valve’s release set-point.

The test was performed at ThermOmegaTech’s Warminster, Pennsylvania headquarters in an on-site lab and was supervised by a qualified design engineer.

Conditions

A GURU DL 2.1 Type-T valve was installed in a Tenny Environmental Chamber and exposed to 3MPH winds at -60°F (-51.1°C) in an attempt to trigger a nuisance dump.

To simulate engine coolant, the test was conducted with 55°F (12.7°C) water flowing through the valve tee at 1GPM. Coolant temperature was monitored at the inlet and outlet of the environmental chamber and flow was adjusted to keep the inlet and outlet temperatures relatively consistent at 55°F (12.7°C).

To ensure environmental conditions were constant throughout the test, the temperature chamber door remained closed. To accurately determine if a valve release occurred, a leakSMART® sensor was placed inside of the chamber underneath the GURU Plug.

Conclusion

After two hours of exposure, the GURU remained closed. There were no instances of nuisance dumping above the GURU Plug’s set-point due to the extreme cold air temperature or wind exposure.

This test confirmed that 55°F (12.7°C) engine coolant flowing at 1GPM will provide sufficient heat/energy for the GURU DL 2.1 to remain closed despite environmental conditions. The test also confirmed the benefits of sensing the coolant fluid’s temperature, compared to sensing the ambient air temperature. Due to the GURU’s fluid-sensing design, it is able to operate in environments where ambient sensing products cannot.

The test results were verified by removing the 55°F (12.7°C) coolant flow, leading the GURU to release.

GURU Rebuild Program FAQs

ThermOmegaTech recommends replacing your GURU Plugs every 18-24 months to prevent nuisance dumping as the valve ages. The GURU Plug Rebuild Program is a great way to get your used valves refurbished for about half the price of a new valve.

Below are some commonly asked questions about the Rebuild Program:

Q1: What is the purpose of the colored caps?
A1: The colored caps serve as a visual indicator of what year the valve was built. There are five colors that rotate, each associated with a year. For example, 2018’s color is white. In 2019, the maintenance crew can easily determine that the white capped GURU Plugs will not need to be rebuilt for another year. The manufacture date is also laser marked on the top of each cap as a second reference (MM/YY).

Q2: How does the rebuild program work?
A2: All you need to do is send ThermOmegaTech a rebuild purchase order and your used GURU Plugs (be sure to include a copy of the purchase order with your shipment). We disassemble the valve, scrap and replace the internal components, and clean up the cartridge body and hex nut. The reassembled valve is then cartridge tested (heat soaked and air cooled), leak tested, and pop tested before being returned to the customer. We also offer a UTEX program for orders of 50 pieces or less, so you can get your GURU plugs back even quicker.

Q3: Where do we send our used GURU Plugs?
A3: The same place they were originally built, tested, and distributed – our headquarters! Please ship the valves to this address:

ThermOmegaTech, Inc.
Attn: Rebuild Program
353 Ivyland Road
Warminster, PA 18974

To prevent damage to the cartridges and hex nuts, be sure to ship them with plenty of packaging material to keep them from bouncing around while in transit, and cover each hex nut with the blue thread protectors that originally came with the valve. If you do not have the thread protectors, add extra packing material to avoid damage to the hex nuts.

Q4: Do I need to return the hex nut, or just the cartridge?
A4: We recommend to send both the cartridge and the hex nut back to be rebuilt to ensure that the hex nut seat area is cleaned, as dirt and debris can build up and compromise the plug’s freeze protection.

For more information on the GURU Plug Rebuild Program and how it can help protect your locomotives all winter long, visit our website at: www.thermomegatech.com/guru-rebuild-program.

If you have any questions about these GURU Rebuild Program FAQs or the refurbished GURUs, please do not hesitate to give us a call. As always, thank you for your business and I look forward to working with you.

Choose the HAT/FP for your condensate line freeze protection needs!

As the freeze months settle in to stay, winter-proofing seems natural for some systems in your facility – make sure the emergency shower doesn’t freeze, the break room faucet still gives water, and that the bathrooms don’t turn into skating rinks.

You’ve got everything covered, but what about your industrial system’s steam condensate line?

The valve can alternatively be installed in a reverse flow position, in which case it would continuously monitor and modulate based on the condensate temperature.

The HAT/FP valve functions completely mechanically, automatically modulating in response to temperature changes. It can act as either the condensate line’s primary freeze protection or as a backup to heat tracing.

Don’t wait for frozen condensate lines to disrupt your industrial system, install a ThermOmegaTech HAT/FP valve before temperatures drop! For more information on the freeze protection solutions ThermOmegaTech offers, click here to visit our website.

Should you have any questions about how to integrate our HAT/FP condensate line freeze protection valve into your facility, please don’t hesitate to reach out!