What type of valve is used to maintain a specific temperature range for water?

A blending valve is designed specifically to control the temperature of water by mixing hot and cold water to achieve a desired temperature range. This type of valve is essential in settings such as hemodialysis, where precise temperature control is critical for patient safety and comfort. It ensures that the water supplied to the dialysis machine is within the appropriate temperature limits, thereby reducing the risk of thermal injury to the patient.

In practice, the blending valve adjusts the flow rates of both hot and cold water inputs, enabling a stable output temperature despite variations in the incoming water supply. This function is crucial in clinical environments where consistent water temperature is necessary for medical procedures.

Options like check valves, flow control valves, and pressure relief valves serve different purposes: check valves prevent backflow, flow control valves regulate the rate of fluid flow, and pressure relief valves manage system pressure but do not specifically address temperature regulation. Each of these has an important role in various applications but does not provide the mixing ability necessary to maintain a specific temperature range for water.