A thermostatic radiator valve is a type of radiator valve which is self-regulating, controlling the temperature of a room by altering the levels of hot water which are delivered to the radiator. This obviously offers a variety of benefits over manual radiator valves, as it allows rooms to be heated in the most efficient way possible and can therefore reduce heating bills by a huge amount.

According to one study, switching from a manually controlled valve to a thermostatic valve could save 280 kilograms of CO2 per year, and the fact that they only use heat when needed could reduce your heating bills by a whopping 17%. As technology advances, thermostatic valves are now available that feature electronic temperature sensing, and feature programmes which allow individual radiators to be programmed to come on and turn off at different times of the day. This is an advance on the more widely used system whereby the entire central heating system can be set to a timer, and can further save on CO2 usage and heating bills.

Ultraheat Eco Angled Thermostatic Radiator Valve in a white and chrome finish.

 

 

The Science Behind Thermostatic Radiator Valves

Clearly, thermostatic radiator valves can be a great piece of technology for saving you money on your heating bills and heating your house as efficiently as possible. But how do they work? For such a clever piece of kit, you might be surprised that they centre around the manipulation of an ancient natural material: wax. The classic TRV contains a wax plug which expands or contracts according to the temperature of the air around it. This plug is connected to a pin, and this pin is connected to a valve; as the air temperature gradually increases, the wax gradually expands, and the valve gradually closes, which in turn limits the amount of hot water which enters the radiator and effectively turns down the output of the radiator. Clever, eh? The temperature which you want the radiator to reach and stay at is set by you, normally according to a plastic dial control which encompasses the valve itself. These often range from 0 – 5.

The fact that thermostatic valves work by sensing their surrounding air temperature means that it’s important to make sure that they are exposed to the air and are not covered by things like curtains or drying clothes. If you don’t have thermostatic radiator valves, then a range is available at Designer Radiators Direct. Even if you do, it’s advisable to replace at least the heads, if not the whole valve, every 10 years, because old TRVs lose their accuracy and performance over time.

 

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