Thermostatic Radiator Valves

There are two types of thermostatic radiator valve designs: wax or liquid capsules. A liquid thermostatic radiator valve is the more efficient model and can heat your room up quicker. Older TRVs have a wax capsule design which is slower to expand and contract in response to the room temperature, but also cheaper.

Thermostatic valves – what are the benefits?

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) are the best way of getting a nice even temperature through your home so that you don’t end up with some rooms being overheated. In these times of rising energy prices, they are also a great way of regulating your heating so that you keep costs down while maintaining a nice even temperature.

How much should a TRV cost?

Typical TRVs will cost around £10-30 each, excluding fitting. A smart TRV can start from £50.

How do Thermostatic Radiator Valves work?

You can select a number on the valve to correspond to how hot you want it – the larger the number the hotter the room (the number doesn’t align with to Celsius). Here’s a rough guide to the room temperatures indicated by the number settings:

• 0 = Off
• * = 7°C
• 1 = 10°C
• 2 = 15°C
• 3 = 20°C
• 4 = 25°C
• 5 = 30°C

Your thermostat measures the temperature of the room it’s located in (known as the reference room) and dictates the overall temperature. If this room isn’t as warm as you want, the thermostat sends a signal to your boiler so it runs until the required temperature is reached. A thermostatic valve closes off the incoming hot water when the radiator has reached the required temperature.

If you have a fixed room thermostat, choose your radiator size so they heat your rooms the way you want them. In the bathroom you need a radiator big enough to heat the room up to 24C while your reference room is warming up to 21C. You should also consider turning up the thermostat in the reference room to max temperature as it works better that way.

It’s also good to avoid tinkering with the valve settings too much. A nice even setting of 3 can heat your house effectively all year around without needing to whack it up to 6.

What are the potential downsides?

We can’t see any downsides to TRV’s!

MP Plumbing

We recommend you fit a thermostatic valve on every radiator except the one controlled by the room thermostat to help get that extra level of control over your heating system. Contact us now to recommend which thermostatic valves you need and get them fitted professionally today.