Radiator valves?

faerie_girl

I have just read a thread which mentioned radiator valves and just wondering what they are/look like lol??

We live in a solid concrete 1940's flat and are finding it particulary expensive to keep warm. This will be our second winter here and last year we kept in the living room with the gas fire on. The gas fire was cut off when we had our gas check in the summer and the landlord refuses to replace it as we have central heating.

I am just wondering if the 'valves' on the radiators are set low. I know there is a thing to 'bleed' them of air which we need to buy a key for. When I lived at home the radiators had a plastic knob to turn on the bottom which could turn them on or off. We dont have any plastic thing to turn on these radiators.

I am sorry for being so naive and asking a dumb question.

Cardew

http://www.bhl.co.uk/category/Thermostatic_Radiator_Valves

There are all sorts of models of thermostatic radiator valves(TRV) - see link

If you don't have a TRV the valve is simply on or off.

Umski

faerie_girl wrote: »

I am just wondering if the 'valves' on the radiators are set low. I know there is a thing to 'bleed' them of air which we need to buy a key for

You would only need to bleed the radiator if it is cold at the top (indicating it has air in it). The valve for this is at the top and uses a key as you say but if the radiator is hot all the way through then there is no air in it.

However, the valves you are thinking of allow the water to flow in/out of the radiator. As Cardew says if you have a TRV (thermostatic valve with numbers or marking on it) then this can be set to a temperature, if not the radiator will either get hot or it won't with just the normal valves...saying that they can control the flow, so the rads may take longer to heat up if the valves are almost closed. Hope that helps