TRV valve vs ordinary tap style

tightasagnats · 2 June 2018 at 4:46PM

I have two new rads being put into a) bathroom b)kitchen and they are pretty steel ones. I ordered a pair of pretty chrome tap style valves for one rad - which I assume I can turn off and also half close, so wondering what a TRV would offer over and above?

I need another pair and the TRVs are pricey. Was thinking of a pair of chrome angled from screwfix:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/chrome-angled-radiator-valves-15mm-x-2-pack/94103

as these are lower in cost and I thought they must do a similar job by restricting flow of water....like the tap shaped ones I bought already. Are they just a blunter instrument than a TRV? Boiler is new BTW and have a NEST themostat in lounge.

Thanks folks.

Head_The_Ball · 2 June 2018 at 5:21PM

tightasagnats wrote: »

..so wondering what a TRV would offer over and above?...

TRVs sense the air temperature around them and automatically regulate the flow of hot water through the radiator which they are fitted to. They reduce and eventually shut down the flow of hot water as the room temperature rises. They give you a much higher degree of control over the individual temperature in each room than basic valves can.

If you don't have TRVs then, as long as the central thermostat is demanding heat, the boiler will continually pump hot water through every radiator, possibly overheating some rooms. Systems can be balanced to avoid the worst of that but TRVs make a big difference.

They are particularly useful in a kitchen as, when you are using a hob and ovens etc, the kitchen can heat up very quickly. You don't want a kitchen radiator running at maximum as well. A TRV will help to prevent that happening without you having to regularly adjust it.

Those Screwfix valves are not TRVs. They are ordinary valves with a chrome finish.

You can get chrome TRVs.

Here is one. There are other makes available.

Ideally every radiator bar one in your house should have a TRV. You need one radiator without a TRV so the water always has somewhere to go if every TRV is shut off. That would normally be the hall radiator.