Is fitting a thermostat onto an old radiator an easy or difficult job?

ARenter

Hello all,

I just moved into a flat in an old 1930s block of about 30 flats and it turns out the the heating is controlled communally, which means the radiator in my is on 24/7 throughout the winter (something they conveniently forgot to tell me at the viewing and which I didn't even think to check).

Anyway, I have asked the landlord if a thermostat can be be added to radiator, which I assume is an original fitting, and they said they will look into it once the communal boiler is turned off in March. For reference it's a basic Faral Modena radiator with two pipe connections (one to the left, other to the right).

My question is, would this be an easy job? Is it simply a matter of fitting the thermostat onto the radiator heads, or would the radiator need to be replaced, removed and put back etc.? I am worried that the landlord will say it is too difficult/expensive and refuse to do it. Maybe it is, but then again it could be it's a simple thing but he just doesn't want the expense of doing it for the entire block if word gets out mine's been done.

Also, are there laws on this? Surely a tenant should have the ability to regulate the heating the room? Not to mention how incredibly wasteful it is financially and environmentally.

best,
ARenter

Bendy_House

Surely the radiator does at least have actual 'valves' at each end? With these you can control the heat output, albeit manually as required.

To fit a TRV - a thermostatic valve - would require the whole valve to be replaced on one side - the actual radiator can stay on the wall.

The job will be made a bit more complex by it being a communal system, and I don't know how much would need to be drained to allow this! But perhaps each flat has isolating valves on the CH pipes as they come in to each property? Or, it could be done by a plumber freezing the pipe supplying the valve to be replaced, shutting off the valve at the other end, and draining just the radiator.

I doubt the LL will want to pay for this, and I think you'd need permission before going ahead yourself.

How many radiators involved? If you do go ahead yourself, you may wish to consider 'Smart' App-controlled valves? Now that would be cool. When you want.

BUFF

A Faral Modena won't be an original 1930s fitting -  afaik the company only started in 1966.

If they have to drain down a whole block of flats to fit 1 TRV that's a major job but I imagine that there is probably some form of service valve on the floor or they could freeze the flow pipe https://www.arctic-hayes.com/Blog/how-to-use-pipe-freezing-kits

You & other tenants will currently be paying for the energy so not exactly an issue for the building owner.
Currently rental properties don't have to have great EPCs but they will have to be improved come 2025 https://www.lettingaproperty.com/landlord/blog/epc-certificates-2022/

ARenter

Thanks guys - pictures attached. I've got no idea about radiators tbh - I assumed a heating dial could be fitted to the right valve?

FreeBear

Depending on how old the existing valves are, there may be some incompatibility with the threaded fittings. After the metric system was introduced to the UK, manufacturers of the fittings switched away from imperial in favour of metric threads. A decent plumber should be removing the backing nuts and use fresh olives. The only problem fittings would be the tails sticking out of the radiator.

Bendy_House

Yikes, A Renter!
Do these valves currently have caps/knobs on them?
Do you pay a fixed communal price for your heating?
The first valve is a simple 'manual' type, so as you turn the spindle down clockwise, it shuts the rad off. This could be used to control the heat output.
The other one is unfamiliar to me, but I guess it's also 'manual', so designed to be controlled up and down as needed by hand. In which case it takes quite a different type of knob on top. But I haven't seen one like that before.