The Importance of Thermostatic Radiator Valves

The thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) was first introduced in Denmark in the 1970s as an easy and affordable way to control zone temperatures through a larger building that featured a wet heating system that was fed by one, centrally located boiler, which was also where the term “central heating” originated.

TRVs such as the Danfoss Radiator Valve , are useful for commercial buildings, such as factories and offices and are also extremely popular in a number of European apartment buildings where there is one boiler in the basement of the building that feeds a number of different flats. When this situation is present, the boiler is constantly on and the hot water is always circulating in the network of pipes, so that the boiler operates at superior efficiency.

In this system, the flat dwellers control the temperatures in their homes by using the TRVs and learning to judge the proper setting for ultimate comfort.
That arrangement is completely different than the British system, where every individual flat or home has an individual boiler, which is commonly programmed so that it fires up for a period of two hours in the morning and then six hours during the evening. In these systems, the TRVs can actually be irrelevant and create more issues.

It is importation to understand that you should never fit a TRV to the radiator that is in the same room as the wall-mounted thermostat for the room, as the two different thermostats will begin to fight each other in order to deny or gain heat from the boiler

These are also completely inadvisable in a bathroom, where the heat that is created from the shower or bath can actually shut down the operation of the TRV just when the warmth is necessary for the prevention of condensation.

The TRV is considered a somewhat primitive device that relies on the thermal properties of the trapped bubble of gas, wax or liquid in order to contract and expand and therefore will turn the valve on the radiator on or off. Once these valves are fitted, they are very rarely checked or even recalibrated, which means there is no way of determining if they are properly working.

The radiator valve is a crucial component of any heating system. Understanding this factor will help you ensure your system is performing at optimum levels, providing superior comfort for both residential and commercial settings.