When combined with a room thermostat, thermostatic valves allow you to better regulate the heating in each room. A simple and inexpensive way to optimise your energy consumption.
What does a room thermostat do?
As you probably know, a room thermostat measures the temperature in the room where it is located, usually the living room. It orchestrates the heating in the house. If the temperature in this reference room is lower than the set temperature, the thermostat switches on the heating system until that temperature is reached.
At the same time, the other rooms are also heated:
- Sometimes too much: if a room is smaller and better insulated than the reference room.
- Sometimes unnecessarily: when it is not constantly needed (a bedroom, for example).
The room thermostat therefore does not take into account the specific needs of each room.
What do thermostatic valves do?
Unlike the room thermostat, the thermostatic valve regulates the temperature per radiator. It works as a supplement to the room thermostat. When the specific radiator reaches the desired temperature, the hot water supply is automatically shut off. Everything happens inside, without you seeing the valve move.
Please note: thermostatic valves work with settings, not degrees. It sometimes takes a few tests to find the right setting. Once you are satisfied, it is best to leave the valve alone as much as possible.
Did you know?
Smart thermostatic valves allow you to control the operation of your radiators with even greater precision. Thanks to built-in timers, you can programme the times of day when each radiator should be switched on or off.
Tips for using thermostatic valves
1. The room thermostat remains in control
The room thermostat controls the heating system. Once the temperature in the reference room has been reached, all radiators switch off, even if the thermostatic valve is still open.
2. Choose radiators that are powerful enough
The radiators must be large enough to reach the desired temperatures. In the bathroom for example, it is best to choose a larger radiator so that the room can heat up to 24 °C while the reference room reaches 21 °C.
3. Leave the valves in the reference room fully open
In the room where the room thermostat is located, it is best to set the thermostatic valves to the maximum setting (setting 5). This will prevent the room thermostat from malfunctioning. Are you moving a wireless thermostat? If so, adjust the settings of the relevant radiators as well.
4. Avoid constant adjustments
There is no point in turning the valve fully open when you feel cold. As long as the desired temperature in the reference room has not been reached, the hot water supply will remain at maximum anyway. The thermostatic tap only prevents the temperature from becoming too high.
Where to install thermostatic valves?
Don't have thermostatic valves yet? Then it is definitely advisable to install them.
Ideally, you should install one on every radiator.
It is not necessary to install thermostatic valves in the room where your room thermostat is located (often your living room).