Thermostatic radiator valves are an excellent way of managing your central heating system and ensuring that radiators come on exactly when needed. TRVs are often recommended as a way to keep your heating costs economical.
However, should they be fitted on heated towel rails? In this article we'll look at why this is not necessarily the best option.
The purpose of TRVs
Thermostatic radiator valves exist to help you have more control over your heating system.
On most TRVs, you will see a dial with a set of numbers which correlate to temperature ranges - 1 being lower, 5 being higher.
However, these numbers on the radiator relate to the temperature in the room, not to the temperature in the radiator - a common mistake many people make.
If a room is cold, the valve will detect this low temperature and allow more hot water into the radiator. Once the temperature in the room reaches the desired temperature, the valve will automatically close and stop any more hot water entering the radiator. As the temperature starts to drop, the valve will open again to help the room remain a constant temperature.
Set to 1, the temperature in the room will be fairly low when the valve closes. Set to 5, the temperature will need to get very high before the valve closes. Most people should set the dial to between 2 or 3.
This constant opening and closing of the valve means that hot water isn't jumped continually pumped into your radiators, helping to keep a consistent temperature and helping to reduce unnecessary energy wastage.
