Total control over individual room temperatures

The beauty of a central heating system incorporating thermostatic radiator valves is that you have total control over individual room temperatures, an ideal situation when you have a spare bedroom for guests. When not in use, the temperature can be turned to a minimum, being increased as and when a little more warmth is required.

Don’t confuse thermostatic radiator valves with room thermostats. With your normal room, or central heating thermostat, when the room with the thermostat is up to temperature, the thermostat shuts the boiler down. With the boiler shut down all rooms begin to cool, until such time as the temperature hits its lowest point when the boiler flashes back up to re-heat all the rooms.

As can be imagined, with the boiler having to continuously heat and re-heat all the rooms, even those which are rarely used, you could be paying considerably more than you need to in heating costs.

Programmers and controls are another component in a heating system that regulate temperature and help to create a heating system that reduces unnecessary usage and promotes energy conservation.

Setting your Thermostatic Radiator Valves

Setting the valves is not difficult; it just requires a little patience. Everybody is different and we all have different ideas of what a ‘comfortable’ room temperature is. As a general guideline, living room temperatures are usually around 20C, with bedroom temperatures a couple of degrees lower.

The rule of thumb is to set the valves at about half setting initially, then adjust a notch up or down. In your little used or guest rooms, they can be on the low setting until you wish to use them.

While no-one wants to sit in a centrally heated house and feel cold, the lower the temperature you are comfortable with, the less work your boiler has to do – and the lower your heating costs should be.