What are valves at either end of radiator?

Jun 27, 2018

"Which radiator valves do I need for my radiator??"

It's a common question which we get asked by our customers, so we're here to explain everything you need to know when it comes to radiator valves!

So... maybe you’ve just purchased your perfect designer radiator and you find yourself a little baffled with which valves to go for. You may even be tempted to ask your plumber, but do not fear - we are here to help you decide which vales you’ll need; whether that be straight, angled or corner radiator valves.

Radiator Valves Explained

With a growing variety of radiator styles available on the market today, and with an increase in customer demand for the most stylish designs, radiator valve manufacturers have increased the choice available on the market to ensure they suit your radiator perfectly.

Your radiator will either be wall-mounted or floor-mounted. Wall-mounted means that the radiator will hang from the wall with a set of brackets. Please note that wall-mounted does not necessarily mean that the pipes will be coming out of the wall.

Floor-mounted means that the radiator will be sat on the floor on the radiators feet/legs. Again, please note that this does not necessarily mean that the pipework will be coming from the floor. Whether the radiator is sat on the floor or hung from the wall, the pipework can come from wherever it is required.

Which valves you will need will depend on two things, firstly whether your radiator has side or underside connections and secondly where your pipework is currently coming from in your home (the wall or the floor).

Do I need straight, angled or corner radiator valves?

Side connections:

The position of the valves are situated at either side of the radiator near the bottom.

Underside connections:

The position of the valves are situated underneath the radiator at either end or centrally.

See our guide below - How to work out which radiator valves you will need:

1. Side connections with pipes coming up from the floor = you need “angled” valves.
2. Underside connections with pipes coming up from the floor = you need “straight” valves
3. Side connections with pipes coming out of the wall = you may choose between “angled” or “corner” valves. Traditionally installers would use angled valves, however it’s been discovered that a neater alternative is to use corner valves, as this means that the heads of the valves would sit upright, rather than protruding into the room like with an angled valve.
4. Underside connections with pipes coming out of the wall = you can choose from “angled” or “corner” valves. Traditionally installers would use angled valves, but again corner valves would be a neater alternative

If you are starting from scratch then there will not be any pipes currently installed, in which case you should be able to choose where you want the pipes coming from; the wall or the floor. This gives you more flexibility when it comes to choosing your radiator valves. But in most cases, the pipework will already be installed in which case you’ll need to get the correct radiator valves to suit your existing pipework.

What are thermostatic radiator valves?

Now you’ve decided whether you need straight, angled or corner valves, the next step is to decide whether you’d like manual or thermostatic valves. The main difference between them both is that a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) shuts off once your radiator has reached the desired temperature in the room, whereas a manual valve only shuts off if you physically turn it off. With the un-predictable climate here in the UK, a TRV is a great option to have as it makes sure you are not heating up your room unnecessarily. It is a simple and cost-effective solution.

We have various radiator valves available on our website; straight, angled and corner valves. From the simple manual valves such as the Heating Style Square Radiator Valves to the decorative thermostatic valves for example our Heating Style Period Style Westminster Thermostatic Radiator Valves, you can be sure to find the right one to suit your radiator.

If you need any further advice, give our friendly customer helpline a call on 01535 288307, or send us an email .

Posted: Monday, January 4, 2021

Share on: Facebook, Twitter

For a radiator to function properly and efficiently, you need to have the right radiator valves - which can also help reduce your heating bills.

There are two main options available when choosing radiator valves: manual and thermostatic. While both control the heat from your radiator, they are very different from each other. But in what ways? Trads is here to help explain by guiding you through each radiator valve and what they can do for your home heating.

Read on to find out about manual and thermostatic radiator valves, as well as the differences between them…

What is a radiator valve?

Radiator valves are what you see at the bottom of a radiator - they will have a twisting mechanism on top. They allow you to control how much heat you want your radiator to give out, just like a tap to control the flow of water.

Each radiator will have two valves. One will control the amount of hot water that enters the radiator and the other will balance the system by controlling how much heat comes out of your radiator. This is known as the ‘lockshield valve’.

The lockshield valve is often covered with a plastic cap and controls how much water flows out of your radiator. This can be either back into the pipework or to remain inside your radiator. The lockshield valve is usually fixed to prevent you from turning it.

What are the types of radiator valves?

There are two main types of radiator valves to choose from: thermostatic and manual radiator valves.

Manual Radiator Valves

The most common type of radiator valve is a manual radiator valve. The clue to how manual valves work is in the name - you have to turn them to control the temperature.

They work just like a tap, by altering the flow of hot water from the boiler into the radiator. The higher the level on the valve, the higher the volume of hot water entering the radiator to produce greater heat. Once a room has reached a temperature you want, you will need to turn the valve down yourself to a cooler setting.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves

Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) give you much more control over the temperature in your home because they have more advanced features. Like a manual valve, you can set the valve to what temperature you’d like a room to be.

The thermostatic valve ‘senses’ the temperature in your room and once the temperature you want is reached, it will automatically stop the flow of hot water to your radiator and prevent it from getting any warmer, wasting heat and energy.

What are the differences between manual and thermostatic valves?

Manual valves are simple to use and are generally smaller in size than thermostatic valves. As they are manual, you have to remember to manually turn them off when you don’t need them on. Otherwise, you will be wasting unnecessary energy and money on heat that you don’t need. This is where thermostatic radiator valves come in.

Thermostatic valves are the 21st-century radiator valve. They enable the radiator to manage itself for the majority of the time. This means that you don’t need to worry about having to turn the valve off yourself - the TRV will do it for you. This will prevent you from wasting unnecessary heat and money - benefitting your heating bills and the environment.

How do TRVs monitor themselves? They have an in-built temperature sensor that keeps the room temperature at a constant level - this is actually a piece of wax or liquid. We, and energy providers, recommend TRVs should be installed on your radiators because they offer improved efficiency and are controllable.

What are the benefits of manual radiator valves?

A manual valve is an age-old standard for radiators, one we’ve all grown up with and used. This makes them easier to find in shops and provides them with much more variety, in terms of style, for example.

The manual valve is also often cheaper to install than TRVs and can give you a more focused control over your home heating system. You can tailor your manual valves to different temperatures in each room throughout your home. This is particularly the case when you’re heating your entire house but want rooms at different temperatures.

For example, the temperatures of the kitchen and bathroom may need to be different from those of the living room and bedroom because you need to consider warmth and humidity from cooking and washing. Some rooms may not need any heating at all, so manual valves give you the freedom to micromanage your home eco-system.

What are the benefits of thermostatic valves?

Thermostatic valves are far more environmentally friendly than manual valves because their maximum capacities match the heating output recommendations for carbon footprint reduction efforts.

Even Trads' TRVs are similarly priced to manual valves, they can be more expensive elsewhere. However, TRVs will save you more money in the long run, which is extremely beneficial due to how high heating bills can get if you’re not careful. A thermostatic radiator valve is one of the best ways to make your heating as simple and easy as possible.

Simply set the maximum temperature in your thermostatic radiator valve and then, that’s it, you can relax while TRVs manage your heating system. In reality, unless you have a lot of people at your home, it’s very unlikely that you’ll need to heat every room inside your house to the same temperature, which is where TRVs are so useful, preventing heat waste.

Why you can’t have a thermostatic valve in kitchens and bathrooms

We’ve alluded to this already, but you should not make the mistake of installing a TRV in your bathroom or kitchen. This is because the heat and humidity produced by your shower and bath, or from cooking with an oven or hob, will provide false readings. This means that the valve may well shut off and do nothing, such as preventing condensation.

Is it time you updated your radiators? Here at Trads, we have an excellent range of beautiful cast iron and steel radiators to update your home with!

Shop Online here

Feel free to contact us if you need any help choosing a radiator