Up and down the country, households are battling with the rising cost of living. From the supermarket till to your monthly utility bills, the cost of everything seems to be rising.
Rather than accepting higher energy bills as the new normal, many of us are looking for easy ways to make our homes more efficient, so that when we do turn the heating on, we can enjoy the maximum benefit.
With this in mind, we’re looking at one simple way that you could drive down your energy bills and achieve a warmer and more comfortable home at the same time.
Making your cast iron radiators work as efficiently as possible could help you to enjoy a warmer home while also driving down your utility bills. Let’s explore how to make this happen…
A thermostatic radiator valve (often referred to as TRVs) is a type of valve that connects the central heating pipework to your radiator to control heat output. Manual valves allow you to set the radiator to “on” or “off” by turning the valve, and the temperature output can only be controlled by the main thermostat.
When you add a TRV to the network, it will monitor the temperature in the room and automatically operate ( open or close the valve) based on the temperature you have set on the valve itself to ensure the required temperature is maintained in the room in question.
Without this automatic adjustment and only using a manual valve, when the heating system is on, you have little control of the heat output for the radiator it is fitted as the heat output it gives can only be controlled by the main household thermostat and where it is positioned.
By adding TRVs to your home, you essentially add a mini thermostat to every room, allowing you to have a far more efficient central heating system. You can also set individual temperature parameters for each room, allowing you to make your home more comfortable and suited to your needs.
In one study, BEAMA teamed up with the University of Salford to investigate the energy saving benefits of installing TRVs over manual valves. The University of Salford has a test home in a sealed chamber. Researchers can change the “outdoor” temperature within the chamber and see what impact this has on the temperature inside the home.
The home is a traditional two-up, two-down Victorian solid wall property known as the Energy House. The boiler thermostat was set to 70°C and the timer was set to a 14-hour schedule. The external temperature of the home was tested at 4.5°C, 6.5°C, 8.9°C, 11.7°C and 14.6°C, to replicate a range of conditions you might expect throughout the UK.
After a control test with no thermostatic radiator valves, the TRVs were added and the test was repeated.
The researchers found that the TRVs delivered energy saving results at every temperature. The biggest savings were found at 14.6°C when the TRVs delivered 41% savings on energy consumption.
Read the full study and conclusions.
This isn’t the only study that confirms the benefits of TRVs. According to the Energy Saving Trust, using thermostatic valves is one of their key bits of advice to help you to make your central heating as economical as possible.
The TRVs were able to deliver these savings by reducing the load on the boiler by preventing overheating (effectively heating a room that doesn’t require heating or heating to a temperature higher than required) in individual rooms. By reducing instances of overheating, you can reduce the number of times your boiler needs to fire up to keep you comfortable.
The study also noted that the savings potential would be even higher in homes with oversized radiators. If you have a large cast iron radiator that exceeds the BTU requirements for your room, then you can prevent overheating by including a TRV valve.
We generally don’t recommend oversizing your radiators, but if you need to for any design or practical purposes - e.g. can’t move existing pipework, then you should certainly include TRVs to help avoid room overheating as this could cause your energy bills to spiral.
Thankfully, we offer vintage-style TRVs that look perfectly in place alongside our vintage style radiators. You don’t have to settle for plastic TRVs that will stick out like a sore thumb.
We love the weight and feel of the Kenilworth Antique Brass Thermostatic Valve Set. Antique brass is a beautifully warm-toned metal and pairs beautifully with all radiator styles, from ornate to traditional. The black solid wood wheel head offers a stunningly beautiful finish.
Another beautiful choice is the Loxley Antique Brass Gothic Thermostatic Radiator Valve Set which offers an elegant crocus style head with scrolling on the lockshield.
Not sure which TRV is right for your radiator? Head to the customer inspiration page to see how others have completed their installations, or get in touch with our team to ask questions about our range.
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1 5% discount on orders over £2,000 before delivery & VAT
2 Ten year guarantee on all radiators excluding clearance
