FAQ — Radiator

Yes, to provide good control and save energy, it is very important that TRVs are mounted in ‘freeair’ and not blocked by, for example, furniture, curtains, or enclosed within decorative cabinets.The TRV can only work to the temperature which it can sense so, if it is covered, it cannot sensethe room temperature properly and may underheat or overheat the room.

  A drain-off fitting is an optional item which should be fitted to radiators to make it easy for Installers to remove water from the the heating system when, for example, a radiator is needed to be removed, replaced or a system is upgraded or extended. There are many ways of this being provided and it is not necessary to be fitted to every radiator, however, the more drain-off fittings that are used, the easier and more convenient it will be to remove the water.

A lockshield valve sits on the other end of the radiator to the TRV and provides one way of balancing the flow of water through the radiator so that the overall system performance is maximised. Once set by your installer, they should not be tampered with or adjusted again as this may affect the efficiency and performance of your heating system.

TRVs sense the air temperature around them and regulate the flow of water through the radiators which they are fitted to. They do not control the boiler.They should be set at a level that gives you the room temperature you want. These settings may have to be different in each room, and you should set the TRVs to suit each room and then leave them to do their job.Turning a TRV to a higher setting will not make the room heat up any faster. How quickly the room heats up depends on the boiler size and setting, and the radiator...