As far as home additions go, radiators are essential inclusions to any property due to their common household use of providing heat during the colder months of the year. With the capacity to warm up rooms and homes within short periods of time, radiators play a significant role for utility purposes, but they can also add a touch of beauty to your home.
Radiator Valves
There are many different types of radiators available to choose from when looking to add them into your home, varying in features and materials. The durability and quality of the materials used define not only their cost, but also their functionality and efficiency. Since modern radiators operate via a central heating system, heated water passes through the system and heats the radiators in turn. As such, the materials that are used to make the radiators can retain heat in different ways, but can all be controlled using radiator valves.
Radiator valves are used to control the flow of water that goes into the radiator, which means that you can control the heat emitted from the radiator by adjusting the valve accordingly by hand. If you opt for a thermostat radiator, however, then this can be controlled through a digital display that will automatically regulate the flow of water and heat. However, for standard radiator valves, there a number of considerations you should make before selecting one for your radiators.
Materials Of The Valves
Brass is the most common material used in making radiator valves, due to their durability and long lasting lifetime. These valves are used in standard radiators that are used for heating rooms, but are also used for heated towel rails or column radiators. While brass is the most common, other metals such as nickel and chrome are also used to make valves. In very rare cases, gold is used as a material for making valves too. Though rare, gold valves are said to be ideal because they do not require polishing or cleaning, and they stay consistent even when exposed to high temperatures. However, with gold being a precious metal, it is solemn used other than by the wealthy.
Manual Valves
As the name suggests, manual valves have to be turned off and on by hand, according to the temperature of the room. When you turn them on partly, they will allow hot water into the radiator to adjust the temperature, where one metal ball within the valve is used to control the flow when it is turned on completely which are known as free ball valves.
Thermostatic Valves
Thermostatic valves are generally controlled by a heat sensor that is connected to a thermostat or digital display. The setting of the valve can be altered through changing the temperature of the thermostat. Thermostatic valves are commonly used with both analogue and digital thermostats, and provide a simple method of regulating all radiators connected to the system from one control. Also, they are considered as a significant tool for incorporating central heating and cooling systems in homes and commercial buildings. Here, the valve system is very similar to the manual valves except for the fact that it includes electronic components.
Straight Valves
Straight valves connect the radiator with the central heating supply in a horizontal form. Consequently, the main feature of this valve is that it doesn’t have bends or curves, and it perfectly fits your radiator along the wall. These kind of valves are suitable for cast iron radiators that you can place in your living or entertainment room or with larger rack type bathroom radiators.
Angled Valves
As the name suggests, angled valves connect the radiator and the central heating supply at a 90-degree angle, either in a horizontal or a vertical form. These valves are used more often than straight valves as they are not easily visible, and are also more durable. Angled valves are commonly and ideally used for cast iron radiators that are placed in bathrooms and kitchens since they can fit perfectly onto walls.
Thus, there are different kinds of radiator valves, and they have their individual functionality and are used with different kinds of radiators. The usage of these valves also depends on where the radiator has to be placed and utilised.
