Thermostatic heads and valves are devices that regulate the temperature of a room by controlling the flow of hot water passing through the radiators in a heating system. They are mounted directly on radiators, replacing traditional manual valves.
By using valves with thermostatic heads, it is possible to tailor thermal comfort to user needs, achieving significant savings on heating costs.
How They Work: Differences Between a Thermostatic Valve and a Thermostatic Head
Thermostatic valves and heads are thermal regulation devices that control the water supply to the radiator.
- The thermostatic head is the component that controls the operation of the thermostatic valve. Inside the head, there is a thermal sensor (often a capsule filled with wax or liquid) that detects the ambient temperature.
- When the room temperature reaches the desired level, the head automatically adjusts the valve to reduce or stop the flow of hot water into the radiator, preventing unnecessary heating.
- This ensures that only the required amount of hot water enters the radiator to maintain the room’s temperature. As a result, reducing the amount of hot water in the radiator decreases its heat radiation power.
The response speed of the thermostatic head is crucial for ensuring optimal temperature regulation.
Why Use Them?
There are several reasons to use thermostatic valves and heads:
- Energy efficiency – They prevent energy waste by maintaining each room at the desired temperature, ensuring only necessary heating is used.
- Customized comfort – Each room can have a different temperature. For example, the living room can be warmer while bedrooms remain cooler.
- Cost savings – By reducing energy waste, thermostatic valves and heads can significantly lower heating costs. They also help in accurately tracking heating expenses in apartment buildings based on actual consumption.
- Automatic regulation – They adjust to environmental conditions, such as shutting off heat flow when sunlight naturally warms a room.
- Regulatory compliance – In Italy, the installation of thermostatic valves and heads is mandatory for apartment buildings with centralized heating systems or autonomous systems connected to a shared heat source (such as a condominium boiler or district heating). This is required by the European Directive 2012/27/EU. The goal is to improve energy efficiency, reduce consumption, and support environmental objectives.
Types of Thermostatic Heads
There are different types of thermostatic heads:
- Mechanical thermostatic heads – These traditional models manually regulate temperature using a numerical scale and are installed on radiators. The user rotates the head to set the desired value.
- Electronic or smart thermostatic heads – These advanced models offer features such as programmable scheduling and connectivity to smart home systems via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
Installation
Installation is simple and often does not require complex modifications to the heating system. However, it is important to check the compatibility of the valves with the radiator and, if necessary, rely on a qualified installer.
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