Radiators and "Smart" Radiator valves

stoofa · 3 Nov 2019 at 09:57

We're having a new boiler installed and will also have Hive at the same time.
I see that Hive now sell Radiator Valves that would obviously allow for control not only on/off on the heating, but more control on individual rooms.
Unfortunately we have quite old radiators and we simply have a valve that runs from "+ to -" rather than allowing you to set a "number".
Looking at the installation video for these devices, you can swap them for valves that are numbered, but not valves as we have.

What am I looking at if I wanted to be able to use these Hive valves?
Am I looking at new radiators?
Or can new valves be fitted to existing?

This is as far away from my areas of expertise as possible

Cheers.

LuckyBenski · 3 Nov 2019 at 12:47

Surely whether the scale is "-........+" Or "1.2.3.4.5.6" it's just a rotating valve? Like a tap?

I expect it'd be ok but I'm no expert. The end result of all these components is the same, it restricts flow to a varying degree.

krooton · 3 Nov 2019 at 13:11

Smart trvs should be able to replace normal trvs, but depending on the rad it might need and adaptor.

We replaced all of ours with tado smart trvs and they came with various adaptors.

goldy6660 · 3 Nov 2019 at 13:40

What is the point in these valves? Of you're setting the house to be a certain temperature are these purely to say 'keep X room at X and room y at y temperature?

Begbie · 3 Nov 2019 at 13:41

krooton said:
Smart trvs should be able to replace normal trvs, but depending on the rad it might need and adaptor.

We replaced all of ours with tado smart trvs and they came with various adaptors.

They look awesome!

Do they work as advertised? I.E check the weather and accomodate when needed?

robj20 · 3 Nov 2019 at 13:50

goldy6660 said:
What is the point in these valves? Of you're setting the house to be a certain temperature are these purely to say 'keep X room at X and room y at y temperature?

Imagine a normal system where you have either 1 1 zone or 2 zones.
No scale that up I have 7 zones, one for each room. It's that simple each zone or room can act independently.
I'm sat here now in the living room and only the living room is getting heated the rest of the house is off, at 20:00 the babies room will come on for the night at 20c, and the master bedroom 17.5c. the rest of the house will be off.

I have Evohome because I wanted more control than either Tado or Hive offered.

DKong · 3 Nov 2019 at 15:47

robj20 said:
Imagine a normal system where you have either 1 1 zone or 2 zones.
No scale that up I have 7 zones, one for each room. It's that simple each zone or room can act independently.
I'm sat here now in the living room and only the living room is getting heated the rest of the house is off, at 20:00 the babies room will come on for the night at 20c, and the master bedroom 17.5c. the rest of the house will be off.

I have Evohome because I wanted more control than either Tado or Hive offered.

17.5c!! I don't know how you find that comfortable!...

robj20 · 3 Nov 2019 at 18:49

DKong said:
17.5c!! I don't know how you find that comfortable!...

Because it just takes the chill off. I don't like it any warmer in the bedroom.

krooton · 3 Nov 2019 at 19:26

Begbie said:
They look awesome!

Do they work as advertised? I.E check the weather and accomodate when needed?

I don't know about weather, we just set each radiator with its own temperature schedule, and if everyone leaves the house we can turn off all heating with one click.

The best thing is having everything on zone 2 completely customizable on the fly. So the bathroom can be set to start heating up before I get up, without having to heat up the rest of the house, as an example.

b0rn2sk8 · 3 Nov 2019 at 21:10

DKong said:
17.5c!! I don't know how you find that comfortable!...

I've never had the CH set above 18 in any house I have lived in. It's perfectly fine for healthy adults especially in winter when you have trousers and jumpers on, I can understand why someone who was frail or ill would need it warmer though. 21-22C is like shorts and t-shirt weather!

sja360 · 3 Nov 2019 at 23:59

You'll find the different temperatures are depending on the house, a new build 3/4 bed won't feel draughty etc at 18c while and old 3-4 bed Victorian will.

theone8181 · 4 Nov 2019 at 07:29

b0rn2sk8 said:
I've never had the CH set above 18 in any house I have lived in. It's perfectly fine for healthy adults especially in winter when you have trousers and jumpers on, I can understand why someone who was frail or ill would need it warmer though. 21-22C is like shorts and t-shirt weather!

That explains it. I like to be able to wear t shorts around and not have a jumper on all the time.

200sols · 4 Nov 2019 at 08:50

robj20 said:
Because it just takes the chill off. I don't like it any warmer in the bedroom.

Way too warm for me, 17.5c is like one of those hellish summer nights when it wont cool down.

DKong · 4 Nov 2019 at 08:55

theone8181 said:
That explains it. I like to be able to wear t shorts around and not have a jumper on all the time.

Same here, don't really get the whole wearing warm socks / jumper / trousers when at home.

LuckyBenski · 4 Nov 2019 at 08:58

200sols said:
Way too warm for me, 17.5c is like one of those hellish summer nights when it wont cool down.

Are you sure your thermostat setup is working ok? 17.5° ambient is when I start realising winter is coming and turn the timer back on!

My house has a pretty weird setup - the kitchen is the coldest room in the house, and it gets warmer as you go up levels. The thermostat is in the kitchen, so bedrooms always end up very toasty once the heating is on.

snips86x · 4 Nov 2019 at 09:01

DKong said:
Same here, don't really get the whole wearing warm socks / jumper / trousers when at home.

I do, because it's comfortable....that and my rads need changing lol

200sols · 4 Nov 2019 at 09:56

LuckyBenski said:
Are you sure your thermostat setup is working ok? 17.5° ambient is when I start realising winter is coming and turn the timer back on!

Working perfectly. 17c is fine for most of the house but at night I dont have the heating on anyway so bedroom drops well below that. As I say, 17.5c is like a mid summer temperature - its too warm for a duvet.

robj20 · 4 Nov 2019 at 11:33

Yeah I don't want to wear a jumper indoors. I have the heating set so it's warm enough for shorts and t shirt.

Regularly have the heating set to 22c in the living room in the evenings.

200sols · 4 Nov 2019 at 11:35

robj20 said:
Yeah I don't want to wear a jumper indoors. I have the heating set so it's warm enough for shorts and t shirt.

Regularly have the heating set to 22c in the living room in the evenings.

Even unwell old people dont need it that hot.

robj20 · 4 Nov 2019 at 12:10

200sols said:
Even unwell old people dont need it that hot.

NEED, WANT. I can see the confusion. Lol

Anyway, smart controls are a must for me now I can have each room exactly as warm as I want it to the 0.5 degree, and because it's often only heating one room at a time they warm up insanely fast.
The system learns the radiators and rooms and puts the heating on so a room is at the set temp by the set time.

Also had look ever functions like open window/door and will switch that room off if it detects the room rapidly cooling down.