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FAQ's

Radiator Valves

The main decision to make is between Standard or Thermostatic valves and is completely up to you dependent on the purpose of the radiator or towel rail installation. However it is recommended that on any system that a set of valves is used on at least one radiator on any given system.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves also known as TRV's in the trade are self regulating heating valves that can regulate the water entry of a radiator based on the heat of the room. The trv is perfect for any room that you will spend alot of time in and wil require the room temperature to be a constant heat.
If you need to be able to set a constant temperature then these are the valves for you
You will find our range of TRV's HERE.

Depending on the way your pipework is installed you will need to match the correct valve with your radiator or towel rail and the alignment of your pipes.
Below is a simple table describing which type of valves you will require based on your radiator/towel rail valve connections and the location of your pipework.

Through Wall Pipework

Through Floor Pipework

Bottom Inlets

Angled / Corner radiator valves

Straight radiator valve

Side Inlets

Angled / Corner radiator valves

Angled radiator valve

Radiators

All of our products are listed at delta T50 which is the European standard for BTU heat output ratings. When comparing other products please make sure you check the delta rating the products have been listed as at Delta T60 or T70 these could be greatly inflated. (1000 BTUs @Delta T50 converts to 1264 BTUs @Delta T60 and 1400 BTUs @Delta T70)

Bleeding is the process of getting rid of any air that has accumulated at the top of the towel rail. This air stops water circulating through all parts of the towel rail. This means that the overall efficiency of the central heating system is therefore reduced and can cost you more.
Bleeding the towel rail involves opening a small valve and allowing any trapped air to be expelled.

You may notice that the towel rail is not heating up and, specifically, the top rungs of the rail are colder than the bottom ones.
You may also have heard knocking or tinkling through your pipes and radiators. This is usually caused by trapped air and bleeding will normally solve this.
If the issues aren’t rectified by bleeding your heated towel rail then you may need to contact a professional to diagnose the problem.

For a well-maintained heating system, annual bleeds are fine. It is also advisable to bleed a heated towel rail after any modifications, repairs or when the towel rail feels colder at the top. If you find you are bleeding your towel rail continually, please contact a professional.

To bleed a heated towel radiator, you will need a few tools:

  • A radiator key
  • A rag
  • A towel

  1. Firstly, turn off the central heating as otherwise you may soak air back into the system.
  2. Allow the water inside the towel radiator to cool down for around 20 minutes to ensure you do not run the risk of scalding yourself.
  3. Ensure the lock-shield and thermostatic radiator valves (TRV’s) are open, if present. To open, remove the caps and open them fully anti-clockwise using a spanner or a hex (Allen) key.
  4. Find the towel radiator bleed valve. It tends to be at the top of the towel rail but is sometimes at the back. The screws are generally hexagonal or square. Also, many of them have a slot across the front so you can use a slotted screwdriver if a radiator key isn’t available.
  5. Get your towel or rag and place it on the floor underneath the bleed valve. Using your radiator key turn the bleed nipple anti-clockwise. You should now hear a hissing noise. This is the steam and air leaving the radiator.
  6. Once the air has left the towel radiator, bubbling water will follow so catch it in a rag and turn the bleed nipple back and close. If the air stops coming out of the radiator but no water follows, your heated towel radiator has most likely run out of pressure completely so this will need to be topped up using the filling loop. Check the water pressure gauge on the boiler and follow the user instructions for your specific boiler to top up the pressure.

The size or quantity of radiators you need will vary depending on wide range of criteria including room dimensions, room type, location or windows and brickwork.
Here at Valve Kings we have made this process as simple as possible for you with our: BTU Calculator

Or alternatively give one of our trained technical team a call on 01745341685

Any sparkling chrome plated radiator will give a lower heat output in direct comparison with a model in a painted powder coated finish of any colour. The chrome plating will radiate some of the heat back into the radiator and act as a insulator so to the touch the chrome radiator will be hotter due to the thermal properties of the chrome. However a powder coated paint finish will emit the heat much more efficiently into the room hense the higher BTU ratings.

There are many factors that will need to be taken into consideration. After of these are listed below:

  • Tube Diameter: Larger diameter tubes will give off more heat than the same number of smaller diameter tubes.

  • Base Material: Mild steel will give less heat output than an identical aluminium or stainless steel radiator.

  • Finish: Painted finishes give better heat outputs than a chrome plated model.

  • Material Thickness: The thickness of the base material either mild steel, stainless steel or aluminium can greatly effect the heat efficiency of a product.

  • Outer finish: The chrome plating or powder coating process is vital in providing a quality finish to your product in both aesthetics as well as performance. All of our chrome plated products are finished with over 50 microns of chrome. Our powder coating is of the highest quality and undergoes substantial protection testing in house.

There are many factors that will need to be taken into consideration. After of these are listed below:

  • Tube Diameter: Larger diameter tubes will give off more heat than the same number of smaller diameter tubes.

  • Base Material: Mild steel will give less heat output than an identical aluminium or stainless steel radiator.

  • Finish: Painted finishes give better heat outputs than a chrome plated model.

  • Material Thickness: The thickness of the base material either mild steel, stainless steel or aluminium can greatly effect the heat efficiency of a product.

  • Outer finish: The chrome plating or powder coating process is vital in providing a quality finish to your product in both aesthetics as well as performance. All of our chrome plated products are finished with over 50 microns of chrome. Our powder coating is of the highest quality and undergoes substantial protection testing in house.

The ideal place for a radiator to be located is on an exterior wall, under or next to a window if possible. The cold air coming in through the window is then mixed with the hot air coming up from the radiator, creating efficient circulation and a nice ambient temperature.

Cast Iron Radiators are extremely efficient but differ greatly in characteristics of a mild steel radiator. Cast iron heats up and cools down very slowly so when you first turn your heating on it will take longer for the radiators to heat up than a standard steel radiator.
BUT The main upside to cast iron is that once the heating system is turned off the radiators will maintain the temperature for a much longer period of time. Although your central heating system will initially have to work harder to achieve the desired temperature it is more cost efficient in the long run.

All ranges of our cast iron radiators come as standard with a 10 year guarantee. Cast iron products do need to be looked after more which you would expect with a product of greater value and we recommend the use of correct inhibitors within your central heating system. If looked after correctly they should last you a lifetime without any issues.

We assemble Cast Iron radiators from 3 sections to 30 sections depending on requirements.
You can work out your heat requirements per room using our Heating Calculator, or send us an email with your room dimensions to info@valvekings.com or give us a call on 01745 341685

Yes! You will always need a minimum of x1 wall stay if not 2 or 3. A Wall Stay stabilise the cast iron radiator against the wall and prevents accidental tipping of the radiator which could cause damage/injury.

Any Cast Iron Radiator Under 1.5 Meters should have x1 wall stay, Any radiator over 1.5 meters will need x2 wall stays as a minimum.

See our full range of cast iron wall stays HERE.

Our Cast Iron radiators all come with the option to have the following finishes applied:

  • Anthracite
  • Natural Cast
  • Old Pewter
  • Bronze
  • Aged Gold
  • Sovereign Gold
  • Bright Gold
  • Copper

Towel Rails

The size of the towel rail you need will vary depending on a variety of criteria from how you use the towel rail to the space you have available.
You can easily find out your required BTU's using our BTU Calculator

Or alternatively give our team a call on 01745341685

This is a common misconception, A towel rail will give out the exact same heat as a like for like BTU radiator. However keep in mind that generally towel rails are kept in a bathroom and will have towels hung over them which act as an insulator and heat up the towels before the room! It is key to define if your require your towel rail as a drying aid, a heat source to your room or both when browsing our range.

Panel Heaters

As a very basic rule of thumb we recommend 100W per m² and this is just a guide line only.
For a more accurate figure please visit our heating calculator.

All of our panel heaters come with built in ambient room thermostat.

The panel heaters will sample the temperature of the air and will adjust the power consumption they use to regulate the room temperature.

There is no difference between the 2 in the way they heat the room, they use the same method of heat exchange. However panel heaters tend to look much nicer than convector heaters and also tend to have more up-to date technology suck as timers and room stats and are more economical due to the way they vary the wattage used to keep a room at a stable temperature.

Yes the Nova Live S range comes with a full 24/7 timer fully built in and is extremely simple to use.
Also the new Nova Live R range comes with a full 24/7 timer fully built in and is extremely simple to use.

However all the other models can be plugged into a 3 pin timer plug to get this functionality.

Electric Radiators

A single heat element will heat the fluid inside a towel rail up to a maximum set temperature of 70c. A single heat electric element does not have the same functionality of a thermostatic element which allows you to control the temperature on a manual dial on the front between (20c - 68c).

All elements cable lengths are listed in the Technical Specification below the product be are generally between the 90cm - 1.2cm range.

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