Rad thermostat on the wrong side?

[Berties]

I've reduced the thermostat on the radiator to 1 but it still stays at the same temp as max. How does a thermostatic valve work does it stay hot until the valve shuts off or does it let in less hot water so the rad is colder?

I would prefer the rad to be slightly warm, just for the rooms that are unused.

Does it sound like the thermostatic valve was put on the wrong side? How can you tell?

 

[KelvinS1965]

Sometimes there are markings on them to show flow direction, but it's possible to put them on either the flow or the return ends, you just have it sticking out 'sideways' in some cases.

You might be able to just unscrew the 'head' and buy another to use the head from, which will save you from replacing the whole valve. However it could be that the valve itself is blocked. You might get away with almost closing the lock shield valve at the other end to reduce the flow through the rad, but it's a bit hit and miss. Not the best time of year to start disconnecting radiators and/or valves incase you have trouble getting it back together...

EDIT: In normal operation the radiator will get hot as usual, once the thermostatic valve decides that the 'room' has got to temperature, then the valve will close. So the rad will cool down. The valve doesn't make the rad temperature lower...it's either on or off really of you follow.

 

[shoestring25]

they are either on or off the setting determine at what level it turns off. so once its off it will flow will stop around the rad it can do this from either side

 

[Berties]

Thing is the valve is right next to the rad, so it doesn't really read the average room temp, not like the boiler thermostic which is in the landing, and 7' away from the rad

 

[KelvinS1965]

Funny thing is though, they do generally work: I've got them in all rooms apart from the living room where my boiler thermostat is: By the time the living room is up to temperature, then the other room's radiators seem to have turned off by their individual rad 'stats. They may not measure the room temp as such, but you can notice the difference when you go into one of our spare bedrooms (so long as the door has been left shut, grrrr!) in that those rooms are cooler, but not freezing, so it's not wasting energy heating rooms that aren't always in use. My only struggle is getting the rest of the family to shut the doors so you can have rooms at different temperatures...

 

[hyperfish]

Just has a 2 hour panic. The dodgy pump finally gave up.

Had to buy one from B&Q and swap it out.

Then refit because I got it the wrong way round.