Whats the difference between thermostatic and manual valves?
A Thermostatic valves control the radiator temperature via a sensor which senses the air temperature in the room. Once the preset temperature has been reached the valve automatically opens and closes the flow of hot water to the radiator to maintain that temperature. The benefits of a thermostatic valve compared to a manual valve come to the fore when used in a room that is not regularly used. Say for instance you want to heat a spare room to a mimimum temperature rather than the warmer temperature set on your thermostat for the rest of your house, a thermostatic valve is ideal for this. It will ensure that the spare room does have enough heat to protect against dampness but is not wastefully pumping heat into an unused room. A manual valve does not control the temperature of the radiator regardless of how warm the room is already, it is simply on or off and the temperature of your radiator will be controlled by your boilers thermostat, rather than the valve itself.
