Which TRVs? Low specific heat actuators?

[Tom]

What preferences do people have and why? I'm replacing my old Mysons which don't seem to work any more. I'm inclined towards Danfoss, they claim to have a quick response time because they are gas filled actuators (low specific heat?) presumably others are liquid? wax? some kind of gel with a high thermal expansion coefficient? Some people have mentioned Drayton, and possibly Honeywell. Any technical reasons for choosing, or are they all much of a muchness or is the position of the sensor in relation to the radiator the decisive factor?

Tom

[IMM]

I have Danfoss. V good.

[Andy Wade]

An excellent choice. The Danfoss design has the sensor head further away from the radiator and pipework than most other makes, making the control more dependent on room temperature and less on the water temperature.

[Dave Gibson]

???

All bidirectional right angled TRV's can be attached so the sensor is side-mounted and not top-mounted if you wish.

Dave

[Geosolar Heating]

Agreed. RAS-C2 revolver is the best.

[Andy Wade]

If you say so. That certainly didn't used to be the case, but then the valve bodies always used to be directional. Guess I'm just out of date...

[chris French]

In message , Tom writes

TBH, I don't really think it matters that much. What I want most of all id for them to be reliable, to still be working 10 years down the line with no problem or whatever.

I fitted Drayton TRV4's, (in a recent thread a various posters recommended them...:-)) They have met my major criteria of reliability.

I've never measured the performance, but empirically, they seem to keep the rooms at the required temp ok. So I now tend to the view that quicker response times and the theoretical benefits of the head being a little further away from the rad probably don't matte that much.

[Tony Bryer]

I've just bought some Draytons and the instructions say that they can be mounted on the flow or return with the sensor vertical or horizontal.

[Christian McArdle]

I used the Invensys ones. Without actually being budget options, they were (a) cheaper and (b) had a built in "decorators" cap, in that there is a frost setting, then turn an additional 90 degrees for genuine off. Let's face it, who has kept the decorators caps (if they were ever supplied) after five years?

Christian.

[chris French]

In message , Christian McArdle writes

I've got some of mine - not all but certainly 4-5 - and you only really need a couple at a time. - over 7 years as well.

[Christian McArdle]

I suppose it depends if you actually installed them. Most people get the valves when they buy the house, but not the caps!

Christian.

[Tony Bryer]

I've copied my mother in having the concept of *the* kitchen drawer which is a repository for all sorts of unclassifiable useful things: TRV caps, spare shoe laces, the gizmo for removing x from y, spare vac belt, plug fuses and so on. If it might be useful and it's small it's in the kitchen drawer.

[chris French]

In message , Christian McArdle writes

If the next owners are lucky I may even remember to leave some behind when we move :-)

[Christian McArdle]

No you won't. You'll take them with you in case they fit the next house!

Christian.

[Neil Jones]

And the new owners will take one look at them, say "dunno what these are" and throw them away :-)

[Ric]

If you didn't, you would be really upset to find that the previous owner of your next house hadn't left you any!

[Hugo Nebula]

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 12:33:58 +0100, a particular chimpanzee named Tony Bryer randomly hit the keyboard and produced:

You're not a long lost brother are you?