Each person perceives the level of comfort in their apartment differently. With standard air temperatures in winter, one may freeze, and the other may languish from the "heat" and open windows. You can quickly and effectively solve the problem of controlling and regulating heat in an apartment by installing a thermostat for a heating battery in each room.
Thermostat for a radiator: what is it?
A thermostat, or thermostat for a heating battery, is a small device. Its main function is to control the air temperature in the room. This is achieved by regulating the intensity of the coolant flow in the battery. These devices do not work on increase in heat transfer in radiators, so installing them for this purpose is useless.
Thermostats are products of simple design, consisting of two main elements: a valve (valve) and a thermostatic head (thermoelement).
- The thermal valve is a brass body in which a through hole, a locking mechanism and a saddle are placed. During operation of the thermostat, the cone (locking mechanism) is set in motion: it rises and falls. By these actions, it ensures the passage of hot water to the radiator and regulates the heating of the latter.
- The thermal head, or thermostatic element, is the part that drives the locking mechanism. It consists of a movable sealed cylinder - a bellows, which contains a heat agent. Its role is played by a special liquid or gas.
The efficiency of the thermostat depends on the speed of reaction of the contents of the bellows to changes in the air temperature in the room.
The principle of operation of the thermostat
Installing a thermostat on heating radiators allows you to control and maintain the temperature in the room in the desired parameters. During normal operation of the device, the error can be no more than 1 degree. This is achieved thanks to a well-functioning system of interaction of internal mechanisms.
When the air temperature in the apartment rises, the thermal liquid or gas inside the bellows expands and increases the size of the cylinder. It exerts pressure on the piston, which drives the thermal valve locking mechanism, which in turn blocks the flow of hot water. As a result radiator cools down, causing the room temperature to drop. In the process of cooling the thermostatic filler, the cylinder acquires its original dimensions. The piston raises the cone-constipation, the circulation of the coolant resumes, the radiator begins to warm up, raising the air temperature in the room.
Consumers who wish to install thermostats on their batteries should be aware of some of the features of the operation of this device.
- The radiator itself may heat up unevenly, in some places it will be cold to the touch. You shouldn't be afraid of it. It is enough to remove the thermal head, and the entire surface of the battery will become equally warm. If this does not happen, you need to check its status: clean and remove air.
- Thermostats can be installed on any radiators, except for cast iron ones. They have high thermal inertia. This makes the heat control device practically useless.
Types of thermostats
The type of thermostat depends on the type of thermostatic element - the upper, replaceable part of the device. She happens:
- manual;
- mechanical;
- electronic.
Most thermostat manufacturers produce products suitable for any type of thermal head. The most demanded mechanical. This is the basic configuration, which differs in some characteristics and price.
The type of temperature sensor affects the cost of the device. It can be built-in and remote. The second option is more expensive.It is installed when access to the battery is limited. For example, it is covered by a screen. In this case, the device itself with a remote sensor is connected by a special tube, which ensures the accuracy of the device readings.
The budget option is a device with a manual thermal head. It does not differ in the principle of operation of similar devices of a mechanical type. However, the consumer independently rotates the valve, which changes the amount of hot water passing into the radiator. If desired, this element can be replaced with a mechanical or electronic one. The body remains the same.
The most expensive electronic thermostats differ in size and additional features. They install a program that can change the temperature of the coolant according to the specified parameters. For example, from 8 am to 5 pm, when there is no one in the apartment, you can lower the temperature of the water in the system. With the arrival of residents, restore it to the required parameters. Such a device allows you to reduce payment for thermal energy, which is especially important for individual heating or in the presence of a heat meter.
According to the type of filler, thermal heads are liquid and gas. They do not create a difference in the operation of the device. Both are of good quality and performance. However, liquid ones are presented in a wider range, since it is easier to make them.
When buying a thermostat, consider the following points:
- temperature range width;
- dimensions;
- overall design;
- connection method and sensor type.
All these characteristics affect the cost of the device.
How to install a thermostat on a battery
To properly install the thermostat, you need to know some points:
- the thermostat is primarily mounted in rooms where people spend a lot of time and it is necessary to regulate the microclimate;
- the correct location of the thermostat is a section on a horizontally running pipe as close as possible to the radiator;
- install the device at the pipe inlet to the radiator;
- devices are installed in functioning heating systems only after draining the coolant.
Installing the thermostat on the battery consists of the following activities.
- In an empty heating system, a “seat” for a thermostat is determined.
- If there is a valve at the place where the pipe enters the radiator, this part is dismantled.
- If there is no faucet, the horizontal conductor is cut.
- A thread is made from the ends of each pipe.
- The thermostat housing is installed in the prepared "seat". It is fixed with lock nuts on both sides on threaded pipes.
- The joints are wrapped with an insulating thread for sealing.
- The thermostatic element is inserted into the housing in a horizontal position.
When installing a thermostat with a remote sensor, determine its location in advance. It should be convenient for subsequent use. Usually it is mounted on the wall like a normal switch.
How to adjust the device
After installing the thermostat on the batteries, control measurements are taken and the device is adjusted. To do this, perform the following actions:
- close all windows and doors in the room so that any movement of air masses does not affect the microclimate in a particular room;
- in the center of the space they put a thermometer at the level of half the height of the room, that is, approximately at the average height of a person;
- open the valve of the device mounted in the system, turn it all the way to the left and set the maximum value of the water heating temperature;
- when the room warms up to 7 degrees (the thermometer prompts), the faucet on the device is closed by turning all the way to the right;
- after that, monitor the changes in the indicators on the thermometer.
- when the temperature on it is within the required limits, the valve is gently, slowly turned to the left.They do this until they clearly hear the sound of water in the device.
- the faucet is fixed at this mark, and a marking is created on the device (draw a line or make a notch). This will help in the future to properly adjust the device.
If automatic thermostats are installed on the batteries, manual regulation is not required. Here it is important to correctly align the readings of remote sensors with marks on the thermometer and the scale of the device.
