How to optimize energy consumption in the heating system? To do this, it is necessary to control the temperature level of the water in the pipes, and also to regulate the intensity of its passage through the batteries. The best way to do this in practice is to install valves for the heating system: needle, regulating, for the radiator.
Functional purpose of heating valves
In autonomous systems, it is difficult to regulate the degree of water heating in pipes. In addition, it is often necessary to set an individual temperature level in the rooms of the house. A simple heating balancing valve will do this.
All elements of the heating circuit, which are designed to regulate the volume of passage of the coolant, are collectively called shut-off valves. It can perform several functions - manual or automatic adjustment of the degree of water circulation, mixing hot and cold streams to optimize energy consumption. So, a valve for a radiator with a thermal head can automatically limit the flow of water into the radiator.
Before choosing a valve for a heating system, you need to decide on its main operational characteristics:
- System operation mode - temperature and pressure parameters (optimal and critical);
- The degree of inertia of the device... By installing ball valves, you can quickly shut off the water circulation in a certain area of the system. Needle ones are designed for smooth adjustment;
- Possibility of automatic operation... Devices with automatic controls are expensive. But their installation guarantees the normal operation of the entire heating system, and also frees the owner of a house or apartment from constant control.
Given the wide variety of models and types of valves, in most cases it is difficult to choose a valve for a heating radiator or a simple ball valve. To solve this issue, you need to find out the types and design features of each heating control valve.
All types of thermostatic valves for heating are divided according to the installation method - horizontal and vertical. This must be taken into account when installing the device into the system.
Heating shut-off valves
This class is designed to adjust the passage of the volume of the coolant in a certain section of the system or the entire line as a whole. A shut-off needle valve for heating is mounted on those sections of the pipeline where smooth regulation of the volume of liquid is required - in the collectors of the underfloor heating, in the radiators. Ball models are designed to quickly shut off the liquid.
Ball valve
This type of valve appeared relatively recently - 20-30 years ago. Prior to this, a needle rod was used in the design, which did not provide operational water shut-off.
The design of the ball valve is simple - a ball with a through hole is used as a shut-off element. When it is turned, the axis of the hole is displaced, as a result of which the coolant flow is partially or completely blocked. What is the difference between a needle valve for heating and a ball valve? In the latter, the hole diameter is always less than the pipe cross-section.Therefore, in this section of the line, an increase in hydraulic resistance occurs.
The installation of a ball valve for the heating system is necessary in the following system nodes:
- Radiator piping - in bypass design;
- In key heating units, where the likelihood of breakdown is high;
- In front of every radiator.
It must be remembered that the principle of operation of a ball valve is not suitable for a control valve on a heating radiator. With its help, it is impossible to regulate the volume of the coolant flow with the required accuracy.
In the vast majority of cases, a handle is provided in the valve to turn the ball. It moves 90 ° and must not touch walls or pipes.
Needle valve
Each thermostatic heating valve has a needle stem, which is necessary to shut off the water in the pipes. It is located perpendicular to the plane of the pipe, and at its end there is a saddle that blocks the flow of the coolant.
It can be installed not only as a valve for a heating battery, but also in those areas of the system where smooth regulation of the water volume is required. The needle shut-off rod rotates on the female thread in the valve body, decreasing (increasing) the flow capacity of the valve channel. Due to the simple principle of operation, the needle valve in the radiator can operate in several modes:
- Manual regulation;
- Installation of servomechanisms connected to a temperature sensor will automatically change the amount of coolant flowing into the radiator or a certain heating area;
- An additional block inside the radiator valve changes the position of the stem depending on the water temperature and user-set values.
In addition, needle valves for heating differ in the type of fastening - flanged or threaded. Also, when choosing, one should take into account the shape of the channel, which can be straight-through or angular. In autonomous heating systems of a private house, direct-flow models are most often used, since the pressure in the pipes does not exceed 5 bar. Angle valves are installed in lines where sudden pressure drops are possible and complete sealing of the passage is required in the event of a sharp jump in the liquid or gas pressure.
One of the characteristics of a needle valve for heating systems is the pitch of the internal thread. The level of regulation of the heating medium flow depends on this parameter.
Heating control valves
However, in addition to the above types of shut-off valves, valves are installed to regulate the heating. A needle closure structure or with an adjusting plate is used as the main mechanism for shutting off the water. Depending on the functions they perform, they are divided into two types:
- Automatic adjustment of the volume of water - most often the design of a needle valve for heating is used for this;
- Mixing of 2 streams (with hot and cold water) to create the desired temperature regime. In autonomous heating, such valves are mounted on the water underfloor heating manifold.
What is the difference between a control valve on a heating radiator and a conventional shut-off valve? There is an element in its design that ensures automatic operation.
Thermal head valves
The simplest design of a thermostatic heating valve includes a needle rod that is connected to a thermostatic control element. Depending on the temperature of the medium, it tends to expand or contract. This is how the volume of the coolant entering the radiator is regulated.
This device is mounted directly on the radiator inlet. When choosing, it should be borne in mind that balancing valves for the heating system can be of two types - with manual setting of the boundary temperature of the coolant and with the ability to connect to external sensors.The latter are called servo drives and are designed to be mounted on needle valves for heating radiators or mixing units.
Unlike a valve designed for heating, the servo drive is connected to an external temperature sensor or electronic control unit. When you change any parameters of heating the air in the room or the temperature outside, the valve stem shifts. Thus, the flow of the coolant in a specific section of the system is regulated.
The outdoor thermometer connected to the expansion valve must be installed in a location that is not exposed to direct sunlight.
Can this device be used in combination with a radiator valve in heating? Most often they are mounted on a 2- or 3-way valve for mixing hot and cold water. Installation in radiators is impractical, since the control valve on the radiator will perform the same functions, but its cost is much less.
When planning the installation of a new heating system or modernization of an old one, the cost of control valves must be taken into account. It directly depends on the design and functionality of the device.
| Name | Note | price, rub. |
| Valtec ball valve ½ ” | Stainless steel | 160 |
| Needle valve Fiv Oasi ½ ” | With the possibility of mounting a thermal head | 310 |
| Danfoss thermal head | Horizontal mounting | 816 |
| Servo drive Kermi | Installation via valve adapter | 703 |
Regardless of the choice of valve for the heating system: needle, regulating, for the radiator, you need to choose the right model with the appropriate mounting unit. System bandwidth and performance should not change after the device is installed.
The video describes the nuances of installing a thermostatic valve on a radiator in a one-pipe heating system:
