Number of TRVs

[eddie twadds]

We are buying a new build house and, in the show home and one of the finished homes, only one downstairs radiator is fitted with a TRV. All upstairs rooms are fitted with a TRV. I questioned the sales negotiator who mentioned this to the installer, who said this was correct.

I thought you only had to leave one rad without a TRV, and I also thought the building regs would stipulate the same?

Is this correct - because I don't want to go back and retrofit TRVs.

From rough estimate there are 17 rads in the house; fired by a Potterton Promax.

 

[chr15]

I think the minimum is all bedrooms to be fitted with TRV's.

 

[grib]

I lifted this from a government document...... Areas with differing heating needs (such as separate sleeping and living areas) should have individual temperature control - by the use of room thermostats or individual radiator valves.

And this from another document• Dwellings with a total usable floor area up to 150m 2 should be divided into at least two space heating zones with independent temperature control, one of which is assigned to the living area • Dwellings with a total usable floor area greater than 150m 2 should be provided with at least two space heating zones, each having separate timing and temperature controls • Single-storey open-plan dwellings in which the living area is greater than 70% of the total floor area – sub-zoning of temperature control is not appropriate

Hope that helps/makes sense
At the end of the day if it's a new build house it will have to be passed by building control... and if they pass it then you do not have a problem.

 

[eddie twadds]

Total living floor space is 190m2, and I seem to remember seeing at least two control panels (not including the master one near the boiler). So that may be the answer.

I've also never lived in brand new house before and the rads seem really, really small!! Hope they got the BTU calcualtions right!

 

[gas4you]

On a new installation all rads except 1 must have trv's, and as grib says, although I'm still in old currency, any home greater than 1500 ft2 floor area must be divided into at least 2 zones.

Basic stuff taught on the energy efficiency course we all have to pass to be able to fit condensing boilers.

Personally I would think twice about buying a house with a troublesome Promax in it. They are usually only fitted to new build where Baxi have near enough given them away

 

[eddie twadds]

Thanks for the advice - I will speak with the site manager about the heating install and TRVs as the house is only at first floor joists.

With regard to the Promax - while it may be known to be problematic - in the scheme of things, it isn't a swaying factor for the house purchase.

 

[Agile]

If there are two zones there will be two room stats and the rads in that room must not have a TRV. So two rads in the house will correctly have no TRV.

I am surprised that with so many people installing boilers the regulations are not better understood.

Tony

 

[gas4you]

Err I do understand them Tony

 

[Holophyte]

I know this forum is pretty old now and I have also just moved into a brand new build. again mine also only has 3 TRV's which are all in the bedrooms. A total of 10 radiators through out the house. If this has been answered already I apologise. NHBC stipulate that all bedrooms are fitted with TRV's...If the house builder decideds to fit additional TRV's to this, then all the better for the proposed new home owner.....If the house builder does fit more than the minimum to pass the NHBC I'll show my pants to the world!!!!! Not a cat in hells chance of that....To the original guy who started this one, did you get this type of answer from the site manager, or did you kick up enough fuss they fitted them for you?

 

[MJN]

NHBC stipulate that all bedrooms are fitted with TRV's...If the house builder decideds to fit additional TRV's to this, then all the better for the proposed new home owner.....If the house builder does fit more than the minimum to pass the NHBC I'll show my pants to the world!!!!!

Bog-standard 3-bed Persimmon home built in 2007: TRVs on all rads bar the lounge where the room stat is located.

You can keep your trousers on though thanks....

Mathew