TRV or not?

[cdbe]

I'm putting a heated towel radiator in our new bathroom, I've done an online sizing which comes to 1200 BTU, the rad is rated at 2,000 BTU. Should I fit a TRV? It'll be piped to come on with heating and hot water if that makes a difference, we have one another rad elsewhere without TRV, and a bypass valve.

Thanks.

 

[cross thread]

The output my be as stated but as it will probably be mainly covered with towels I would not bother with a stat

 

[HERTS P&D]

I've put TRV on our bathroom towel rad, it works well set on 3.5. (1800 x 600)

Andy

 

[RandomGrinch]

I hope it's not a chrome towel rail!
In my experience, and I may be alone here; as towel rails are designed for hanging towels, they are not very good at being convection radiators. If they are chrome, they are also not very good at being radiative radiators!
They get very hot and will dry towels, but don't count on them to warm a room well.
...and they rust quickly!

 

[MeldrewsMate]

+1 for Random's opinion. Rarely does CH get up to 80C, so rarely do towel rails give out their 'full' heat, plus you'll naturally insulate them with towels.
I don't usually fit TRVs to towel rads, despite the Building Regs' insistence!

EDIT: ...but DO fit a lockshield valve that can be locked, if not you'll often find that someone has opened up both valves fully, cocking-up your system balancing.

 

[FiremanT]

FWIW, why would you not fit a TRV, especially if you use standard ones for about a tenner.? A bathroom can get uncomfortably hot. And, unless your punter specifies NOT using one, you run the risk of being quizzed about a non compliant install

 

[cdbe]

It's anthracite (isn't everything these days). I went to eBay for a standard set when this popped up:

Retails for £45 upwards so it's now going to be TRV'd whether it needs it or not.

The bathroom is small, well insulated, one external wall and no windows so I was a little worried that it would be overheated even with just the towel rad. I would like to think it would be covered with towels but my kids think you just chuck them in the corner of your bedroom to dry them!