Kartell K-VIT K-Design Thermostatic Radiator Valve Twin Pack – Brushed Nickel (Angled or Corner)

Kartell K-VIT K-Design Thermostatic Radiator Valve Twin Pack – Brushed Nickel (Angled or Corner)

A matching pair of radiator valves from Kartell’s K-Design range in a brushed nickel finish. One valve is a thermostatic radiator valve (often called a TRV) with a numbered head that you turn to choose how warm you want the room. The other is a lockshield valve, which your plumber sets once to balance the heating system and then leaves alone. Together they give you control of each radiator or towel rail separately, so you only heat the rooms you are using.

The head is numbered from * to Max (roughly 7°C to 32°C – see the table below) and works by sensing the temperature of the air around it, opening and closing the valve automatically to hold the room at the level you’ve chosen. The valves are made from solid brass and are bi-directional, which simply means they work whichever side the hot water comes in from.

Choose the type that suits your pipework from the dropdown – angled or corner. In brushed nickel this valve pack is offered in angled and corner versions only.

Which type do I need?

Look at where your pipes come from and where they go into the radiator or towel rail:

• Angled – the most popular choice. Use it where the pipe comes up out of the floor (or out of the wall) and needs to turn through 90° to go into the side of the radiator or towel rail.
• Corner – for pipes that come straight out of the wall behind the radiator. The valve turns the corner neatly and sits tight to the wall, so there is very little pipe on show.

Ordering the wrong type is an easy mistake to make, so it’s worth a quick look behind the radiator before you buy.

Types, codes and barcodes

Temperature settings

The numbers on the head match these approximate room temperatures:

Setting 3 (about 20°C) is a comfortable starting point for most rooms. The * setting is frost protection: the valve stays almost closed but will open if the room drops below about 7°C, which helps stop pipes freezing in a room you are not using.

Fitting

The valves have 15mm compression x ½” BSPT connections, so they suit standard UK 15mm copper pipe and the standard ½” connections found on most radiators and towel rails. Fitting means draining down or isolating the heating system, so we recommend using a plumber or heating engineer. For a neat finish where the pipes come out of the floor or wall, add a pair of matching 15mm pipes and rosettes in brushed nickel.

The manufacturer recommends fitting the thermostatic valve on the flow pipe (the one the hot water comes in on) rather than the return. Because the valve is bi-directional it can go on either pipe where the heating system has an automatic bypass valve – a building regulations requirement on new installations and boiler upgrades, and needed for bi-directional valves to work properly without noisy ‘hammering’ in the pipes. Your heating engineer will know whether your system has one.

Protect the finish while fitting – the manufacturer suggests at least two layers of paper between the nuts and the spanner – and don’t over-tighten the joints. The manufacturer notes the guarantee may be void if the valves are not fitted by a suitably qualified heating engineer.

Make sure the thermostatic head can ‘feel’ the air in the room – if it is hidden behind a long curtain or boxed in, it will read the trapped warm air and switch off too early.

Looking after the finish

Wipe with a soft, damp cloth and dry. Avoid abrasive pads, bleach and strong cleaning sprays, which can damage the brushed nickel finish.

Specification

• Range: Kartell K-Design
• In the pack: 1 thermostatic radiator valve and 1 lockshield valve
• Types: Angled or Corner
• Colour: Brushed Nickel
• Finish: Brushed nickel
• Material: Brass
• Connections: 15mm compression x ½” BSPT
• Temperature range: 7°C to 32°C (settings * and 1–5 to Max)
• Maximum operating pressure: 10 bar
• Maximum differential pressure: 1 bar
• Maximum water temperature: 120°C
• Flow rate: 0.9m³/h (angled), 1.17m³/h (corner)
• Thermostatic valve size: head 39mm across; angled 125mm tall and 65mm wide including the radiator connector; corner 117mm tall and 65mm wide including the radiator connector
• Bi-directional: Yes
• Guarantee: 5 years

Downloads

• Kartell data sheet – Angled (NK-TRV301A)
• Kartell data sheet – Corner (NK-TRV101C)