Drayton Auto Balancing TRVs: An Engineer's 3-Month Verdict on 18 Radiators (8/10!)

I just wanted to write a quick review about the Drayton Auto Balancing Thermostatic Radiator Valves. 

I completed a big job about three months ago, installing them on a system with 18 radiators. 

Now, in my experience, balancing a heating system can be a real pain, especially with 10 plus radiators. 

But these Draytons? 

They really do take the hassle out of it. Installation was smooth, and the automatic balancing? Spot on. 

No more cold spots, and the client's already seeing a difference in their heating bills. For a larger system like this, it's definitely a worthwhile investment. 

What's even better is that Drayton provides a handy online calculation tool. You just input the radiator sizes, flow temperature and delta t, and it tells you the exact number setting for each valve. It makes the whole process much quicker and more accurate. 

And here's a little tip for anyone retrofitting these – the new auto balancing TRVs are the same dimensions as the original Drayton TRVs. 

The only thing to keep in mind is they need to be fitted on the flow. Unlike the old valves, these aren't bi-directional, so you've got to make sure your flows are correct. 

On the plus side, they're compatible with the original TRV4 heads, which is a nice touch.

And finally, the client could hardly tell the difference compared to their old valves. Unlike some other brands of automatic balancing TRVs I've used, which have completely different dimensions and look terrible, these Drayton ones look just like the originals, which is very pleasing to the eye. 

I highly rate these Drayton valves and I'd give them an 8 out of 10.