We often get asked are cast iron radiators compatible with new smart valves. In terms of heating systems, if the radiators already have TRVs, this may be possible to do yourself. If the radiator has manual valves, you will need a qualified engineer to reinstall the valves for you. See our blog on Thermostatic & Manual Valves.
Regardless of whether it's a cast iron radiator, a steel radiator, an aluminium radiator, of if it's tradiational or modern, these valves are compatible.
Illustrated below are the 3 main smart valves
Hive Radiator Valves are around £59 each, this doesn't include the control Hub.
Features
Room-by-room control of individual radiators
Easy installation
Set schedules from the Hive app
Set temperatures from the Hive app or directly on the radiator valve itself
Works with or without a Hive thermostat
Group with other Hive devices to create a smart home
Ultra quiet motor with anti-stick protection
Open window detection
Hive Radiator Valves can be used with most water-based radiators (using gas or oil boilers).
Hive Radiator Valves will not work with electric heating systems / electric radiators.
Genius Valves cost around £89.99, not including the hub
Features
High Accuracy Temperature Control
Manual Override Capability
Set Temperature Display
Open Window Shutoff
Water Temperature Measuerement
Individual Room Heating Schedules
Display Rotation 180°
Frost Protection
Some people don't like the design on the smart valves as they can be quite bulky. It is possible for Genius Valves to be colour matched, contact us directly for more information.
The Wireless Radiator Valve will wirelessly take messages from the Smart Hub, to either allow hot water through the radiator to heat up the room; or close down the radiator when the temperature is reached, in a similar method to a Thermostatic Radiator Valve (TRV).
To control the temperature of individual rooms, you can add Wireless Radiator Valves. These wireless valves simply replace existing TRV heads. Therefore in most cases there is no plumbing necessary and it is a dry installation that most DIY enthusiasts can master in minutes.
You don’t have to fit them to every radiator, just the ones you want to control, for more flexible scheduling and even greater energy savings. This product is the valve head only and does not include a valve body.
tado° smart valves cost around £74.99 not including the hub, and are available in packs of 4.
Integrations
Control your heating with Apple HomeKit. Use Siri, Google Assistant or Amazon Echo to control your heating using voice commands, and create Applets with IFTTT to connect tado° with other applications and smart devices. tado° can also be integrated into the eNet Smart Home system.
At Foundry Cast Iron we supply a wide range of radiator valves. The purpose of this guide is to help you decide what type of radiator valve you need for your new radiators. We don't supply smart valves.