Thermostatic By-Pass Valve for Hydronic Baseboard Heat

Separately regulating temperatures in different rooms within a single heating zone has long been difficult. Louvers on the radiators generally prove ineffective. Along with causing overheating, the inability to provide precise zone control can also waste a lot of energy—for example, where there are little-used rooms that can be closed off and don’t need to be kept as warm as occupied spaces. The specialty heating component supplier EnerJee, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, offers an elegant solution to this problem. Their No. 320 liquid-filled, thermostatically controlled, 3-way by-pass valve allows hot water to be shunted past a section of fin-tube baseboard radiator through a parallel section of pipe when less heat is called for.

The quick-response thermostat is nonelectric and requires no wiring. It features stepless temperature settings of 1 to 5—representing a range of 43°F (6°C) to 79°F (26°C)—and can be used with most new or existing fin-tube baseboard installations. The thermostatic valve has a list price of $60. Installation also involves plumbing in a section of