Victorian 3 450mm Radiators

If you purchase the Victorian 3 in a Primer finish you must technically use an oil based metal paint, eggshell, or specific enamel radiator paint. You should strictly avoid water based emulsion paints because the water content can penetrate the primer and cause the raw cast iron beneath to oxidize or rust. The paint must also be heat resistant to at least 80 degrees Celsius to prevent peeling or discolouration when the radiator reaches maximum operating temperature.

The Victorian 3 holds heat significantly longer than steel due to its density and water volume. Technically this means it has a slower heat up and cool down curve. To solve this you should program your boiler to turn on roughly 30 minutes earlier than usual to reach temperature and turn off 30 to 45 minutes earlier than you would with steel radiators because the cast iron will continue to emit useful residual heat into the room long after the boiler has stopped firing.

No the cast iron sections are extremely rigid and brittle meaning there is zero technical tolerance for bending. If your pipework is even a few millimeters out of alignment forcing the valve connection can cause stress fractures in the iron casting or the watertight seals. To solve this problem without moving pipes you should use telescopic valve extensions or adjustable tails which provide a small amount of play to bridge the gap between the pipe and the radiator bush safely.

The Victorian 3 range is typically pressure tested to 6 bar or sometimes 10 bar depending on the batch but the recommended maximum working pressure is usually around 4 bar. This makes it technically fully compatible with standard unvented (Megaflo style) systems which typically operate between 1.5 and 3 bar. However you must ensure your system does not experience pressure spikes above this limit as cast iron gaskets can fail under extreme excess pressure.

The integral cast iron feet are designed to provide the technically correct spacing from the floor usually around 60mm to 70mm. This gap is essential because cold air is drawn from the floor level up through the columns where it is heated. You must ensure that you do not install the radiator on top of very deep pile carpet or block this gap with rugs as this will restrict the air intake and significantly reduce the convection efficiency of the low 450mm height.

Cast iron radiators are manufactured using sand casting moulds and while they are cleaned at the factory small amounts of casting sand or metal residue can remain inside the bottom galleries. If this debris enters your heating system it can damage the pump or block the fine waterways of a modern boiler heat exchanger. To solve this you should technically flush the radiator with water before connecting it or fit a magnetic system filter on the return pipe to trap any magnetic iron oxide particles.

The dimensions listed are nominal and due to the nature of the casting process and the thickness of the inter section gaskets there is a cumulative tolerance. Technically the overall length can vary by plus or minus 2mm to 5mm especially on longer radiators with many sections. If you are installing into a tight alcove you must not rely on the exact chart figure; you should physically measure the assembled radiator on site before fixing your pipework to avoid a fitment issue.

The Victorian 3 uses high quality graphite or compressed non asbestos fiber gaskets between the sections rather than standard rubber O-rings. Graphite is technically superior because it does not perish or degrade over time with heat cycles like rubber does. This ensures the watertight seal remains intact for decades. If you ever need to retighten a joint you can do so with high torque without the risk of the gasket splitting or squeezing out of the joint.

Yes you can and should use Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) for efficiency. However because the Victorian 3 is a substantial heat source you must ensure the TRV head is installed on the flow side and positioned horizontally if possible or in a way that the heat rising from the 450mm columns does not flow directly over the sensor head. If the sensor gets hot from the radiator body it will shut off prematurely giving a false reading and leaving the room cold.

Technically the Victorian 3 radiator sections are symmetrical and do not have a dedicated flow or return side built into the casting. The flow direction is determined entirely by your pipework and valve configuration. However you must ensure that water flows in through the bottom and out through the opposite bottom (Bottom Opposite End connection) for the most efficient heat distribution. You should not connect flow and return to the same end (same side connection) without an internal diverter baffle or the radiator will not heat up across its full width.