Thermostatic valve elements are the parts that create the mechanical movement within a thermostatic temperature control valve. The valve elements regulate the opening and closing of the valve at a set temperature. A special wax is placed deep in the bottom ‘nut’ of an element. The expansion of the wax pushes the piston inside of the element and the push regulates the valve and controls the flow.
The sliding of the element piston will control where the flow is going based on what is happening with the temperature of the medium. The element is closed when the media is “cold” or below the nominal temperature. When the wax gets heated, it will expand and push the sliding valve out, which will cause the thermostatic valve to open or close according to the preset.
The maximum temperature is an important variable and sometimes we forget about it. With extended heat and operation time, the wax may start to lose its characteristics. In short, above the maximum temperature, the wax inside the valve element is burned. Burning the wax makes it lose some physical features that allow expanding at a specific temperature.