Thermostatic Mixing Valves

A shower valve performs two basic functions, it controls the temperature and the flow of the water in your shower. Thermostatic shower valves can be damaged if there is any dirt in the water flowing through them. To avoid this you should flush the new pipework through. Turn the water off, remove the stop ends and ask someone to hold a bucket under the outlets while you briefly turn the water back on. Shut the stopcock off when you have finished flushing.

alfredsutton

in Plumbers and Plumbing 10 years and 7 months ago

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ventilated | 10 years and 9 months ago

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Is there a way to add a thermostatic mixing valve outside the shower wall? I’m asking on behalf of an elderly friend living in a large building with unpredictable water demand from many apartments. Consequently, water temperature can change in a flash from comfortable, to scalding hot, to extremely cold. Building management will not undertake opening wall and updating shower body.

Master Plvmber | 10 years and 9 months ago

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Sure. There are lots of kinds of remote/retrofit mixing valves.

ventilated | 10 years and 9 months ago

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But these remote/retrofit mixing valves are installed at the point of supply (i.e. hot water heating device, tank, etc.)? Are there anti-scald devices that can be installed by tenant as extension to shower head arm, or as part of handheld shower head?

Master Plvmber | 10 years and 9 months ago

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There’s nothing like that to attach to a shower head or anything. It has to be able to take hot and cold water and mix them properly to achieve a set temperature. If there’s a way to access the shower valve, sometimes from a closet behind the fixture, you can open the wall and install the valve, limiting how hot the water gets before it gets to the shower valve so that at its hottest, it can only get so hot. I hope my awkward explanation is somewhat clear.

ventilated | 10 years and 9 months ago

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Many thanks. Very clear, very helpful (though had been hoping for a different answer).

edificerex | 10 years and 9 months ago

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I have never tried these but maybe they work for the scalding problem http://www.antiscald.com/products/ss_shower.php http://www.amazon.com/American-Valve-Antiscald-Handshwr-Showerheads/dp/B00104M72E

ventilated | 10 years and 9 months ago

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Thanks! The hand-held shower option looks great for many reasons.