When most homeowner’s think of their bathroom showers, they recall details such as the shower head design, the metallic finish of the fixture, and available settings, if any, the device is equipped with. They do not, however, think of one of the most important elements of the shower design, shower valves. The shower valve is not only the most crucial piece of the shower units as w hole, it also plays a large part in the overall design of the shower fixture itself.
What Is A Shower Valve?
While many people may not be familiar with the term shower valve, most everyone would know the component by sight. The shower valve is the portion of the shower, mounted below the actual shower head, that controls both the water flow and the water temperature. Shower valves can still be decorative in appearance, but are designed for function above all. They come in two basic designs, each featuring their own particular features, a single lever model and a double ever model.
Single Level Shower Valves
While most bathtubs and shower combination fixtures are commonly found with double lever water controls, many stand alone shower units are equipped with single lever models. With a single lever shower valve, there is one knob or lever that controls both the hot and cold water temperature, as well as the overall water flow. The temperature is typically controlled by turning the level either right or left, with one direction increasing temperature and the other decreasing it. Likewise, the up and down motion of the lever will often control how heavy or light the total water flow is.
Internally, the valves have a control device that opens and closes the flow from the hot and cold water pipes according to the temperature and flow selected by the bather. For hotter water temperature, the flow from the cold water pipes is partially blocked, while the hot water pipes are opened up to allow more water through.
Single lever shower valves are ideal for smaller bathing ares, as they take up less room than the double lever valves and are mounted at the center point of the shower wall.
Double Level Shower Valves
Unlike the single lever designs, double lever shower valves have independent controls for the hot and cold water. The temperature of the water is determined by the amount of flow the user releases from with lever. The flow of the water is controlled in the same manner as well.
While the basic operation of both single and double lever shower valves is the same, many people prefer the double valve design because of the more traditional look they tend to possess.
What Other Shower Valve Variations Are There?
Thermostatic Shower Valves
A thermostatic shower valve is a device that is installed to hep prevent scalding water from being able to enter the shower head. Most everyone has experienced the unpleasant shock that can occur when taking a nice warm shower when someone else in the house decides to start a load of laundry, flush a toilet, or start the dishwasher. While this can result in an uncomfortable brief cold shower, it can also create a dangerous scalding shower. A thermostatic shower valve is designed to maintain the water temperature below a certain temperature at all times. It also works to regulate the flow of the hot and cold water, ensuring that any other devices being used at the same time cannot effect the steady flow being used in the shower.
For the most part, thermostatic shower valves are installed on most modern fixtures as a safety precaution. Because of this, there is little risk of extreme hot or cold fluctuations in the shower, regardless of which other appliances in the house are being used. This doesn’t mean, however, that most people aren’t still cautious of the dreaded toilet flush while they are taking a shower.
Diverter Shower Valves
A diverter shower valve can be used for two main purposes. Most commonly, they are used to control whether the water in the bathing area is released from the shower head or the bath tub spout. They operate most often on a simple plunger design, where pulling the plunger up forces the water flow into the shower head and pushing it down diverts the water to the bath spout. Diverter valves can also be connected exclusively to the shower. They are designed to switch between hand held shower heads and fixed shower heads, in units that have both devices installed. Most will also have halfway settings that allow the water flow to be dispersed form both portions of the shower head, both fixed and hand held.
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