Thermostatic vs Pressure Showers: Saving Phoenix Shower Plumbing Since the Beginning

Phoenix Shower Plumbing

Previously, hopping around in the shower was not rare at all when anyone else in a home was using cold water. The cold water use elsewhere in the house would create a pressure drop in the cold water system. This new imbalance would lead to an unexpected decrease in the cold water pressure, raising the water temperature.

In the early 1900s, two-handled shower valves were the norm for Phoenix shower plumbing and contributed to thermal shock and scalding incidents on a regular basis. To change this, some manufacturers released single-handled shower valves. First designs of these valves lacked maximum temperature limit stops, and few had pressure compensation.

In 1973, the American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) came out with the 1016 standard to create the requirements for showers hoping to reduce the risk of thermal shock and scalding. The standard required a maximum temperature limit stop of 120 F.

Thermal shock and scalding can occur without difficulty with Phoenix shower plumbing

. Protecting yourself against them is one of the most important things you can do for your home, especially if you have kids. Installing anti-scald devices in your shower is a way to start protecting yourself. The two primary types are pressure-balance valves and thermostatic valves.

Phoenix Shower Plumbing

Pressure balance valves run by sensing the pressure ratio of the hot and cold water the pipes are receiving rather than the actual water temperature.

A pressure balance shower control is composed of one handle that controls both the amount and the temperature of the water coming out. 

A large advantage of pressure balance, rather than thermostatic, is the cost; pressure balance showers are more cost-efficient.

A thermostatic shower keeps the temperature stable. Thermostatic valves sense water temperature and releases both the hot and cold, mixing them, to create the ideal temperature.

Thermostatic showers are safer for kids, who are more at risk of shower scalds, thanks to their ability to maintain a constant temperature. They’re also better for the lazy who don’t want to use the effort messing with the handles to get the right water temperature.