Thermostatic shower faucet: what it is, how to choose and

Such a device as a faucet with a bath thermostat with a shower is in some sense a truly unique product. In fact, such plumbing constantly produces water with the same, pre-programmed temperature. This is especially convenient in the case when there are small children in the house who use a mixer - with such a tap they will not be scalded with hot water.

It turns out that there seems to be a very clear scheme - it’s all a matter of a special valve that is inside the structure. The valve has two channels - hot and cold water flows through them and when there is a change in the amount of flow in one channel, “adjustments” are automatically made to the work of the other - due to expansion or contraction of the “passage”. And all this happens according to predefined conditions.

The expansion itself is possible due to the fact that the adjusting cartridge is made either from a bimetal, which reacts sharply to a temperature drop, or from a regular metal, which contains wax.

Tip: before buying a crane of this type, be sure to ensure that the product contains a safety fuse. This is an element that completely blocks the flow of water if its temperature exceeds 80 degrees.

That is, the principle of operation here, as you can see, is quite simple and, you see, such a thermostatic bath and shower faucet is really a very convenient element.

In this article we will understand in detail at what points you need to pay attention when choosing such plumbing. In addition, we will touch on purely technical nuances, understanding of which will help determine whether it is worth buying such a product at all.

Let's start with the main point.

Ways to control such a mixer and its features

The pros and cons of each method are discussed in the table below.

Note! In principle, a thermostat can be installed not as a separate, autonomous mixer, but as a distribution “point” that will supply water of the same temperature to several mixers at the same time.

In general, it turns out that the principle of operation of a thermostatic shower faucet is quite simple and the product should be installed at first glance. However, the design is a construction, and there are other factors that need to be considered. We will understand them in more detail.

The advantages of devices

We can safely highlight the following points:

1. Real simplicity of operation of a design and saving of time. After all, it turns out that there is no need to constantly regulate anything, to wait until the optimal mode appears - all you need to do is set up and use water once.
2. Operational safety. This is what we have already said above - with the presence of such a device, scalding will not work either for you or for the small members of your family.

1. Economical flow rate. This happens because the flow rate is optimized by the device itself - neither cold water nor hot water is for nothing.

Well, now it's worth talking about the negative points - we will be objective - there are those.

disadvantages

The first thing that can be distinguished is, of course, the higher cost of products compared to conventional mixers. But this is logical - for a higher level of comfort you have to pay more.

The second point is that if there is no water (hot or cold), the supply and liquids in the other channel are automatically shut off. This is due to the nature of the valve device.

Therefore, if you buy a faucet for a shower cabin with a thermostat or for a sink, then make sure that switches are installed in the device that allow you to open the valve manually.

We got acquainted with the advantages and disadvantages, now let's move on to other selection criteria.

Design differences

There are such thermostatic valves:

1. For shower. Their feature is the absence of spout. That is, a thermostatic mixer for a shower cabin is, in fact, a core to which all necessary pipes, watering cans, etc. are connected.

1. For bathroom. These products are easily recognizable by the presence of a long spout and an integrated shower head.

1. For the sink. Such devices can be wall mounted or mounted directly on the horizontal plane of the ceramic sink bowl. The main distinctive feature is the presence of a rather short nose, no more plumbing elements.

And, of course, there are also faucets for bidets on sale. So, in principle, you can choose a shower mixer with a thermostat, as well as for the sink, and in general - for almost anything. Just for this you need to visit a more or less large store, in which a fairly good assortment.

Note! Installation of such plumbing is relevant not only if there are children in the house or for reasons of comfort. Very often, because in the family there are elderly people or just people who have an increased sensitivity of the skin to hot water. In such a situation it is very undesirable to allow an imbalance of temperatures, which means that the mixer for the hygienic shower with the thermostat would be an excellent solution.

And a few words about a popular question.

Should I install the device in the kitchen

In fact, many experienced craftsmen do not advise doing this, even though there are such products for sale made specifically for the kitchen.

They do not advise - simply simply because the instruction manual for the product is not very designed for constant temperature control. For example, in the bathroom, such adjustment is often not required, because everyone usually likes to wash and take a shower with about the same temperature of the liquid.

But in the kitchen for washing dishes and cooking the temperature is required to change almost constantly. And here is the key thing to change more than once a day, but almost several times for each use. This is understandable - the type of dirt on the dishes is different, for rinsing you need colder water, etc.

That is, it turns out that in the kitchen - the operating conditions will be quite tough, and for such a load the taps of this type are not simply calculated. Such is the situation.

However, the decision, of course, is still yours.

Tip: if you buy such a design for the kitchen, then at least do not save and choose a more expensive option and preferably a well-known brand. So there will be more chances for high-quality operation.

Now touch the conditions of installation.

The nuances of assembly and installation

In fact, the principle of installing their own hands is not particularly different from the installation of standard cranes.

However, some nuances still need to be considered.

1. Unlike conventional faucets, in thermostatic versions it is very important to properly distribute the channels for hot and cold water. If you connect the opposite, then most likely the device will not work correctly.

1. In the case of working with wall fixtures and the presence of Soviet wiring, the supply of pipes will have to be redone. Because in most cases it turns out that the supply of hot water does not coincide with the corresponding hole in the faucet itself. Do not install the mixer with the spout up (see point 1).

And, of course, it is very important to take care of the purity of the fluid entering the device. The better the quality of the water will be, the longer and better the faucet will last. Therefore, be sure to install coarse filters on the highway.

On this all, you can sum up.

Conclusion

We have examined in detail what the thermostat mixers are, how they work, why they are needed, and how to choose them. We hope that such information is really useful to you, and you will apply it in practice. If the information seemed insufficient and would like to know more, then also look at the video in this article.