Drowning in shower head confusion
Amy Langbein
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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Totally confused with shower fixtures...
Comments (3)Am I reading this correctly, you have two showers? One in the tub and one in a stall with a frameless door? Which one is the Costco tower for? We also purchased a shower tower from Costco. Have had it for about a year now and I still like it. It included jets and all the ones they had at that time did also. Does the one you bought not also include jets? Costco also had a hansgrohe single handle sink faucet that we purchased for our guest bathroom for about $50, Don't know if they have them now, but I've seen it there several times. I actually bought it a long time ago when they had a coupon for it in anticipation of this bathroom remodel. It was only installed a few weeks ago, but so far so good....See MoreSo confused on shower systems
Comments (16)When I did my research in selecting shower fixtures I couldn't tell the difference between pressure balance and thermostatic valve and after much reading I came to this conclusion. I'm only talking about the Pfister line since that's what I purchased. Pressure balance valves Normally work at a maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute which is what a standard shower head needs. They normally operate at full pressure when turned on and the single handle valves only adjust the temperature, not the volume, unless you purchase a higher end fixture. The temperature is controlled by way of adjusting the water pressure and attempts to maintain it with within +- 3-5 degrees and you will notice a drop in water pressure when a toilet if flushed etc., since it's attempting to balance the pressure to maintain temperature. There will not be a temperature setting on the trim kit as since the pressure balance valve has no idea what temperature the water is, it only knows where you adjusted the handle. Summer and winter the temperature to the valve will be different so you adjust accordingly. Based on the 2.5 gpm flow rate you can normally operate one item at a time unless you don't mind a reduction in water pressure. Thermostatic Valve; Pfister has a 7.0 gpm and a 12 gpm flow rate at 70 psi, to accommodate multiple shower heads, rain cans body spray to operate at once. They generally come with at least one volume control and you can add onto it as well as add diverter valves. The temperature is monitored by way of a wax ring and when it senses a change in temperature, not water pressure it adjusts up to 1-3 degrees without changing the pressure. Regardless of the water temperature coming into the valve, you adjust the temperature on the indicated ring and it remains that way any time of year. In other words, it has a temperature setting on the trim kit. Since shower heads are normally 2.5 gpm, body sprays 1.6 gpm, you can add up what you want to operate at one time as long as you don't go over the either 7.0 or 12.0 gpm. Again this is based on the Pfister pressure balance custom line....See Morereroute shower valve or move shower head each shower/niche/which door?
Comments (14)Thanks much and beautiful showers! I am confused about the thermostatic valve. Is this something that I can buy separate and have it installed in the wall so that anytime I change out the shower handle/trim/valve it will automatically be there and still be accessible if it breaks and I need to change it? I hate to have more moving parts and things to break inside the walls. LIke this (although it looks like part of this would stick out of the wall?-another hole?: https://www.amazon.com/Rozin-Thermostatic-Mixing-Temperature-Control/dp/B01FAGWKTC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542006430&sr=8-3&keywords=thermostatic+control+valve#customerReviews Or does do certain valves come with it like this?: https://www.amazon.com/Hansgrohe-04231000-Thermostatic-Control-Diverter/dp/B07FDFK5SM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1542006430&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=thermostatic+control+valve&psc=1 I was wondering, also, it sets the temp but the initial issue of being cold while the water warms up since it has to run through the pipes would still be there, right? Problem is, I have chosen champagne bronze and if I need to get the thermostatic control valve built in I think that will be hard. I'm already having a hard time finding a handheld and shower head built into the same. I might have to get a separate handheld to divert water or I'm back to the initial question of do I just push the shower head over to shoot towards the wall before I turn on the H20 or go back to the idea of moving the control valve? Here's one of the options I was looking at for a showerhead before this discuss that I might need to adjust: https://www.amazon.com/58471-CZ-PK-H2Okinetic-4-Setting-Handshower-Showerhead/dp/B009MLXJN8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542006748&sr=8-2&keywords=shower+head+combo+with+handheld+champagne+bronze...See MoreConfusing and Misleading specs on GPM shower heads
Comments (9)"Then if go to the webpage specifically for the showerhead ( T14294 ) it says 1.75gpm." Don't do that. Just look at the spec sheet linked to the Delta DSS-Linden-1401 web page. If you look at that spec sheet, you'll see that both the hand shower and the shower head (see the graph) have 2.5 gpm, which matches the number on the web page itself. However, I think those numbers are wrong. The date on the Delta DSS-Linden-1401 spec sheet is 2012 while the dates on the showehead/trim and handshower spec sheets are both 2017. Therefore I think you can assume that the products you will receive have flow rates of 1.75 gpm.* Manufacturers are reducing the flow rates lower and lower over time, particularly since they want their products to be salable in California....See MoreAmy Langbein
2 years agoPatricia Colwell Consulting
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agowdccruise
2 years ago
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