Mixer showers

A mixer shower requires both a hot and cold water supply, which it blends to produce water at your required temperature. The temperature can be thermstatically controlled so that the shower valve will deliver water at a constant temperature. If the balance of the water pressure changes while you are showering due to another tap in the house being opened, or a toilet being flushed etc, the temperature of your shower will remain constant, as the thermostatic valve will compensate for the change. nb. not all mixer valves have thermostatic control.

Mizar thermostatic shower valve

 

A typical mixer valve will have two controls. One will adjust the temperature of your shower, the other will adjust the water flow.

The Mizar valve illustrated here is the built-in or concealed type, where the body of the valve is built into the wall.

 

aqastyle thermostatic shower valve

This Aqualisa is a slightly different style of thermostatic valve. It is still the built-in format, but the hot and cold controls are concentrically mounted. The knob at the front controlls the flow while the lever behind adjusts the temperature.

 

safety overide button

 

 

Most thermostatic valves have a pre-set maximum temperature around 38 degrees centegrade, to prevent scalding. It is possible to achieve a higher temperature, but the over-ride button (red button in photo)needs to be depressed to allow the temperature control to be turned past 38 degrees.

This is a great safety fature if the shower is being used by elderly unfirm people, or by young children.
Exposed valve

 

 

Mixer valves can also be of the exposed or surface-mounted format, where the valve body if visible. These are mainly used when installing the valve onto a solid wall.

 

 bar styl;e shower valve
Mira 415 shower
Some mixer showers, like this Mira 415, are specifically designed to work with combination boilers, where there is less likelyhood of pressure variations. The single control will adjust the temperature only, there is no adjustment of flow rate.
Aqualisa Quartz shower
The Aqualisa Quartz range of showers offer an interesting alternative to the normal mixer valve. The water is mixed and temperature controled in a seperate unit which can be plumbed into your roofspace, airing cupboard on perhaps below your bath, and the control is connected to this by a thin electrical cable. This can be a great benifit from an installation perspective, and does offer the really cool option of a remote on/off switch. This could be place beside your bed, so that when you get up in the morning your shower can be running and warm by the time you reach the bathroom.

Mixer showers are suitable for most applications, but ideal if you have a high pessure system and a good supply of hot water. Even with a gravity hot water system the mixer shower can work well if used with a pump.


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