Every time you enjoy a nice, hot shower, you should thank those clever devices called shower valves. These valves are in charge of maintaining the water flow, water diversion and temperature control of your shower. Without these simple but effective contraptions, you might as well fetch your own pail of water. But how does a shower valve work, and how is it able to let water out of the shower head with varying temperatures?
Maintaining the Water Flow
When you turn on a shower valve, water comes up and out from the shower head. This is because the shower valve maintains water pressure and regulates its flow toward the head. Water is always flowing through pipes around the house, and the constant water pressure from the pumps means that water will always flow out of faucets and shower heads. The shower valves prevent water from continuously leaking out of the head while keeping the water pressure.
Water Diversion
A shower can have one or two valves, depending on your preferences. These valves can also act as a water diverter. They are pretty much responsible on how your shower diverts water. A single shower valve is used for simple showers that don’t need much temperature change. It basically only regulates the water flow, like the handle of a faucet. Showers with two valves are more sophisticated and complicated, as each valve maintains either a hot or cold temperature.
Temperature Control
Two-valve showers have a cold and hot water temperature for each valve. When showering, you turn the knobs of each valve so you can regulate the temperature you desire. If you turn the knob of the hot water valve more, it allows more pressure on the hot water than the cold one, and in turn, you have warmer water coming out of the shower head. If you want cold water, just turn the cold water valve more and the same effect will be achieved.
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Written by Genie Simmons
Topics: Bathroom