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Thermostatic Shower Valves: How They Work and Why They're Worth It

You've felt it: someone flushes a toilet and the shower turns cold, or hot. A thermostatic valve is built to stop that.

What a thermostatic valve does

Inside the valve is a thermostatic cartridge. It mixes the hot and cold supply and holds the water at the temperature you set, so the shower stays steady instead of swinging hot or cold.

Thermostatic vs a standard valve

Most standard showers use a pressure-balance valve, which keeps the ratio of hot to cold steady when water pressure changes. A thermostatic valve responds to the temperature of the water itself. It also separates temperature from flow, so you set the temperature once and turn the water on and off with its own handle.

Exposed thermostatic showers

On our exposed systems the valve and pipes sit on the wall, so they're part of the look. For example:

  • The P0902 has separate controls for the overhead shower and the hand shower, so both can run at once.
  • The P1085 uses a 3-function diverter to switch between them, with a shepherd's crook shower arm.
  • The Sacramento P1131 has adjustable centers to suit more plumbing layouts.

Our exposed systems such as the P0902 and P1085 mount on 7" centers and use water-saving 1.75 GPM shower heads. See all thermostatic exposed showers. The same kind of valve also comes in thermostatic tub faucets and clawfoot tub shower sets.

Looking after it

Our thermostatic valve maintenance guide shows the routine, and which cartridge does my faucet need lists the replacement parts if one ever wears out.

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