Pressure balanced shower faucets are increasingly common these days. In fact, in many cases, their use is even required by building codes. But just what’s so special about these bathroom shower faucets?
As their namesake promises, pressure balanced shower faucets keep the flow of hot and cold water adjusted and regulated evenly. Think of the age old scenario of someone flushing a toilet in the house and all of the sudden the shower water gets hot enough to burn or scald the poor person in the shower. Well, the pressure balanced faucet was designed to prevent this scenario and keep the shower temperature perfectly even all the time.
While renovating a bathroom in my own old house, I’ve gotten some first hand experience with the faucets. My wife and I picked out a beautiful Delta faucet to replace the vintage, but still good functioning Moen faucet that was installed by a previous owner many years ago.
Now, pressure balanced faucets are typically “one handle does it all” designs because that’s part of the valve system that actually controls the balance. But here’s the cool thing about our new faucet – there are two separate control levers that work the pressure system behind the wall, allowing for better adjustability. I’m told that this is a fairly recent innovation in faucet technology.
In the past, having a pressure balanced faucet required having a modern look, but now it’s possible to replace even antique hardware, say perhaps for your clawfoot tub, with the correct looking faucets while still being able to enjoy the safety features offered by more modern technology. Really, any time a renovation is being done, it’s worth changing the faucets.
One thing is for sure – I know I don’t miss the burning hot and freezing cold water temperature swings so frequently experienced before my bathroom renovation. And my wife certainly appreciates not having to hear me curse and holler practically every time I take a shower.