Understanding Your Shower System

What is a Stop Valve?

A stop valve is a device used to control the flow of water to a specific outlet in your shower system. It allows you to turn the water on or off for a particular outlet, such as a showerhead or tub spout, independently of other outlets. This provides precise control over the flow of water, enabling you to use multiple outlets as needed. A stop valve does not mix hot and cold water, so a separate mixer or thermostatic valve is required to be used in conjunction with it.

What is a Diverter?

A diverter is a valve that directs the flow of water from one outlet to another within your shower system. It allows you to switch between different outlets, such as a showerhead, hand shower, and body sprays, by diverting the water flow to your desired outlet. This makes it easy to customize your shower experience, giving you the flexibility to use different shower components without needing separate controls for each one. A diverter valve does not mix hot and cold water, so a separate mixer or thermostatic valve is required to be used in conjunction with it.

What is a Thermostatic Valve?

A thermostatic valve is a device that allows you to set the water temperature to your desired comfort and maintains it until the setting is changed on the device. This ensures a consistent and comfortable showering experience every time, preventing sudden changes in temperature when other water sources in your home are used causing fluctuations in water pressure.

What is a Progressive Balancing Mixer?

A progressive balancing mixer is a valve that mixes hot and cold water for your shower. As you rotate the control handle, the water flow turns on and the temperature gradually rises, providing a smooth transition from cold to hot water. This type of mixer maintains a balanced pressure between hot and cold water, ensuring a consistent and comfortable showering experience even if there are fluctuations in water pressure elsewhere in your home.

Shared or non-shared?

A shared diverter valve allows a single handle to manage the flow of water to multiple outlets, such as a showerhead, tub spout, and a handheld sprayer, switching between them or running two at the same time.

A non-shared diverter valve directs water flow to only one outlet at the time, meaning only one outlet can run water, requiring separate controls for other outlets if they are to run water simultaneously. California is known for its plumbing code requiring non-shared diverter valves to preserve water resources.