Trade.Information

Product Name: Thermostatic Showers and Fittings

Product Description

A thermostatic shower contains a cartridge with a temperature sensitive element, which expands and contracts depending on the temperature of the water flowing past it.This changes the size of the openings through which the hot and cold water enters the shower. This process balances the temperature of the water leaving the shower head. Thermostatic showers are necessary for two main reasons: Firstly, legionella is caused by bacteria that occur naturally and breed in tepid water. In certain cases it can kill susceptible people (normally the very young, elderly or infirm) with a pneumonia like illness. To stop the bacteria multiplying to a level that may cause health problems you should store water at 60 deg C or above and have a return temperature on the hot water circulation of 55 deg C or above. Water at such temperatures can cause serious scalding and for this reason it is important to control the water temperature at the outlet. A thermostatic shower that has been correctly installed does this by limiting the maximum temperature of the water leaving the shower head. Secondly, in the case of a drop in water pressure, either of hot or cold (e.g. if someone runs a tap in another part of the building) the thermostatic shower compensates for this change. It keeps the temperature of the shower constant, preventing burns or thermal shock (which can result from a sudden drop in water temperature). Under some circumstances there may be a complete failure of either the hot or the cold water supplies. If this happens the shower will close the remaining supply. In this way, the thermostatic element, when correctly installed, performs a similar function to an electrical trip switch - it is in effect a water fuse that protects the user from scalding.