There’s nothing worse than taking a nice hot shower, only to be suddenly shocked by a burst of cold water because someone turns on a faucet elsewhere in the house.
It is a complaint that plumbers often hear about, especially from owners of older homes that still have the original faucets and valves.
Fortunately, this is not a serious problem but one that a plumbing company can easily resolve by replacing old faucets with new pressure-balancing fixtures.
Learn in this article more about pressure balance faucets and why plumbing services recommend them!
What Is A Pressure Balancing Faucet?
A pressure balancing faucet keeps a constant temperature for the water flowing through it to prevent sudden bursts of hot or cold water.
Pressure balancing faucets contain an internal valve mechanism that retains even pressure of both hot and cold flowing water, preventing temperature fluctuations when water is used at a different valve, such as when a toilet is flushed.
Though they are more common in homes that have been built over the past few decades, plumbers still come across many homes built before the year 2000 that do not have them.
Owners of older homes without them can hire a plumbing service to replace their existing faucets with upgraded pressure balancing faucets.
Why Do Plumbers Recommend Pressure Balancing Faucets?
Generally speaking, plumbing companies recommend that homeowners upgrade their thermostatic valve faucets, which operate with two distinct controls for hot and cold water, to pressure-balancing valves for their comfort and convenience.
Pressure balancing valves prevent uncomfortable hot or cold water fluctuations in the shower or while using a sink when someone else in the house is using the water elsewhere.
These plumbing valves also prevent water fluctuations when the washer or water heater is filling up, someone is using a garden hose, or water is being used in some other way.
Pressure balancing valves also provide a measure of safety, eliminating the possibility that someone could be accidentally scalded with an unexpected burst of very hot water.
Plumbing companies strongly recommend that homeowners with children, elderly, disabled, or other vulnerable individuals living in the home upgrade to these faucets and valves as a safety measure.
Today, pressure balancing valves are required by most residential building safety codes due to their safety properties.
What Is Involved In Converting To Pressure Balancing Faucets?
While it is often possible for a handy homeowner to replace some of their water faucets without hiring a professional, plumbing services advise against it for several reasons.
- Switching out multiple shower and bath fixtures can be more challenging than changing a few sink fixtures, as they tend to be more complex.
- The older the home, the greater the possibility that changing to pressure balancing fixtures could involve making modifications to some of the plumbing pipes to ensure the new valves function correctly.
Hire A Plumbing Service To Install Pressure Balancing Faucets
Pressure balancing faucets installed by an experienced plumber provide comfortable, temperature-controlled water service through shower and sink faucets within a home.
Though they are standard equipment for most homes today, experienced plumbing companies can easily install them in older homes without them.
Learn more about upgrading to pressure balancing valves with a call to a local plumbing service that can assist with those changes!