bath hot water safety valve price

If you"ve tried all the standard fixes and they haven"t restored your shower to its former glory, replacing the shower valve could be the best solution. Shower valve replacement costs are usually far lower than buying an entirely new shower, yet this simple job can make your existing unit feel and perform as if it"s brand new.

Replacing a shower valve is a relatively simple job. According to data from Porch, you can expect to pay around $310 for a valve and stem replacement, or slightly more if you replace the whole unit.

Fees for replacing the whole shower valve can be as high as $540, with this price including the cost of the unit and labor. The cost of the valve itself is usually around $160, so if you"re a skilled DIYer, you may find it worth your time to complete the replacement yourself.

It takes around two hours to install a shower valve, assuming there’s already a shower installed. Upgraded Home says the average fees for installing a shower valve are between $375 and $575, depending on the type of valve and the cost of living in your zip code.

It"s worth getting quotes from several plumbers to get an idea of the hourly rates in your area so you know how much you can expect to pay. While it"s possible to do the job yourself, installing the valve is a moderately skilled job, so it"s worth hiring a plumber if you don"t have a lot of experience.

The shower valve assembly is a simple part that controls water pressure. Shower valves themselves don"t really have a lot of moving parts. How long your valve will last depends on the type of shower you have, how hard your water is and whether the valve is a brass one or one with a cartridge.

The job of the shower valve is to control the water pressure. If the shower valve is installed incorrectly or the cartridge is worn, you may notice water coming out of your tub faucet at the same time as the shower is running. The water pressure out of the showerhead may not be as powerful as you’d expect.

A properly installed shower valve should serve you well for a long time. Even if you live in an area with hard water that causes limescale build-up in your appliances, you can expect to have a shower valve work well for about four or five years.

Replacing a shower valve can be a simple job for someone who is confident in their plumbing skills. Check out our full replacement guide, or follow the steps below.

If there"s no water stop for your shower, or you can"t find that specific stop tap, you can turn off the supply using the main stop tap. Be aware, however, that this will turn off the water supply to the whole house.

Anti-scald valves, also known as tempering valves and mixing valves, mix cold water in with outgoing hot water so that the hot water that leaves a fixture is not hot enough to scald a person.

Unwanted temperature fluctuations are an annoyance and a safety hazard. When a toilet is flushed, for instance, cold water flows into the toilet’s tank and lowers the pressure in the cold-water pipes. If someone is taking a shower, they will suddenly feel the water become hotter as less cold water is available to the shower valve. By the same principle, the shower water will become colder when someone in the house uses the hot-water faucet. This condition is exacerbated by plumbing that’s clogged, narrow, or installed in showers equipped with low-flow or multiple showerheads. A sudden burst of hot water can cause serious burns, particularly in young children, who have thinner skin than adults. Also, a startling thermal shock – hot or cold – may cause a person to fall in the shower as he or she scrambles on the slippery surface to adjust the water temperature. The elderly and physically challenged are at particular risk.

Anti-scald valves mitigate this danger by maintaining water temperature at a safe level, even as pressures fluctuate in water supply lines. They look similar to ordinary shower and tub valves and are equipped with a special diaphragm or piston mechanism that immediately balances the pressure of the hot- and cold-water inputs, limiting one or the other to keep the temperature within a range of several degrees. As a side effect, the use of an anti-scald valve increases the amount of available hot water, as it is drawn more slowly from the water heater. Inspectors and homeowners may want to check with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to see if these safety measures are required in new construction in their area.

Installation of anti-scald valves is typically simple and inexpensive. Most models are installed in the hot-water line and require a cold-water feed. They also require a swing check valve on the cold-water feed line to prevent hot water from entering the cold-water system. They may be installed at the water heater to safeguard the plumbing for the whole building, or only at specific fixtures.

The actual temperature of the water that comes out of the fixture may be somewhat different than the target temperature set on the anti-scald valve. Such irregularities may be due to long, uninsulated plumbing lines or defects in the valve itself. Users may fine-tune the valve with a rotating mechanism that will allow the water to become hotter or colder, depending on which way it’s turned. Homeowners may contact an InterNACHI inspector or a qualified plumber if they have further questions or concerns.

In summary, anti-scald valves are used to reduce water temperature fluctuations that may otherwise inconvenience or harm unsuspecting building occupants.