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Separate temp/flow bathtub controls

Lars
10 years ago

My current bathtub/shower has one control for turning on the water, and it starts with cold water, then a mixture of hot/cold, and lastly just hot, but I cannot get a small trickle of hot water - only a gushing stream. I want to be able to control both the temperature and the flow and be able to turn on the hot water separately from the cold water. My current controls are broken (I've tried to fix them with no luck), and now the controls go from gushing cold to gushing scalding hot with nothing between and no option of a slow stream of hot water.

What kind of fixture do I need to get in order to have this kind of control? In 1988 I redid my mother's bathroom and used a Delta faucet that was one handle that you lift up to turn on the water and move to the left or right for hot and cold. This way she could have a slow stream of hot or warm water. I have not seen this type of fixture recently, and mainly I have seen the type that I already have and hate.

I am not far from faucetdepot.com, which is located in Commerce, CA, about a 40 minute drive from my house, but they are closed today. Home Depot has a horrible selection, and Lowes' appears to be similar.

Lars

Comments (6)

  • Babka NorCal 9b
    10 years ago

    You are in CA, so you won't be able to get a new valve that allows more than 2.5 gal per min. If you wish to change that, you will need to do it thru the shower head, where you can adjust to a softer stream, but not greater than what goes thru that valve. (2.5GPM). The new ones insure that you won't scald yourself. I don't know how they work, but perhaps a plumber can explain. The term is pressure balanced, and I have a thermostatic valve that works that way. I can still get all hot and all cold, if I wish. "Gushing" water is only something we get in our guest bath, which still has the old Moen valve from the 1960's, and a "modified" shower head.

    -Babka

  • Lars
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    It sounds like I am going to have to get something that has separate hot and cold water controls, which will mean drilling new holes through the tiled wall. I will definitely talk with the plumber, probably next week.

    Thanks for your help!

    Lars

  • Lars
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I ended up buying a Hansgrohe faucet control that has separate controls for volume and temperature, and so I can get the control that I want. Now I just have to schedule the plumber to install it, and I have to move everything out of my linen closet for him to be able to access the plumbing from the removable panel that is hidden in there. My brother and I are going to try to install a new toilet ourselves in my bathroom tomorrow, and if we are unsuccessful, I will call the plumber sooner rather than later.

    Lars

  • Babka NorCal 9b
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the follow-up. Too often people post problems and then don't say what finally worked for them. You have probably helped many others who will read about your problem and your resolution. Good luck with the toilet!

    -Babka

  • s8thrd
    10 years ago

    We have a Hansgrohe thermostatic. If I had seen your message earlier I would have responded with that info (sorry!). We've had it for four years and have been happy with it. (The best thing is that, if nobody changes it on you, your temp stays set from one shower to the next and you don't have to mess around with finding the right temp each time.) One quirk is that when you change the temp, first it overshoots the change for a few seconds, then comes to where you want it. But it's not a big deal.

    But, I have to say that we're redoing another bathroom and I'm not even bothering to get another thermostatic valve. No one has ever wanted a trickle of hot water, and we never get such a strong flow that we want to reduce it. (And there's no chance my temp will stay set there!)

    Anyway, enjoy!

  • ikea_gw
    10 years ago

    We just put in thermostat valves (separate temp and volume control) in two bathrooms during the remodeling. So far we love it. The one we used for the hall bath for the tub/shower combo is a Grohflex valve and that works with many of their valve trims and faucet styles. You can choose things more traditional or modern depending on the rest of the room. It is a one box installation for the valve but since we have a complete remodel I can't say how easy it is to retrofit.