If you’ve never experienced the shock of turning on the faucet to find very hot water, you’re probably the luckiest person alive. For those who aren’t born with such luck, installing commercial mixing valves can solve the problem.
What is a mixing valve, you ask?
Mixing Valve Defined
Short answer: it’s your easy fix to all hot water problems.
Long answer: it is a device that controls the water temperature at the point of delivery like sinks, showers, tubs, and anywhere else you might have a use for hot water.
It is connected to your hot and cold water lines and its job is to mix your hot water with your cold water so that the water comes out at your desired temperature. Mixing valves are sometimes called hot water mixing valves or thermostatic mixing valves.
As most plumbing experts would tell you, using the temperature control of your hot water tank as a preset value for the temperature of the water coming out of your faucet is not enough and is not advisable.
Hot water tank’s temperature can fluctuate up and down. This is why you get scalding water sometimes.
So yes, every time you get scalded with hot water, luck has probably nothing to do with it. In other words, it has everything to do with bad plumbing systems.
Installing commercial mixing valves, especially in large buildings with high demands is your best bet to a controlled and consistent water temperature.
There are other benefits to having thermostatic mixing valves.
Other Benefits of Having Hot Water Mixing Valves
● You’ll have more hot water supply
If you’re only going to draw hot water from your hot water tank, you’ll run out of hot water fast. However, if you have a mixing valve, the valve will only draw a portion of hot water from your tank and get the rest from the cold water line.
Essentially, this also means you won’t need a larger tank for hot water. You can get away with a smaller hot water tank and still have a consistent hot water supply.
● You get protection from diseases
Believe it or not, you can get a disease from water stored in a tank with a less-than-ideal temperature.
What this means is that if you’re thinking of simply turning down the temperature control of your hot water tank to a level that’s always safe so you don’t get scalding problems, you’d be breeding bacteria—and who knows what else— in your tank.
Most bacteria die when subjected to a heat of at least 140 Fahrenheit. This is why we cook food prone to bacteria at high temperatures (aside from the fact that they usually taste better when cooked).
So if you don’t want to invite bacterial growth in your tank, you set it at a high temperature and then use commercial mixing valves—whichever you need, to regulate the temperature.
You can get them at Quality Plumbing Supply where you can expect quality plumbing products at affordable prices. They specialize in commercial plumbing specifically, so if you have a big project and are working with a strict budget, these are the best guys to call. Contact them today!
