Should showers have water temperature limiters?

DavidN
DavidN Forum Participant Posts: 90
edited April 2016 in Caravans #1

Should we or the caravan club be making a plea for manufacturer's to fit thermostatic mixing valves to caravan bathroom hot water systems before someone, maybe a child, is scalded by the excessive hot water temperature?

I have fitted such valves (TMV) to my last two caravans and found them excellent in use not only for limitting the temperature but also because as there is no need to juggle with the shower valve less water is used/wasted in obtaining a usable temperature.

I have just taken delivery of a new 2016 van and on first use found the shower water temperature far too hot for safety so my first mod will be to again fit a Thermostatic Mixing Valve but it would have been better had the manufacturer done this.

Dave

 

Comments

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #2

    What if I want a hotter shower than you? Is this not like going down the route of a McDonald's cup of coffee .... 'this drink is hot'?

  • SK92
    SK92 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited April 2016 #3

    Moley M, you have missed the point, you can set the temperature to what you want , but if someone put a cold water tap on somewhere else the water temp. In the shower will not drastically change..

     In my opinion, its not needed , as standard, just common sense is required.  . Especially if you have children. . 

  • EJB986
    EJB986 Forum Participant Posts: 1,153
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #4

    They already have.....they are called the 'Hot' and the 'Cold' taps.Happy

  • Justus2
    Justus2 Forum Participant Posts: 897
    500 Comments
    edited April 2016 #5

    I would prefer to adjust manually otherwise we will have the same situation as the CC toilet block's showers, set at a fixed maximum temperature which are never ever quite hot enough for me even when set to maximum.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,585 ✭
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    edited April 2016 #6

    The water temperature in ours can be set at either 40 or 60 c. If you are having a shower then set it at 40 and there should be no problem.

  • DavidN
    DavidN Forum Participant Posts: 90
    edited April 2016 #7

    What if I want a hotter shower than you? Is this not like going down the route of a McDonald's cup of coffee .... 'this drink is hot'?

    TMV's are pre adjustable to what ever temperature you would like. What I do is set the temperature at the TMV with the shower valve just close to it's hottest setting then if I want more heat I have some adjustment at the shower valve but not the full temperature.
    Once the TMV is set to your desired temperature leave the shower valve at the almost full temperature setting and then everytime you use the shower you only need to turn the shower valve on and not worry about adjusting the temperature or it being scalding
    hot. Works fine for me.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2016 #8

    Why is this a duplicate thread? Mods?

  • petertr
    petertr Forum Participant Posts: 199
    edited May 2016 #9

    Is nobody reading the actual question the OP raises? 

    Everyone seems to be answering a question they have made up for themselves.

     

    Its a good point OP.  Water in carvans/motorhomes is often far hotter than a domestic supply (70C in a caravan vs around 50C in a house).  This I expect is due to the limited space for housing a large supply, and so its heated higher to allow for mixing-down
    at the point of use

    But with a "arbitrary" scale/dial, you have some wiggling before you get the right temperature.  Even just a numerical dial would help (like in many houses).  But your comment about a controlled system to allow for someone else using water is also a very
    good idea.

    Maybe you run out of cold water whilst showering a child - and they'd get blasted with JUST 70C hot water.  That wouldn't be fun.

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2016 #10

    Totally unnecessary, as is a thermostatic valve on the shower.  It just requires the user to set the temperature on the water heater, and thereby save energy by not heating too much.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,585 ✭
    1000 Comments 250 Likes Photogenic
    edited May 2016 #11

    Is nobody reading the actual question the OP raises? 

    Everyone seems to be answering a question they have made up for themselves.

     

    Its a good point OP.  Water in carvans/motorhomes is often far hotter than a domestic supply (70C in a caravan vs around 50C in a house).  This I expect is due to the limited space for housing a large supply, and so its heated higher to allow for mixing-down
    at the point of use

    But with a "arbitrary" scale/dial, you have some wiggling before you get the right temperature.  Even just a numerical dial would help (like in many houses).  But your comment about a controlled system to allow for someone else using water is also a very
    good idea.

    Maybe you run out of cold water whilst showering a child - and they'd get blasted with JUST 70C hot water.  That wouldn't be fun.

    I cannot see how the cold water can run out and the hot still come through unless you shut off the cold at the shower valve.

    If someone else switched on a cold tap it would reduce the cold flow but not stop it.

  • chrisn7
    chrisn7 Forum Participant Posts: 72
    edited May 2016 #12

    Totally unnecessary, as is a thermostatic valve on the shower.  It just requires the user to set the temperature on the water heater, and thereby save energy by not heating too much.

    That's the problem, you can't on an ALDE system for example, which is probably to do with prevention of legionnaires disease. Minimum temp is 50 IIRC. The older ALDE 3000 boiler did have a fully variable thermostat, which did what you suggest

  • petertr
    petertr Forum Participant Posts: 199
    edited May 2016 #13

    Is nobody reading the actual question the OP raises? 

    Everyone seems to be answering a question they have made up for themselves.

     

    Its a good point OP.  Water in carvans/motorhomes is often far hotter than a domestic supply (70C in a caravan vs around 50C in a house).  This I expect is due to the limited space for housing a large supply, and so its heated higher to allow for mixing-down
    at the point of use

    But with a "arbitrary" scale/dial, you have some wiggling before you get the right temperature.  Even just a numerical dial would help (like in many houses).  But your comment about a controlled system to allow for someone else using water is also a very
    good idea.

    Maybe you run out of cold water whilst showering a child - and they'd get blasted with JUST 70C hot water.  That wouldn't be fun.

    I cannot see how the cold water can run out and the hot still come through unless you shut off the cold at the shower valve.

    If someone else switched on a cold tap it would reduce the cold flow but not stop it.

    In my motorhome, the 15L of hot water would still pump through even if I'd ran out of cold.

    I assumed it would be the same for everyone?

    But still, as you say, someone else turning on a cold tap could, in theory, cause a scold.

     

    I don't see the argument against a very minor upgrade to what many of us have in our homes already.

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