Should showers have water temperature limiters?
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
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That would be a great idea. Does it cost much? If so, tthe cost would probably get passed on, and wouldn't be very popular with those that never use their on board shower. I'd like one, though.
New TMV's are available on a certain auction site for £10 to £30 you also need Three or four 12mm pushfit fittings it is an easy quick job.
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I like the sound of this. Are they expensive? How/where ate they fitted?
They are not expensive, see another reply. They are fitted in the H & C pipes to the bathroom only, or if you wish just to the shower, so leaving the kitchen sink fed with higher temperature water. There are three ports on the TMV - Hot, Cold and Mixed.
The hot pipe is cut and the supply side is connected to the Hot. The cut hot pipe which goes onto the bathroom is connected to the Mixed and the cold is cut and a tee piece inserted such that the original supply is maintained to the bathroom cold taps and
the tee connection is connected to the TMV Cold connection. These ar required controls in some public buildings such as residential and nursing homes for the elderly.0 -
The Club could do with some of these ! The water temp at some club sites is ridiculous - Tredegar Park springs to mind recently - not only dangerous but also a hideous waste of energy.
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David - thanks for that explanation, but after the original cold feed to the shower tap/mixer has been cut and re-routed to the new TMV, what happens to the rest of the original cold supply to the shower tap? Does that have to be blanked off?
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Thanks for the info DavidN
Plus 1. Not sure we'd do it as only us two in the 'van ?
Only two in our van but the main reason for the mod is safety and ease of use and water (hot) is saved due to not having to waste water while the temperature control is set
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David - thanks for that explanation, but after the original cold feed to the shower tap/mixer has been cut and re-routed to the new TMV, what happens to the rest of the original cold supply to the shower tap? Does that have to be blanked off?
The cold feed is cut and a tee piece inserted such that the two cut ends are pushed into the straight through connections of the tee so that the cold supply is maintained as original to the bathroom. The tee'd connection is connected to the TMV to mix with
the Hot water to provide a cooler mixed supply.0 -
I like my showers hot - much hotter than most members of the family do, and if I use the block showers I sometimes find they arent hot enough (although usually on non CC sites it has to be said) :-(
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Sorry Surfer I can't let that go incorrected. For good reason domestic thermostatic mixers have a safety stop at 37c, something like 45c is a very hot and already a hazard with extended exposure. I agree with the OP, this is a problem and I also have often
wondered thermostatic mixers aren't fitted to van showers for safety. I won't let my kids in the van shower unsupervised for this very reason, while at home we have thermostatic mixer taps so they can shower at home in relative safety. I don't believe that
the performance ( pressure and/or flow) of caravan pumped systems is sufficiently consistent to deliver hot water safely with thermostatic control0 -
Sorry Surfer I can't let that go incorrected. For good reason domestic thermostatic mixers have a safety stop at 37c, something like 45c is a very hot and already a hazard with extended exposure. I agree with the OP, this is a problem and I also have often
wondered thermostatic mixers aren't fitted to van showers for safety. I won't let my kids in the van shower unsupervised for this very reason, while at home we have thermostatic mixer taps so they can shower at home in relative safety. I don't believe that
the performance ( pressure and/or flow) of caravan pumped systems is sufficiently consistent to deliver hot water safely with thermostatic controlExtended exposure. If a shower water feels too hot why extend your time under it? We have never had to supervise our children because when they have had a shower they use common sense to make it as hot as they like it to be.
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personally I don't see the issue. With our lunar I know that if I set the lever to seven o clock the temp is right for me. Not sure were the benefit is of a mixer thing.
If you set the mixer at 7 and obviously the water is OK for you initially do you then leave the shower on for the whole time of your shower or do you rinse then turn the shower off, soap up and wash and then turn the shower on again to rinse etc. because
when most people do this at sometime they may operate the shower valve with eyes shut and personally i find that it is quite easy to not only open the valve but to unknowingly adjust the temperature setting which could give you a hotter than safe water temperature.
With a TMV the water temperature is always safe, saves juggling with the temperature setting so no water waste while the temperature is stabilised to you liking. The TMV mixed temperature can be adjusted or even wound out to give only hot water as supplied
from the boiler.I have used them in my caravans for sometime and would not wish to be without one purely on safety grounds.
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I must admit, on the odd occasions when we used our (previous) caravan shower, I didn't have a problem about it being too hot. It had a 'pull toward you' lever tap on the shower, and if you pulled it just as it was set, then after ten seconds it was the
right temperature, and thereafter remained at that temperature, provided you just pushed it back again to switch off, and then pulled it towards you again to switch back on. I can't say I ever thought the shower too hot! Too feeble perhaps, and too much
trouble definitely, but never too hot!0 -
We have never thought the water in our cara an too hot for safety and never heard of anyone being scalded by one. we uxe water straight from the hot tap for washing up and though it is hot it is not dangerous so the shower should be safe.
The manufacturers are well aware of what temperature they can safely provide and do not want the cost and bad publicity of mass litigation from burned consumers. On that basis they are bound to err on the side of caution and provide a safe product.
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On to its third page so clearly it's something people get steamed up about.
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The Club could do with some of these ! The water temp at some club sites is ridiculous - Tredegar Park springs to mind recently - not only dangerous but also a hideous waste of energy.
Drives me up the wall - it happens at so many places.
Massive waste of energy in the hot water, then they have pathetically limp air driers that cough cold air at my hands!
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Of more concern should be the almost universal provision of fixed head showers of the "deluge" style. Quite dangerous to use to wash the soles of one's feet or intimate parts of the anatomy as standing on one's head appears to be required. Another reason
for using shower in the 'van even if there are other difficulties.0
