Far from having to look like a crude spaceship control panel from a 1960’s sci-fi b-movie, shower controls have become an important consideration for almost any bathroom, both aesthetically and practically. People might be surprised at just how much scope there is for choice when considering shower controls and control valve, perhaps having not given the idea much thought before.

So what is a Control Valve?
A control valve controls the water your shower projects. It controls the rate of flow as well as the temperature, and is essential if you want a shower experience tailored to your personal preferences. Obviously, the better the control valve, the more specific you can tailor your shower experience to be.
Control valves come in two different types: thermostatic valves and manual valves.

Thermostatic valves are valves which blend hot water and cold water while still in the shower unit, ensuring that the water will never come out scolding, but will rather come out at or near the desired temperature every time.

Manual valves require the mixing of hot and cold water manually, and while there is always the potential for boiling hot or icy cold water being pumped from your shower head, but this is easily avoided by blending the two extremes together. Manual valves will have at least two controls, one for hot and one for cold.

Multi Jet Shower Experiences
Most valves nowadays are thermostatic, which might lead you to believe that they will all have one control only. But it’s not uncommon to find thermostatic valves with three or more controls. Such valves are used for showers which feature several different water projectors. For example, you might have a shower head, one set of body jets and a shower rail, and a control valve for each one. This allows even more scope to personalise your showering experience.

Aesthetics
Shower control valves come in many shapes and sizes, and it is worth choosing a set which suit your bathroom’s overall feel. Minimal bathrooms are extremely popular at the moment, and the ideal valve for such a bathroom often features a chrome finish. More traditional bathrooms might benefit from a manual valve with a brass finish. It all depends on what you want your bathroom experience to feel like.