How to Customize a Shower System
Whether the shower is the place that you start your morning or unwind at the end of a long day, choosing the right components is essential to getting the most out of your system. Learn how to customize a shower system in this Build.com video:
A basic shower system is made up of just a few components. On the outside of the wall is the shower head, the arm that the head attaches to, and a knob or handle to control the water flow and temperature. These are typically pressure balance valves, which means that the water temperature and water flow are controlled by a single handle. inside the wall there is a rough-in valve which is operated by the handle or the knob. The rough-in valve is where the hot and the cold water mixed before it comes out of the shower head, so you can adjust your shower to the perfect temperature. Going beyond the basics, a shower system has more components and endless custom configurations.
The bathroom featured in this video has Delta fixtures in champagne bronze with three separate faucets or outlets.
- Mounted on the ceiling is a large rain shower head.
- On the wall is a single function shower head and a separate hand shower which is mounted to a slide bar. The faucet can be moved up and down the bar for hands-free use, or you can unclip it and use it manually.
- The pressure balance valve controls the water flow and the water temperature, while the diverter enables you to choose which faucet or combination of faucets the water flows out of.
- Inside the wall, the pressure balance valve is connected to a mixing rough-in valve, and the diverter is connected to a diverter rough-in valve.
Mixing valves and diverter valves vary by manufacturer, so you need to make sure that the valves inside the wall are compatible with the controls on the outside of the wall.
