While the showerhead is where the water for your shower flows from, the volume controls and shower diverters throughout your shower control your overall shower experience. These valves control the pressure, water volume, and water temperature throughout your shower.

It can be tempting to attempt to improve your overall shower experience by simply replacing your showerhead. However, if you don’t take the time to assess your current plumbing and bathroom fixtures, you may not obtain the desired results. Evaluating your plumbing to see if your valves, plumbing, and fixtures are up to date is an important part of the design process.

First, let’s spend a moment learning about valves, shower diverters, and volume controls. Familiarizing yourself with this information will allow you to make educated decisions about the fixtures, fittings, and trim in your bathroom. Then you can work to customize your shower experience so that it is exactly what you’d like it to be.

What Is a Valve?

Shower valves are the parts of your plumbing that are within the shower walls. They regulate the water temperature, volume of water flow, where the water flows to and from, and more, and are usually installed out of sight as an integral part of the structure of your shower. They are typically sold separately from your showerhead, faucet, and taps. The valves should be made by the same manufacturer as your shower trim to ensure everything fits and functions correctly.

What Is a Shower Diverter Valve?

When you have a combination shower and bathtub in your home, a shower diverter valve controls the flow of water between the tub’s faucet and the showerhead. These valves come in several styles, but each is designed to force water to flow upward through the shower pipe and out the showerhead when the valve is closed.

Kingston Brass features a wide variety of three-way diverters in various finishes, including polished chrome, oil-rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, polished brass, and matte black. In addition, you can choose from a lever handle or a cross-handle option. No matter what you’d like your shower project to look like when it’s completed, Kingston Brass has the perfect diverter available.

For a modern industrial look, consider the Three Way Diverter Valve with Matte Black Trim Kit. This valve allows you to divert water into your shower in three different ways. Most homeowners opt for a tub spout, shower head, and hand shower. It features an attractive matte black finish and cross handle, is easy to install, and was designed for long-lasting durability.

If you prefer a more traditional decorative style, opt for the Single Handled Polished Brass Trim Kit for the same valve. Instead of a cross handle, enjoy an easy-to-grasp single handle. The shiny brass finish helps this trim kit stand out, creating a decorative appearance you’re sure to love.

What Is a Shower Volume Control Valve?

A volume control valve controls the volume of water that flows through the showerhead. This feature can be very useful if you’re running more than one fixture off of the same installation. A shower volume control valve can also be useful if you’d like to be able to control the volume of water that will be flowing through the showerhead at one time, such as in showers that are used by children or the elderly. These valves are designed to ensure you have an adequate flow of water throughout your shower so that you find the entire experience as enjoyable as possible.

Shower volume control valves fit behind the shower wall, where they will not be seen. Shower volume control trim sets are available in multiple attractive finishes, including matte black, oil-rubbed bronze, polished brass, polished chrome, and brushed nickel. Select a trim set that matches the rest of your shower fixtures for a cohesive, attractive appearance.

How Can You Extend the Life of Your Shower Valves?

You can extend the life of your shower fixtures, valves, and fittings by turning the showers in all of your bathrooms on regularly, even when the showers aren’t being used. One good way to do this is to run the showers weekly when you clean the bathrooms. You can also make a habit of descaling your bathroom plumbing. Pipe scale can cause deterioration of your fixtures over time.

When Should You Replace Your Valves?

Most shower valves should function well for four to five years, at minimum. Often they last far longer than this, but it can depend on the conditions they are exposed to. If the water in your area is especially hard, or if they haven’t been well maintained, you may find that your valves wear out faster. Depending on the valve and the conditions in your home, shower valves can function correctly for anywhere from four to twenty years before they need to be replaced.

How Can a Professional Plumber Help?

When you’d like to have new plumbing installed or you have a shower valve that you think could be leaking, reach out to a professional plumber in your area for assistance. A plumber can work with your contractor if you’re working on a bathroom remodel, for instance, so that you wind up with a shower that functions precisely the way you’ve been imagining. If you already have a working shower but a valve is not behaving as it should, a plumber can evaluate the problem. They can do a service call and replace the valve for you, as well as any fixtures or trim that may have also been damaged.

Designing a shower that functions exactly the way you’ve imagined isn’t as easy as picking out the perfect showerhead and installing it. You also need plumbing, fixtures, and trim to make your vision a reality. Whether you need to control the water volume with a shower volume control valve or adjust where the water flows with a diverter valve, Kingston Brass has a wide selection of products available to suit your needs.