Showers Mixers
A ‘mixer’ is a term applied to very basic showers. Generally, there are four different types available.
The first is a very basic unit, which utilises the existing hot and cold water taps. The mixer is attached to the bath taps and then a spray cascades, or more usually, simply trickles out.
The bath and shower mixer is slightly more sophisticated, as the spray and showerhead are combined with a mixer tap on the bath. They can be quite useful if you have a freestanding bath, since it can be quite difficult to wash your hair effectively. Usually these products are available in different finishes and styles, to complement any bathroom.
The manual mixer relies on a hot and cold water supply. This is a plumbed-in system and the pipes need to be installed by a professional plumber. A wall unit is fitted, which is connected to the hot and cold-water supplies and the unit allows you to control the temperature of the water and to some extent, the pressure. This option is more expensive than the other two mixers previously mentioned, due to the plumbing costs and the price of the basic system.
The thermostatic mixer is also supplied as a unit. It is so called, because it has a built-in stabiliser, which means that the temperature of the water can easily be controlled. Other mixers tend to perform badly when water is being used in another room, but the thermostatic model does not experience this dip in performance. This feature makes it the safest and most reliable choice, but also the most expensive.