Thermostatic mixers are great, no argument there, but I gotta agree with the wider supply line suggestion. I've managed a handful of older properties, and honestly, half the time the simplest fix is the best fix. Had a tenant once who insisted on a fancy thermostatic valve—spent a weekend (and way too much money) installing it. Sure, it worked, but later on another unit had the same issue and I just swapped out the narrow old lines for wider ones. Problem solved, no headaches, no torch burns on my knuckles.
Not saying thermostatic mixers aren't worth it—they definitely have their place—but sometimes people jump straight to the complicated solutions when something simpler could do the trick. Still, if you're already committed to the upgrade, it'll serve you well long-term. Just keep in mind that simpler solutions are often overlooked and can save you a lot of hassle down the road...
Gotta say, I've seen both sides of this one. Had a customer once who was dead set on a thermostatic mixer—spent half my Saturday wrestling with old fittings and cursing quietly under my breath. Sure, it worked great, but a month later I ran into a similar issue at another place. This time, just swapped out the old narrow pipes for wider ones, and boom, problem solved. Makes me wonder sometimes if we're all just overthinking things...
Haha, been there myself—spent way too many weekends wrestling with fancy mixers only to realize simpler fixes were staring me in the face. Sometimes we plumbers love complicating things, don't we? Wider pipes can be a lifesaver, especially in older houses with those spaghetti-thin lines. But hey, at least your Saturday wasn't wasted—you've got another plumbing war story to tell over coffee breaks now...
Interesting point about pipe diameter—makes sense since older houses weren't exactly built with modern water demands in mind. But I'm curious, would installing a pressure-balancing valve or thermostatic mixer be enough to solve this issue without having to redo all the plumbing? I've heard mixed things about their effectiveness in older homes, especially if the pipes are already narrow and rusty inside... Has anyone here had firsthand experience with these valves in older setups?
Installed plenty of pressure-balancing valves in older homes, and honestly, results vary. If your pipes are really narrow and rusty inside, the valve alone might not fully solve the cold-shower-when-flushing issue. Had a client last year with a 1940s house—pipes were pretty corroded. We put in a decent thermostatic mixer valve, and it definitely improved things, but didn't completely eliminate the temp swings. Ended up replacing just the worst sections of pipe near the bathroom, and that finally did the trick.
So yeah, valves help, but if your pipes are in rough shape, you might still get some fluctuations. Just setting expectations realistically here...
