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If your facility does not have anti-scald faucets and valves, you risk placing members of your community at risk of first, second, and even third-degree burns.
Installing scald protection products in your buildings will not only improve public safety, it also ensures that you remain compliant with federal, state, and local mandates.
Here's what you need to know about anti-scald fixtures and fittings. Take a moment to understand the technology behind these devices that keep you and the rest of the community safe when patronizing your facilities.
Key Takeaways:
- Water at 155º F will burn you within one second of contact, and at 160º F can scald a person in half a second of contact with skin. Children are the most vulnerable to scalding.
- Anti-scald technology balances the pressure between cold and hot water flows. Install anti-scald devices in sinks with faucets that have a single handle for water temperature controls.
- Anti-scald valves are also called mixing valves or temperature valves and work by adding cold water to ensure the hot water is never hot enough to scald someone.
- There are three types of anti-scald devices, including thermostatic mixing (Type T), pressure-balanced (Type P), and combination fittings (Type T/P).
Facts About Scalding
Children, the elderly, and those with certain disabilities are the most vulnerable to getting burned by water that is too hot. Here are some alarming facts about scalding:
- Scalding is the most common injury in infants and young children (Seattle Children's Hospital)
- Approximately 20% of all burn injuries are from scalding incidents (SF Gate)
- Nearly 75% of scalding cases in children are preventable (John Hopkins Medical)
- Roughly 450,000 patients seek treatment for burns requiring hospital visits that involve skin graphs and plastic surgery (Beacon Health Systems)
How Does Anti-Scald Faucet Technology Work?
Anti-scald faucets and valves are devices in your plumbing fixtures that prevent water from getting too hot. Federal, state, and local municipalities typically mandate these devices according to building codes to help keep the public safe by preventing painful burn injuries.
While nearly every state has anti-scald device requirements in commercial and residential structures, older buildings may still have outdated fixtures that do not meet these requirements.
These protection devices balance the pressure between cold and hot water flows and are generally not expensive. The device senses when someone is using insufficient amounts of cold water, risking scalding, and adjusts as the water temperature changes. It does this by limiting the amount of hot water that can move through the chamber of the fixture.
Faucets with separate hot and cold water controls do not require anti-scald valves like those with a single handle operation, touchless fixtures, and metering faucets. Although, you will still want to install a scald guard for dual-handle fixtures. You control them using adjustable knobs and set the water to the correct temperature.
What is an Anti-Scald Valve?
Also known as a mixing valve (or tempering valve), anti-scald devices add cold water to the hot water before it leaves the faucet, even if a person only uses the hot water setting on the handle. This function keeps the water from getting hot enough to scald anyone.
Bacteria can grow in water with temperatures below 120º F. That can leave water unsafe for use. When water heaters are at 140º F, the water inside the tank is free from harmful bacteria.
However, water at that temperature can lead to second or third-degree burns with less than five minutes of exposure. Installing an anti-scald valve will help users avoid these painful burns.
You can install these fittings in:
- Showerheads
- Tub spouts
- Kitchen Faucets
- Restroom Faucets
3 Types of Anti-Scald Faucets and Valves to Keep Your Patrons Safe
Protect the most vulnerable people against scalding. Install one of these anti-scald faucets and valves at your facility to keep the water from getting too hot and keep your patrons safe:
1. Thermostatic Mixing (Type T)
Type T faucets and valves have a thermostatic element inside of the unit. You never need to recalibrate the fixture if you change the temperature on the building's hot water heater. These fixtures and fittings are somewhat more expensive than Type P models.
However, they are worth the added expense because these faucets and valves allow you to set your water heater to higher temp settings. That enables you to ensure that the water is hot enough to kill bacteria that could be in the water supplies.
The graph below shows the three most common thermostatic anti-scald faucets available from Chicago Faucets, a Geberit Company, one of the world's leading manufacturers of plumbing products, using TempShield® Technology. Use this chart to compare water temperature control features, power supply options, ADA compliance, flow rates, and whether the model is vandal-proof.
2. Pressure-Balanced (Type P)
This type is the least expensive of the anti-scald models available. It allows you to control water pressure using a piston or diaphragm inside the fixture. These components move in to react to changes in water pressure. One downside of a Type P is that you must recalibrate the faucet if you change the water heater's temperature.
3. Combination (Type T/P)
When you install a Type T/P anti-scald fitting, you get the best of both Type P and Type T. The pistons within the fixture balance water pressure while the thermostatic element reacts to the temperature of the water.
The price point on these devices falls between the other two types. Although, expect to pay more for commercial-grade faucets and valves. These devices are more durable to withstand the wear and tear of high-traffic facilities.
Installing Anti-Scald Faucets and Valves
Once you have found the anti-scald devices you need for your facility, American Home Shield offers an installation how-to for anyone looking to replace the fitting. Although, we highly recommend that you have some form of plumbing experience. Otherwise, you may want to hire someone with plumbing expertise.
At Chicago Faucets, we offer durable commercial-grade faucets, fixtures, and fittings that not only withstand the abuse of heavy use but they also offer safety features like anti-scald technology so that you can keep everyone who visits, works at, or lives in your facilities.
We know that the safety, health, and well-being of your facility's patrons matter to you, and it matters to us too! Contact us today to learn more about our Tempshield Technology.
