Among a raft of new bathroom and sanitaryware products showcased in a digital press conference on 7 April by sanitaryware and bathroom product manufacturer, Delabie – in its case very much targeted at use in healthcare facilities – was the company’s H9768TP Securitherm thermostatic shower mixer.
Delabie says the dual control shower mixer’s ‘unique design’ makes cross-flow between the hot water and the cold water impossible, ‘considerably reducing the risk of bacterial proliferation’. It said: “As with all our Securitherm thermostatic mixers, this new unit ensures total anti-scalding safety. The thermostatic cartridge ensures temperature stability whatever the variations in the pressure and flow.” The H9768TP mixer is fitted with a double temperature limiter; the first set at 41 °C, and can be overridden, while the second is pre-set at 43 °C, ‘so the user has no risk of scalding themselves’. Delabie explained: “The thermostatic technology provides an automatic failsafe. If the cold water supply fails unexpectedly, the hot water shuts off immediately and completely. Similarly, if the hot water supply fails, the cold water does the same, avoiding the risk of a cold shower, which could cause the user to lose their balance or fall.
The incorporation of Securitouch technology is said to prevent any risk of burns when touching the shower body. Undertaking thermal shock at the temperature of the hot water in the system is simply a matter of unscrewing the temperature control cap using an Allen key, and turning the valve spindle completely clockwise to override the temperature setting.
The new shower mixer has been specifically designed to limit the risk of bacterial development, with a design which Delabie says makes cross-flow between the hot and cold water impossible, and a patented thermostatic mixing valve where cold and hot water shut off at the inlets, rendering non-return valves unnecessary. It said: “No specific maintenance is required, and the risk of cross-flow is removed. The mixer has been designed to reduce, to a minimum, the volume of standing water, and thus reduce the risk of bacterial development.
Water saving was also a key consideration in the system’s design, with a flow rate of just 9 litres / min. Delabie said: “The water savings make it possible to reduce energy consumption and economise in terms of equipment, and of course the lower the volume of water in the installation, the lower the risk of bacterial proliferation.”
The H9768TP Securitherm Securitouch thermostatic shower mixer is also available as a shower kit for exposed installation. An optional small chrome-plated shelf for products such as shampoo or shower gel is available to fit onto the mixer.
