Armitage Shanks has added to its Markwik 21+ brassware sanitaryware range a new sequential non-thermostatic pressure balanced valve (PBV) mixer – the Comfort SQ.
“While thermostatic mixing valve taps remain the gold standard for maintaining a consistent outlet temperature in critical care areas, HTM 04-01 does permit the use of manual valves, including pressure balancing valve (PBV) taps, in appropriately risk-assessed healthcare settings,” the company explained. The HTM’s aim is to cut the cost of initial installation and commissioning, while reducing the ongoing maintenance costs for facilities management.”
Armitage Shanks explained that pressure balance valve (PBV) tap technology – an alternative to thermostatic valves – works by compensating for changes in water supply pressure to maintain water temperature. The product’s design – in terms of its construction materials, help protect against waterborne pathogens, and keep systems in line with the latest water safety guidance.
At the heart of the valve in the Markwik 21+ Comfort SQ PBV tap is a ‘cleverly engineered’ and ceramic ‘sleeve and shuttle’. When a pressure change is detected, the shuttle moves within the sleeve, increasing or restricting the hot and cold supplies to achieve a new pressure balance and consistent outlet temperature. Being ceramic, the sleeve and shuttle are reportedly also ‘smoother, more hygienic, and durable’, than the stainless-steel mechanisms used in competitor models.
The new mixer’s ‘plug and play’ functionality allows healthcare providers to easily swap over existing Markwik 21 or Markwik 21+ thermostatic bodies to a Markwik 21+ Comfort SQ PBV body. Armitage Shanks explained: “This makes the switch much easier. and means that the handles and detachable spouts from the previous installation can, in many cases, be retained and reused.” The detachable spout is designed for autoclave cleaning, ‘to provide protection against biofilm build-up’
Other ‘hygiene-focused’ benefits include Armitage Shanks’s BioGuard, a copper lining on the outlet said to ‘prevent the biofilm build-up that can occur on outlets’. The sanitaryware specialist said: “Smooth waterways, low static water volume, microbore internal pipework, and the use of antimicrobial materials, further bolster the Markwik 21 / 21 + Comfort Sequential mixers’ hygiene credentials.”
Anil Madan, Armitage Shanks’ Non-Residential Marketing manager, said: “New NHS guidance for 2025 makes it clear that, subject to the appropriate risk assessments, sequential pressure balanced valve mixers are perfectly suitable for many healthcare settings.”
