I just visited some web galleries of bathroom remodelers in the US, and it looks uncommon to have external shower fixtures. They tend to bury as much of the fixture as possible in the wall. From the photos, I don’t get the impression they are using thermostatic mixing valves. But it’s hard to tell. Can anyone confirm or deny?
I think I might favor external fixtures because they tend to be much cheaper and also more easily servicable.
It’s a valve that controls both the pressure and temperature of the shower water. It maintains a constant temp through your shower.
But installing one is 2x the price of a normal pressure-balance valve.
Do you set it to the preferred temperature each time or is it just on/off to a pre-set temp?
There are two controls, one for pressure and one for temperature.
The most common one has a marker around 40°C then you can go hotter or colder.
https://www.hansgrohe.com/bath/products/showers/thermostatic-shower-valves