If you regularly work in the kitchen, you know the importance of anti-scalds in your faucet. It gives you protection from the splashes of hot water.
Anti-scald faucet is a necessity for families with young kids and elderly people as they have sensitive skin and face problem while controlling the handles of the kitchen faucet.
But why do we need them? This question might be ringing in your head. Let us discover it together.
Why Kitchen Faucets have Anti Scald?
In the traditional one-handle kitchen faucets, you have the risk of sudden hot water discharge. So, it can burn your skin seriously. The Anti-Scald valves prevent this sudden discharge and keep the temperature of water constant. So, it saves you from any serious injury.
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Top 9 reasons why kitchen faucets have anti scalds
Wherever you work, you need to maintain some safety protocols. For your safety, you cannot deny the role of anti-scald valves. So, let us go for more details.
Maintain a constant water temperature
It is very annoying to feel fluctuations in water temperature while working.
An easy example will simplify things for you. While one of your family members is taking shower with cold water, the pressure of cold water decreases in the pipe.
At that exact moment, if you are using the kitchen tap, there will be a sudden discharge of hot water which can cause you severe injury.
Children mostly get affected by this sudden change in water temperature as their skin is really sensitive.
Anti-scald valves maintain a constant water temperature even when the temperature fluctuates in the water pipes.
People with severe health issues
If you are living with a person who is going through chemotherapy or has severe health issues, then you must install anti-scald valves to protect them. These patients are prone to legionnaires disease from excessive heat.
Assure better safety
Any adult can have very sensitive skin and they might get affected with the slightest heat. As you cannot exist whenever they are coming to the kitchen, you need a solid solution to assure their safety.
Sometimes in the kitchen, you do things in a hurry, so there are high chances that you can get burned by the sudden overflow of hot water.
Is not that a horrible experience! That’s why anti-scald valves are essential.
For families with small kids
In America, more than 2000 children are burned every year because their families do not have anti-scald faucets. The Interesting thing is that these accidents mostly occur in the kitchen and bathroom. Here, anti-scalds play a key role and protect children from burns.
Protects from costly treatment
The statistics also say that 20% of the burns happen for this reason. These types of burns lead you to expensive skin surgeries.
Plastic surgery and skin grafting are very common for these burns. So, better avoid it with inexpensive anti-scalds.
Auto functionality
Anti-scald is more convenient. Unlike the single-handled ones, you do not have to manually mix the hot and cold water to get the right temperature. Here, things happen automatically.
For dementia patients
Dementia is a medical condition where patients forget necessary details and cannot judge things properly.
So, when they are using the faucet, they have high chances to get burned as they might forget to mix the cold and hot water. So, anti-scalds are mandatory for them.
Better safety with the same look
don’t worry about the look at all! The fun part is that even if you install anti-scalds it won’t change the look of your kitchen faucet.
It will provide you with better safety with the same look as these valves are equipped with advanced piston mechanism that maintains a balance between hot and cold water.
Better for everyone
no one consistently checks the temperature of their kitchen faucet before using it.
That’s why, a person who is constantly using the faucet for a long time, he/she will get used to the water fluctuations and temperature.
But with the same water temperature, another person can get a first-degree burn.
No one is a superhuman here, the person who is comfortable with a particular temperature will surely get scalded if it rises to 130° to 140° F.
So, do not put your safety at risk.
What is an anti-scald valve?
In simple words, these can be also called as anti-‘burn’ valves. Now, if you want to be more technical, call it pressure-balance valves. What does it mean!
Sometimes unexpected pressure changes occur in the pipes of hot and cold water.
To give you a constant water temperature, Anti-scald valves make a balance between that and prevents any sudden temperature shift.
How do scald guards work?
These scald protections are designed so perfectly that they automatically identify the temperature of both water and air.
All the scald guards have the function where you can set a threshold limit for temperature. They also conserve water so that the temperature can be balanced.
When the temperature reaches to that threshold limit, the valves automatically stop the flow of hot water in the pipeline and start supplying cold water.
In this way, the scald guards save lines from excessive heating. After a certain period, the temperature of the water goes back to the normal state, and the valves stop the water flow.
To avoid any future calamity, the valves start to conserve water again. This is how this machine works!
Why are anti-scald valves required?
The answer to the question is ‘yes’. For your safety, you must need one in your kitchen.
Tons of report suggests that people experience serious burns as they do not have anti-scald valves in their kitchen faucet.
Anytime, the temperature of the water can change, and it can cause serious harm to your skin. So, install one at your faucet and live tension free.
How to check if my kitchen faucet is anti-scald?
If you are buying a new house or shifting to one, then probably you have this question once. So, let me solve this problem for you with a small trick.
The Trick is very simple. Talk with a technician and get assurance.
Remember one thing, if you are buying an old house or shifting to one, be a bit careful because most old houses don’t have scald valves.
Whereas, according to the new construction rules anti-scald valves are mandatory for homes.
So, if your bet is for an old house, call an expert. Don’t compromise safety.
How to adjust a scald-guard faucet?
With two following steps you can easily adjust a scald-guard faucet:
Step 1: Detach the handle from the faucet
To adjust the temperature levels, you need to get to the valves. To do that, first, remove the outer handle. Then you have access to the valves. Now remove some of the inner components.
Never forget, in what order you are removing those components. Otherwise, you will get stuck while assembling it again.
Step 2: Modify the valve
As you have removed all the inner components, you can see the valve. Carefully, check the numbers at the top of the valve which indicates the current temperature levels.
If you don’t see the temperature levels, turn the circular-shaped gear on. Then you will get the water flow along with the temperature in numbers. After getting all the info, change the temperature according to your wish and stay safe.
How do you adjust a Moen anti-scald valve?
If you are using Moen anti-scald valves and feeling that the water output is too hot, then you can easily adjust it with the following steps.
- Step 1: At first just remove the handle. Then, you will see the TLS (Temperature Limit Stop).
- Step 2: Pull the TLS out and move it clockwise.
- Step 3: Now, put TLS back in its place and start the flow of water.
If you are not getting your desired output, do the same process again. When you will get the desired outcome, just install the handle again and you are good to go.
How do you adjust anti-scald valve Glacier Bay?
If you have purchased a Glacier bay faucet and having issues to adjust the temperature, then let us solve it together.
- Step 1: Just unscrew the outer handles and all the other outer parts, to expose the internals.
- Step 2: Then you have access to a red copper adjustment pin on the valve with plus and minus sign which are indicators of hot and cold water individually.
- Step 3: If you want to increase the temperature of the water, then rotate the adjustment pin in the plus side. To decrease the temperature, follow the other way around.
- Step 4: But don’t forget to put all the internals and externals back in the right place.
How do you adjust the anti-scald setting on a Delta faucet?
By following some 7 easy steps, you can easily adjust the anti-scald valves of Delta faucets.
- Step 1: Find the setscrew opening at the side of your faucet. Remove the handle by rotating the screw anti-clockwise with a hex key.
- Step 2: Eliminate the faucet cartridge with a gentle pull.
- Step 3: Uncover the scald guard by removing the small plastic disk from the faucet stem.
- Step 4: Carefully read the instructions given on the scald guard as it will direct you to adjust the temperature of the water.
- Step 5: To increase or decrease the water pressure pull the scald guard from the cartridge. If you want to increase the water pressure, then move your Delta scald guard anti-clockwise and to decrease the pressure move it clockwise.
- Step 6: Put the scald guard back in its place. Remember, the scald guard must perfectly fit in the cartridge slots because each of these slots can make 5 to 16 degrees of variation in the temperature of the water.
- Step 7: At Last, cover the faucet cartridge with the plastic disk, and tighten up the knob screws. Now, you know how to do it.
How to remove scald guard?
The process of removing scald guards is quite similar in all faucets.
- Step 1: Just find the screw opening portion at the side of your faucet handle.
- Step 2: Uncover the cartridge body by pulling the faucet cartridge out, and you will find a small plastic disk over the scald guard.
- Step 3: Remove that disk and you have the scald guard.
- Step 4: Here you go. If you want to remove it, just pull it out.
If you are looking forward to installing an anti-scald valve, these are all the details you need. Install it in your kitchen immediately. It will save you and your entire family. Otherwise, you are risking your safety.