Why a Pressure-Balance Tub & Shower Valve Is a Smarter Choice for Your Home

As a homeowner, you probably don’t give much thought to your tub or shower valve. Maybe you don’t even know what a tub or shower valve is! Then, something goes wrong with it, and suddenly, you know more about tub and shower valves than you ever wanted to.

Here’s the bottom line. 

The type of valve behind your wall plays a major role in the safety, comfort, and reliability of your daily shower. Sounds important, right? So, if your home still uses an older 2–3 handle valve system—or if you don’t know what type of system your home is on—this blog is for you. By the end, we’re sure you’ll see how upgrading to a pressure-balance valve can make a world of difference.

Let’s take a closer look at what tub and shower valves do as well as why pressure-balance valves are becoming the preferred choice in modern homes.

What Is a Pressure-Balance Tub & Shower Valve?

A pressure-balance valve keeps your shower temperature steady, even when water pressure suddenly changes elsewhere in the home.

Think about when someone flushes a toilet or turns on a faucet. The pressure-balance valve ensures you’re not hit with a burst of hot water or chilled with a sudden spray of cold. The valve automatically adjusts the hot and cold mix to maintain the temperature you’ve set.

Like we said… a little part that plays a major role in your comfort and safety!

It also happens to be a simple upgrade that adds a big layer of protection and comfort to your shower routine.

Why Older 2–3 Handle Valves Fall Short

Many homes have what’s known as the more traditional 2–3 handle systems. These control hot and cold water separately. Do they work? Yes! However, they also come with a few drawbacks:

• Less temperature stability: Pressure changes can cause sudden hot or cold spikes.

• No built-in safety feature: There’s no protection from accidental scalding.

• More moving parts: More handles and internal stems mean more wear, leaks, and maintenance.

• Harder to repair: Each handle and stem can require its own service or replacement.

Needless to say that as these valves age, leaks, drips, and temperature fluctuations become increasingly common. So, what’s a homeowner with a 2-3 handle system to do?

The Key Advantages of Pressure-Balance Valves

We’re glad you asked! Switching over to pressure-balance valves throughout your home this year can make a positive difference. Because while pressure changes or hot versus cold shots are tolerable on occasion, they can prove very frustrating long-term. Most homeowners don’t even realize that there’s a fix to this through pressure-balance valves! Yet this tiny change helps create:

1. Improved Safety

Pressure-balance valves help prevent scalding, which is a major concern for children, older adults, and anyone with sensitive skin. By keeping the temperature consistent, they ensure sudden changes in household water usage aren’t felt in the shower.

2. Consistent Comfort

No more surprise temperature swings. You set your preferred temperature, and the valve keeps it steady from start to finish.

3. Modern Code Compliance

Many plumbing codes now require pressure-balancing or thermostatic valves in new installations. Upgrading helps bring older bathrooms up to modern safety standards.

4. Lower Maintenance

Instead of multiple stems and washers, most pressure-balance valves use a single cartridge. That can mean fewer parts that wear out, easier maintenance, and even faster, more affordable repairs.

5. Easier for Everyone to Use

Let’s just state the obvious and say that a single lever handle is way easier to operate for kids, older adults, people with arthritis or limited mobility…and the list goes on.

Final Thoughts

A pressure-balanced tub and shower valve offers a major improvement over older 2–3-handle systems. From better temperature control to enhanced safety and lower maintenance, it’s a simple upgrade that delivers big benefits.

If you're curious whether your current valve is working properly, or if it’s time for an upgrade, our team is happy to help! We’ll inspect your system, explain your options, and install a new pressure-balancing valve that can help keep your shower safe, comfortable, and reliable.

We can almost guarantee that this small change will make a world of difference in your home! So, give us a call today to schedule your service.