What is A Tempering Valve?
A tempering valve mixes hot and cold water to create water at the perfect temperature to distribute to sinks and showers. They are typically used in hotels or office buildings, anywhere where there is centralized delivery of hot water. If the water delivered is too warm, scalding can occur. If stored water is too cold, bacterial growth can occur inside the tank. The tempering valve allows hot water to be stored at a high temperature that will kill off bacteria, but then mixes it with cold water to distribute to the fixtures at a lower temperature that will not scald users. Temperature ranges for domestic hot water systems If water is stored below 140℉, bacterial growth can occur that can have serious health risks to building occupants. The most common bacteria is Legionella, which has been known to grow in domestic hot water systems, as well as cooling tower water. In order to kill off any existing bacteria and discourage new growth, water must be stored above 14...