Imagine this situation: You're standing in the shower when someone in your house flushes the toilet. Before you know it, that stream of warm water pulsing over your body turns so hot it could literally scald you.
The problem results from changes in water pressure within your plumbing supply system. The best way to defend against this is to have a plumber install an antiscald valve in the shower and bathtub faucets. Also known as pressure-balancing valves, these simple devices detect sudden changes in pressure in either the hot or cold water and immediately compensate for it by reducing the overall water flow through the faucet to ensure an even temperature.
These valves are required by building codes in new homes. But if you live in a place built before 1988, it makes great sense to have them installed anyway, espcially in families with young children or elderly.
