Are cheap diverter/thermostatic valves a bad idea?

[EddyP]

I'm trying to find a diverter valve and thermostatic shower valve that will allow me to send flow to either a rain shower head in the ceiling or a normal hand held type shower head.
However the only ones I can find seem to be either incredibly expensive and old fashioned looking (Mira) or £150-200 and a name i've never heard of.
Are these cheaper valves a false economy? or does anyone know of a better way to acheive what im after.

Thanks

 

[LUNAT]

HI

what do you mean by diverter valve and where do you intend to fit it ?

 

[EddyP]

A diverter valve is a valve that is styled to look like the thermostatic mixer, but allows you to change between different jets, eg body jets, rain head, hand held etc..

Something like this maybe?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CHROME-THERMO...ryZ29507QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

or these

http://www.taps4less.com/Shower-Diverter.html

Theres an explanation at the bottom of that link.

 

[Softus]

However the only ones I can find seem to be either incredibly expensive and old fashioned looking (Mira) or £150-200 and a name i've never heard of.

If you buy an unknown name, ask the supplier about availability of spares. Don't just take "yes they are available" as an answer - attempt to order a service kit for the valve you're about to buy, to put away and have ready. If they can't get hold of one, then don't buy the valve, unless you're prepared to buy and have fitted another new valve when the first one goes wrong.

Are these cheaper valves a false economy?

IMHO, yes. They don't have the technical backup, or parts availability, of the known names. I've lost count of the number of fancy looking no-name shower valves I've taken out because they need spares and nobody knows where to get them. These days I refuse to even embark on such an investigation, because nobody wants to pay for someone to drive between merchants showing them the old valve, and performing fruitless Internet searches.

 

[EddyP]

However the only ones I can find seem to be either incredibly expensive and old fashioned looking (Mira) or £150-200 and a name i've never heard of.

If you buy an unknown name, ask the supplier about availability of spares. Don't just take "yes they are available" as an answer - attempt to order a service kit for the valve you're about to buy, to put away and have ready. If they can't get hold of one, then don't buy the valve, unless you're prepared to buy and have fitted another new valve when the first one goes wrong.

Are these cheaper valves a false economy?

IMHO, yes. They don't have the technical backup, or parts availability, of the known names. I've lost count of the number of fancy looking no-name shower valves I've taken out because they need spares and nobody knows where to get them. These days I refuse to even embark on such an investigation, because nobody wants to pay for someone to drive between merchants showing them the old valve, and performing fruitless Internet searches.

Thanks very much mate, you've confirmed my initial thoughts.

I'll stick to the big names then, bristan, mira etc..etc..