Grohe Allure Collection

[ThomasD.]

I've ordered the Maris Wall Mount Toilet and now have to decide on the Shower & Sink fixtures. My wife has chosen the Grohe Allure Collection as one her final choices. Have never had personal experience with Grohe. Could I get some input on the quality of Grohe's Thermostatic controls and their quality in general ?? Thanks

[jadnashua]

My personal experience is limited, but I have a Grohe thermostatic valve and like it. It's about 7-years old now and works fine. Looks good. I decided to go with it after using one in a hotel in London. The pressure was varying all over the place, and the thing kept the temp consistent from the first day of our stay to the last, and with the varying pressure (a pressure balance valve should keep the temp close under those circumstances, but not the day to day temp setting, or if the supply temp varies). I did need a new vanity faucet cartridge, but they sent one free in a couple of days. You may need to wait longer in Fairbanks, but the things don't catastrophically fail, you have some warning you may need a new part and have some time.

[ThomasD.]

Thanks for the response. Personal experience is just what I was interested in. So many choices out there. Grohe has been around a long time, but in todays economy longevity doesn't always equate to quality.

[jadnashua]

Federal regulations are phasing in lead free fixtures. This means more and more of the guts are being made of plastic. On mine, before that started, the body is a huge hunk of cast brass - the thing weighs probably close to 10# (it's an external mount tub/shower, now discontinued, at least in the USA). I chose this style because there's a pocket door behind this wall, and I couldn't use the depth to mount a 'normal' valve. The fixture has the volume, spout, diverter, and temp in one solid unit. The actual thermostatic control portion is the same or similar to other designs in the line, though, and hopefully, should provide an idea of how yours would work. The actual knobs are plastic, though, but still look good. If they were metal, it's possible they could get quite hot after an extended tub fill, but normally, that wouldn't be an issue.