My shower water seems pretty cold until I adjust it to turn on the heat. It seems to be whatever the cold water is in the pipes before hot water is added. This is true for all my fixtures - cold water in kitchen and bathrooms.

I do have a thermostatic valve in the shower and not a pressure valve. With a thermostatic valve the temperature is adjusted with one valve and the on/off is with another valve. In my configuration, I have the temperature valve and then a three way diverter which selects and turns on the fixed shower head or one of my two hand held shower heads.

helen what brand do you have?

My fixtures are Phylrich but I don't think it is the manufacturer but the type of valve. I suspect that pressure balance valves might be more "mixed" and therefore not be as cold as your unheated water might be. The thermostatic valve has advantages and more control of temperature is probably one of them.

At any rate, I would suggest you go to a really good plumbing store with lots of choices and find something there.

Inquiring minds want to know who actually takes a cold shower? #brrrr I have the Hansgrohe thermostatic and it’s insanely cold when it turns on (and I live in south Florida), I can’t imagine needing a shower colder than that.

I like it every once in a while as a detox thing-it as an emergency if my kid had a fever etc. I’m glad to hear yours goes cold with Hansgrohe since I saw others commenting it only gets warm but not cool at all.

Please don’t plunge your child into cold water when they have a fever. Besides being torturous, can put child into shock.

Ok I think this is taking it a little too far. I’m not ok with being criticized of abuse here.

Do you have a Ferguson near you? I was able to try out all of the showerheads and controls so I could figure out what I wanted.

Is this the only shower in the house? If the other runs true cold, maybe you can use that in an emergency and then you can get the Hansgrohe you love.

BTW, I was curious about how to treat a fever. Healthline.com suggests tepid baths and cold compresses (vs cold or ice cubes). Obviously, your doctor is a better source of medical advice.

How can you get cold water colder than when it comes from the pipes? Is there

a refrigeration unit on the system?

My Hansgrohe control goes from hot to cold as expected. Check around a bit more.

So cold showers are actually very good for you and really any no thermostatically controlled faucet will allow really cold water if that is what you get from your water supply coming into the house.