I do not understand the advantage of the popular "hot" and "cold" controls in showers, as opposed to "temperature" and "quantity" controls.
Is it simply because the latter option is harder to implement? Why isn't it more common? It would make much more sense for the user to be able to control the temperature and the quantity as discrete items rather than how it is now.
Answer
You are totally right
As with many other devices (eg the QWERTY keyboard) the hot/cold tap persists not because it's the most usable design, but because of:
- Cost since proper temperature control requires an electromechanical feedback loop design, or calibrated thermostatic valves which needs to be periodically adjusted or replaced. This drives up the cost of the faucet significantly.
- Convention (aka the legacy problem).
That said, there are temperature/pressure controls available today, and they are AWESOME to use. You can do a search for thermostatic shower faucets (or mixers, or valves) to find out more.
Pressure-temperature faucets are used with varying frequency around the world (see comments below), and I've seen them in Japan and various countries in Europe and Asia.
These faucets are particularly amazing for filling baths consistently because water has a pretty high specific heat capacity so getting the temperature wrong by just a few degrees while filling a bath means spending quite a of time waiting to get the right temperature or adjusting the water mix.
Here are two common designs....
1. Mixer-style thermostatic shower faucet
Here is a popular format with end-mounted temperature and flow knobs common in Japan and elsewhere:
These faucets often have a lock, label and/or a click affordance around 38°C to provide additional ergonomics around safe water temperatures.
- For more background on how these work, this brochure from Delta Faucets is quite informative.
2. Instant electric water heater
I have not seen these in Europe (that's not to say they aren't available or used), but have seen them in many places in Asia. Here is a typical format with temperature and pressure knobs:
These systems use varying combinations of electric/mechanical/electromechanical innards to provide separate pressure and temperature controls from a single cold-water input.
One more thing...
There are other pressure-temperature formats available including some crazy high end designs like this one with 4+ shower heads, steam option, custom lighting, ambient music, remote control, storable user presets, and more:
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