Anyone use Grohe Grohtherm Smart Control valve?
We are doing a total master bath renovation, and the new shower will have a rain shower head, a fixed wall showerhead, and a small wand handshower. We are looking for shower control systems that with thermostatic valves that can control 3 outlets. I looked at the Kohler DTV Prompt system, but am a little hesitant to do a digital system for concerns of power outage and wear-tear. I also really liked some of the push button systems sold by Hansgrohe (the ShowerSelect system) and Grohe (the Grohtherm SmartControl system). There have been multiple positive reviews of the Hansgrohe system, but it can control only two outlets. The Grohe system can control all three outlets, and also lets you adjust volume (which the Hansgrohe can't do), but I can find barely any reviews of this system. Has anyone used the Grohe thermostatic push button system?
Comments (43)
S K
6 years agoHello, I’m looking for the same information. The GROHE SmartControl is small and neat and controls volume and diverter function along with the temp (thermostatic). And it works out cheaper than even a pressure balance valve + trim and 3 volume control valve + trim and a diverter that you will need to build this kind of a control. Almost sounds too good to be true.
I too couldn’t find any reviews online.
Were you able to figure out if the shower and handshower can be run simultaneously?
PROGROHE US
6 years agoHi SK,
Yes, the GrohTherm SmartControl allows you to turn the shower and hand shower on at the same time. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
- GROHE Social Team
S K
6 years agoHello, thank you for your response.
I understand that the internal parts of this valve are entirely made of plastic, does Grohe offer any warranty for these parts?
Also, is there a gpm limitation in the valve? if 2/3 outlets are run simultaneously, do they get adequate pressure of water? Is it ok to add a tub spout, a 12 inch rain head shower and a 2.5 gpm handshower to this? Will any 2 of them run simultaneously without loss of pressure or do we need a pressure booster to be added to the setup.
Thanks,
SKgeoffrey_b
6 years agoIt has a rough-in smartbox. The box stays in the wall - so if there ever is a problem - you don't have to disturb the tile.
sharimenz
6 years agoSame question as sk...want to run tub spout OR shower SIMULTANEOUSLY with the hand shower. How is pressure st that point? Also anyone have any experience or comments on this system yet? love the concept but so little info in the us on reliability etc with plastic parts inside....also what is warranty?
S K
5 years agoI too took the plunge. The plumber installed the rough in box and I ended up doing the valve install myself. The plumbers are not very aware of the product and were giving me very unreasonable quotes for the install so I went this way.
It was pretty easy to fit the valve and trim. It looks very sleek and works beautifully! Good pressure and flow, the buttons are responsive and the simultaneous running water retains pressure. Perfect!!neilgader
5 years agoWe just installed the Grohe Smart system but have been having trouble with the temperature knob-it doesn't turn clockwise to permit cold water, it only turns counter clockwise to increase water temp. Plus the pushbutton that is supposed to keep from inadvertently dialing up too much heat isn't depressing properly. It also disassembles too easily under normal use. Does anyone have any suggestions? Was it installed improperly? Help.
William K
Original Author5 years agoHaven't had any of those problems--ours works perfectly. We move the thermostatic valve all the time, because I like a temp greater than 38 (meaning I have to push the safety button down all the time) and my wife prefers less than 38 (so she is turning it clockwise). I suspect an improper installation, although there is always the chance you received a defective unit. We have been using ours for about a month now, and so far, it is rock-solid. No issues at all.
HU-531439850
5 years agoHi
This is an old thread, hope it'll be viewed.
I just had two bathroom redone with the Smart Control valves. Love them.But suspect the plumbers had a learning curve problem. Both shower have only hot water, No cold. Fortunately the hot at one end of the valve is bearable. Any suggestions on a fix. Suspect they put the valve stem off center. Would it be that simple.
Any suggestions would be great.
And yes, plumber was called, but has yet to respond.
Thanks
Jim Butler
4 years agoI just installed two of these units and the water pressure is dismal. Also, the temperature ranges are off on both. I did the normal Google searching.... and found nothing. Grohe's site is all about selling the products. VERY little on support.
Can anyone help me, or at least point me to a source?
Thanks!!William K
Original Author4 years agoI think you're going to need a real plumber. As long as you have made sure that the bezel of the individual knobs are rotated to the full "on" position, I don't think that these valves have any other pressure-limiting function. So, if you are still having issues with water pressure, it is likely due to either the inflow water pressure of the pipe leading to the Grohe valve, or to pressure-limiting devices in the end-appliance (many showerheads now have integrated pressure limiters to reduce water consumption). As far as water temperature, can't offer you any help there. For what it's worth, we've had our Grohe smart control valve for a year now, and it is still working perfectly (terrific pressure as long as the knob bezel is rotated all the way, and perfect temperature control). These are more complicated valves than normal one-way shower valves, and they should likely only be installed by skilled plumbers. I imagine that most of the online complaints about them are due to installation problems rather than a defect in the valve design or manufacturing.
S K
4 years agoI think the problem is with the thermostat valve setting at the time of install. The instruction booklet had the method for setting the 38 deg temp setting. From what I remember, it was done after the valve body was in the rough in, before the knobs were snapped on. Maybe you can try to uninstall up till that point and redo the temp setting part. The instructions booklet+ the video online are pretty helpful.
S K
4 years agoTo add on, I did a self install. I set the temp as per instructions and have not had any problems. Have been using the 3 output SmartControl for more than a year now and it works perfectly.
S Mc.
4 years agoI have the Grohe 3 button Smart controller. I haven’t had any problems with it. I love it. My plumber loved it too. He thought everyone should have one because it was so easy to install. I was concerned about the button mechanisms but they work great. I use it for my shower head, a hand-held and the tub. They all work great. Couldn’t be happier with it.
Ed Jennings
3 years agoWe just installed a Grohe SmartControl in a master bath remodel. Ours is a 2 button for 1 fixed head and 1 handheld. Their instructions aren't the easiest to understand, but installed right it's absolutely awesome. They claim that it can flow up to 5 GPM per head up to 3 heads which can't be accurate because a 1/2" pipe under 60 PSI pressure can only deliver about 11 GPM. I was having low pressure/flow issues but it turned out to be a function of the shower head, not the valve. I just worked on mine yesterday. I first measured the flow using a bucket and stopwatch. I was only getting about 1.6 GPM, next test I took the head off and measured flow coming out of the pipe, it was just over 6.1 GPM, so the valve is actually outperforming it's rating. For the next test, I "modified" the shower head and ran same test again. I'm now getting 3.2 GPM out of the shower head, I was able to double the original flow rate and it feels great.
The flow adjustment on the buttons are not full range by design and it's more noticeable on the handheld. The temperature control needs to be set up correctly. They recommend to adjust the stop on the knob to its top position so you are getting 100 deg F water. You can push the detent button and allow you to go higher, but not much. I have mine adjusted so we are getting 105 deg water at the stop position since that's the temperature we agree on and there's a little more available if needed. Once set up correctly this control is extremely accurate and will keep the same max temperature regardless of water heater setting.
The only negative thing I have is the trim cap that goes on the temp adjust knob keeps popping off. I'm disappointed they used a piece of plastic for this on such a precision and attractive valve. I can't find anything broken or reason it won't stay on. My plan is to get a new part and if it doesn't stay, I might just put a drop or two of epoxy on it.S K
3 years agoI wouldn’t recommend epoxy on the cap on the temp control. There is a small depression on one end of the cap that needs to be aligned with the base, the depression needs to be on the opposite end as the push button, it stays in then. Also take note that the grey fitting under the cap is aligned with the Top arrow towards the push button. The pop off cap provides a simple way of changing temp range for the valve. You can take off the cap, remove the gray bracket and take a small flat screwdriver to turn the blue temp setting part inside- clockwise for colder water and anti clockwise if you want to increase temp.
If you stick it permanently- changing temp settings will need full wall plate uninstall.Ed Jennings
3 years agoThanks S K, upon very close inspection there is a small lock tab broken off. I'll contact my rep at Ferguson's to get a new one. I still think this is a cheap out on this part.
Marek Obihai
3 years agoWe took a gamble and are installing Grohtherm Smart controll in master ensuite. Got discouraged today, as the temporary plug inside Rapido Smart box leaked and soaked the ceiling below. Called Grohe tech support and they said that the temp plug is for flushing only and not intended as a water stop during installation - would be nice if this was mentioned in the installation instructions. We wasted almost full day on this! So now the actual cartridge is installed, as this will not leak(according to Grohe). Hopefully it will not leak and it will be a keeper. Otherwise we are going to switch to Riobel which was installed in the other bathroom and works very nicely. Grohe - please update your installation instructions!
C H
3 years agoNot so sure why anyone would use Grohe =It is absolute consumer grade junk.
- To start all components are made of PLASTIC.
- There is NO shut-off on the fixture, so if one would like to service the product one would have to shut off the water main, and will NOT pass plumbing inspections in many municipalities (NYC / SF).
-Installation is un-necessarily complicated.
- The roughin is fully made of PLASTIC.
- Most chrome components are coated with PLASTIC =don't last
If one is looking for solid metal / brass componentry look to the likes of isenberg which is made professionally and is not a branded piece of junk like Grohe.
The reason there is little reviews for Grohe online is because Grohe is good controlling negative feedback, although their products are poorly made (except for their most expensive all brass / steal lines)ered54
3 years agoWe LOVE our Grohe Smart Control, but when the plumber left, we found that the valve cartridge was not installed level. you can adjust the valve 6 degrees, but it's stuck and we cannot turn it or get it out. According to the installation video's it's lubricated when it's installed, but not glued. They say just adjust it to level it, but ours is so tight that we cannot level it or remove and reinstall it. Any tips on how to move it to level it or how to remove and reinstall it?
Spencer Hammond
3 years agoHi there I would have to agree with the last message about the grohe smart
It is nothing but cheep plastic
I have had trouble with the from temperature adjustment plate
It won’t clip in properly and when it comes off the shower is unusable
As the plastic grey adjustment spline comes off
The adjustment of the water flow is pretty non existent I am going to talk to
Grohe tech as the customer is unhappy with the amount of adjustment
Can’t recommend this shower reallyered54
3 years agoThanks Spencer. We already installed it, so there is no way back for us now.
We had a second plumber look at it, who was recommended on the Grohe website and got Grohe training and was supposed to be a Grohe expert. He installed it more off level than the first one, but managed to fix the temperature and the amount of water (flow).
William K
Original Author3 years agoWe’ve had our Grohe valve for almost three years now—still working perfectly. We liked it so much that we added two additional ones when we renovated two guest bathrooms recently. Both those also work perfectly. It is definitely a more complicated install, but if done by a competent plumber, it is a fantastic valve. No durability issues at all so far.
Tom C
3 years agoWe’re considering the Grohe SmartControl for our shower remodel - we plan to have a rain shower head and a handheld sprayer. We recently saw the SmartControl system on display, but not installed, at a FW Webb showroom. One of our concerns was the control buttons felt very chintzy when we pressed/released them. Could anyone who has the system installed please comment on the feel of the buttons when they are pressed/released? Thanks, TC
Marek Obihai
3 years agoHey Tom,
The buttons work fine, if you pay attention during install, as this requires a bit of precision to trim the stems to the appropriate length. We have the same setup you are considering: rain shower and hand held. It was installed about a year ago. Overall it works well, but the volume adjustment is miniscule (only when you fully turn the knob to min flow you will notice some difference). I find volume adjustment on our Riobel system in the other bathroom to be way better than this Grohe Smart system, despite the fact that Riobel was not designed/marketed as having volume adjusting valve. (we picked Grohe partly based on volume adjustment feature). Another observation of mine with water temperature stability is that when you flush the toilet, or open any tap in the house, with Grohe I feel temporary temperature fluctuation while with Riobel is almost rock solid. I am in no way affiliated with any of these 2 companies. I just was in the same predicament as you are in now. Grohe looks good and is marketed as superior product, but if we had to do it again I would be leaning towards Riobel as being a better value overall.
Another observation is about rain shower - we never had one before so got them installed in both bathrooms. Now I find myself using mostly only handheld on the holder anyway, as I prefer not having my head being rained on all the time. But it looks cool!
Spencer Hammond
3 years agoYes have the same problem with a customer s valve
The flow of water when turned down is minuscule customer not happy at allMarek Obihai
3 years agoIn my case the adjustment is miniscule, meaning the volume does not change much from max flow. I wish I could lower that volume further.
Spencer Hammond
3 years agoYes that’s exactly the problem with my customers valve
I’m going to talk to tech at grohe when I get a chanceTable Saw
2 years agoTo those that see little difference in flow rate when turning the valve knob from min to max.
It's not the valve! The flow rate through your hand held and rain head are governed by the mandatory flow restrictors the manufacturers are required to install in those devices by the government. Its for water conservation.
I guarentee if you remove the flow restrictor, you will see a dramatic difference between min and max flow in the valve.Spencer Hammond
2 years agoThere’s no flow problem
The problem is flowing down the flow when using it ??Marek Obihai
2 years agoI have measured flows on my hand held shower head: max flow = 8.5 l/min, min flow = 5.6 l/min.
(max flow=volume control all the way clockwise, min flow=volume control all the way counter-clockwise, flow reduction of 34%)
Even with the hand held shower head removed (no restriction at all, free flow out of the hose) my min flow stayed about the same while max flow obviously have increased therefore bumping up flow reduction to something higher than 34%.
Since my max flow is fine for me and I would like to see my min flow decreased, the solution of removing flow restrictor will not work for me.
There is an option of adding flow restrictor to the Smart Control Cartridge which will reduce max flow, but it should hopefully also reduce min flow which I would like to see.
I might try it, but it is a bit painful to disassemble the whole setup.
Hoping this info helps someone.
Simon H
2 years agoFor anyone having low pressure you should check that the power control knobs have been installed correctly. You'll need to take the cover off and take the knobs out. It might be the case that they are unable to be turned to max even though they hit the stopper. Reinstall them following the instruction manual.
I cant recall the exact problem with mine but basically the plumber had installed a component inside each of the knobs the wrong round. I just need to flip it over and it then allowed the knob to be turned up to max pressure.Laura
2 years ago@William K I know this is a super-old thread but I can't find anything online and thought I'd give this a try. My contractor recently installed the Grohtherm Smartcontrol and the water pressure is terrible. I think the issue might be what Simon noted below but before I take it apart, I'm curious if you could help with a question - when the volume control knobs for each option (showerhead, hand shower, tub) are turned all the way down, is there supposed to be NO volume? Or just low volume? Thanks in advance for your help!
William K
Original Author2 years agoWe actually moved about 9 months ago, so no longer have these valves (we miss them!). My recollection is that when the volume was turned all the way down, there was still flow (just lower volume, obviously). I don’t think the volume went all the way to nothing.
chapmanvet
last yearNot sure if anyone is following this old thread but does anyone have any tips on removing the escutcheon plate? Our control knobs go from zero flow to low flow and I am concerned it has not been installed correctly. Plumber also made no effort to set the temperature and I don’t have much trust to get him back so would like to take a look myself. Is he likely to have put silicone behind it or is it just held in place by resistance?
ered54
last yearThere might be silicone around it, that you can cut and then you can use the small opening on the escutcheon to wiggle it loose. You will have to remove the big knob first though.
Our first plumber installed it incorrectly too, we had way too much flow and the temperature was too cold. When we had issues, we called Grohe, and they ave a list with plumbers in the area who are trained to work with Grohe products. We called one of those plumbers and he fixed it. I watched him remove the Escutcheon and he explained how to do it, so that's how I know how to do it.
chapmanvet
last yearThanks for the tip. After taking things apart and making sure that the flow controls were correctly aligned, we now have double the flow in the shower and it is wonderful. For anyone stumbling across this thread, the escutcheon plate is just held on by strong resistance from a rubber gasket on the back piece. I was able to slide a pallet knife under the edge and work it off with minimal effort.
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William KOriginal Author