Patent ID: 8434510

Claim:
A valve assembly for a water circulation system, the valve assembly comprising: a valve body having a hot inlet port configured to be coupled to a hot water supply line and a hot discharge port at a hot water side of the valve body, the valve body having a cold inlet port configured to be coupled to a cold inlet supply line and a cold discharge port at a cold water side of the valve body, the hot and cold inlet ports being axially aligned on opposite sides of the valve body along a longitudinal axis of the valve body, the hot and cold discharge ports being positioned on a common radial side of the valve body, the valve body defining a bypass passage between the hot water side and the cold water side, the bypass passage having a valve seat therein; a bypass valve received within the bypass passage, the bypass valve having an actuating element movable between a retracted position and an extended position based on a temperature of the water in the bypass passage, the actuating element being movable in a direction along the longitudinal axis, the bypass valve restricting the flow of water through the bypass passage when in the extended position, the bypass valve being variably positionable with respect to the valve seat to control a bypass shut-off temperature of the water.