What do they call this part for the shower

[afjes_2016]

Now it is time for me to do my next plumbing job.
It is the tub water system. The cold water squeels like hell and the knob here and there free turns when you shut it off or on and I have to tighten everything down each time. Long story of a person that owned this house (fixer upper) before me.

I have to cut access to the assembly of the hot/cold faucet and tub spout. This I will be doing this weekend sometime since it is a long weekend.

So I can order this part online this weekend what I need to know please is the name of the assembly that contains the hot and cold water knobs and tub spout and the show feed. I plan on using PEX to connect it to the existing copper pipes in the shower area and then down into the crawl space below. I may just connect the PEX to this assembly and then run the water lines down into the crawl space then into the basement area into where the PEX feeds it and connect from there and eliminate the copper piping.

Is there any specific type of this assembly (once you give me the name of it) that I should look for in the way of one is better than the other? Brand etc? To match the holes in the wall already I have three - hot cold and tub spout so it would have to match.

Thanks

 

[Snoonyb]

Search three handle tub shower valves, and from their open the selected make, model etc to see if they match the dimensions of your existing.

Also because you are eliminating the hard pipe risers, you may need to install some additional blocking, to stabilize.

Just so you know, there are escutcheon plates that address converting from your existing, to single lever.

 

[joecaption]

Whenever possible while doing this I add ball valves, so you do not have to shut the whole house down to work on it.
Any local hardware store, Lowes or HD will have these right on the shelf, why order one?

 

[afjes_2016]

Thanks snoonyb and joe

Yes, from what I remembered during a few renovations I did electrical in the plumbers did block up that area to help support the valve. Once I open this wall up I will see what I am faced with.

Yes, I like to add ball valves where ever I can. Not that much money and is very convenient so you don't have the shut all the water off.

I guess I will open up the wall. See what I have to work with, take a few pictures and then take a trip to HDepot. I did not realize they have them on the shelves. Great, I may be able to get this done this weekend then. I prefer to go to HDepot than Amazon in this case. I can ask the associate what other parts I will need and also be able to hold it in my hand. Something about holding it before buying it makes me feel better knowing what I am getting.

Well, let's see how I do. I did ok with running the water line for the fridge ice maker etc.

Only have one bathroom so I have to make sure I have all the parts I need first. HDepot is 25 miles on direction and local hardware store has limited parts.

 

[afjes_2016]

Ok, so I cut the sheet rock behind the tub faucet valve. You can see first of all it is down low and right behind a radiator. Also the tub wall where the valve is was built out towards the inside of the tub. You can see they ended up right behind a stud so instead of framing it out properly so they can mount the valve in the cavity they build out the wall and to boot leave no access.

The radiator was put in after I moved in. When we put in the radiator I disconnected the receptacle and put wire nuts on and put a blank plate on.. After I cut out the sheet rock and looked down into the cavity I see the romex going from this box goes down and to the right and crosses over the stud so it is between the stud and sheetrock. Urgh!! The house that jack built. Good thing I did not cut down further with the oscillator, the line is live.

This is going to be tricky. The right was for me to replace it is to rip out the tub and start all over again but that can't happen. So instead I am going to have to cut further down on the right side of the radiator and hope I will be able to pull the valve out. I'll cut the copper water pipes with a pipe cutter and the 3/4" PVC shower line with my PVC cutter about 9" up from the valve to leave me room to connect a sharkbite.

The connectors that go from the valve hot and cold water to the copper pipes do they normally come with the valve assembly or do I have to get those. I will be connecting PEX to them.

I am hoping I can cut those two metal straps around the valve with my oscillator.

I don't think I will be able to do this over this weekend. Won't have the time to do all this extra work. I would really want to pull the radiator out first. That would make the job much easier. I have to find someone with two large wrenches though. Which way do I turn the nut at the valve to loosen it and take it off. I realize the nut back away from the radiator and towards the valve but I just don't know which way to turn the nut.

 

[Snoonyb]

Looks like fun.

Your oscillator should come with 2 alternative blades which will cut the straps and as for the radiator, hold the nut on the left and pull up on the one on the right.

On 2nd thought, hold the valve and pull up on the nut.

 

[afjes_2016]

snoonyb: yes I have a separate blade just for metal. The one I use for sheet rock and wood I never use on metal to keep it sharp.

Thanks for the info on the radiator nut.

 

[afjes_2016]

.

A little behind schedule here as I have had other things to do first.

I want to get this plumbing done before the cold weather sets in and I have to use the radiator.

The first pic is of the assembly for the tub faucet and the white pipe is 3/4" PVC going up to the shower head.
The second picture is the 3/4" PVC connected to the assembly (arrow pointing to PVC pipe).
The third pic is the pipe coming out of the wall and going to the shower head.

I am going to replace everything with PEX along with the assembly as I stated prior but I don't know what to do with the 3/4" PVC going to the shower head. When I first thought about doing this I figured I would use PEX with a sharkbite and then just recently realized I can't use a sharkbite with 3/4" PVC. DUH!!

Maybe it would be best to just replace this shower head PVC. I don't really know what to do here guys. Remember this is the house that Jack Built and this guy used everything other than the correct materials to do everything.

My other concern is how do I deal with the tub spigot? I have no idea what parts to buy for this.

Right now I am turning the cold water on and off with a wrench because the knob for it does not work.

Any help would be great. Thanks!!








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[afjes_2016]

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I figured since I have not had any replies to this thread for awhile that maybe the photos I provided did not give enough detail/information so I opened the wall up all the way. The radiator and electrical has been removed and I have access to the assembly right on up to the shower head.

First pic shows the entire view from bottom to top where the shower head is.
Second pic shows the faucet assembly
Third is where the PVC goes into the shower area where the shower head goes through the wall of the shower
Forth pic shows the shower head pipe coming thru the wall into the shower area.

I will be purchasing all new parts. I will be replacing the hot/cold water copper pipes with PEX. I will also replace the assembly of the faucet and tub spigot. The PVC going to the shower head I will also replace with PEX. I have the clamps, crimping tool, PEX lines, etc for the job I just need to know what parts to purchase.

Again, the shower/tub components in this setup was installed from the front/inside of the shower area building inward more towards the shower area instead of from behind the shower assembly area as normal.

I have no idea what parts to purchase for any of this except for the PEX going to the cold/hot water lines. I don't know what to get in the way of the adapter from the tub assembly to the cold water PEX line. I guess maybe a reducer. I don't know. Also the connector from the assembly running uyp to the shower head. I assume the connector from the shower assembly to I would think 3/4" PEX to the shower head needs to be purchased and does not come with the shower assembly.

I am not going to pull all of this old stuff out until I know for sure I have all the parts on hand and ready to go. Local hardware store has some parts but not a large selection. HDepot is 25 miles away. Once I start this I can't stop as this is the only bathing bathroom in the house.

Thanks for the help, guidance and suggestions.

.

 

[bud16415]

I think .5” PEX to everything is fine. You may need .5-.5 shark bites where you change from the old copper to the PEX and then the rest will be PEX-Threaded adapters using Teflon tape on the threads.

If it were mine and I was doing the whole job I would get rid of the two handle setup and go with a mixer single handle valve with a ball cartridge inside that is easy to replace if it acts up down the road. The trouble is you might have to change the hole spacing etc. I did one of mine that way and I used the one hole and made a cover for the other. You can mock it all up before ripping the old out so you will know you are not short any parts.

 

[bud16415]

In my old house I had just one bath room and was worried when remodeling not having a working shower and I bought what they call a plastic hunting camp shower and put it in the basement and ran the drain to the sump and the supplies I put Y connectors on the washing machine and ran hoses to the hot and cold. It was supposed to be temporary and I liked it so much for cleaning up when working in the yard or garage I used it for 20 years. The kit came with everything and was under a 100 bucks, looks like they went up a little.

https://www.acehardware.com/departm...kmOLgwxBiO_0JUFlOABoCt50QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Fireguy5674]

They make a cover plate which will cover the holes where your faucets are now and allow you to install a single handle valve. I think someone mentioned that earlier. If you go to a single handle valve the instructions will tell you NOT to use pex as a supply line to the shower head. Follow their specs for distance from valve to tub spigot as well or things don't work right when your done.

I like Bud's suggestion of putting in a temporary shower of some sort so you can have the time to fix this right. If I was doing it, I would cut it all out and start from scratch. Even if it meant replacing some tile etc. Your in there, cut it off at the supplies and start over. JMO.

 

[BuzzLOL]

Note: A single handle shower valve may have the hot and cold supplied from the opposite sides as your old unit depending on brand and design...

 

[Ron Van]

Boy, that is one ugly shower. You shoulda tore that out a long time ago. Anyway, a single handle, either pressure regulated or thermostatically controlled faucet like a Hansgrohe is the way to go. Turn the knob to the position you normally have it (your wife may have a different spot) and the temperature is always just right. I put this one in our old house and am planning on installing one in our new house soon. Pex works with it well.

 

[afjes_2016]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, much appreciated!!

I am going with PEX water lines (taking all copper out) and connecting the water lines down into the basement water lines that are already PEX, so no copper at all. Won't need to sharkbites in this case.

The temp shower is a good idea but would be hard for me to set up in my basement. The drain of the shower would be much lower than the sewer line so I would need a pump I would think. Also don't have the height of the ceiling to work with it, that shower is tall. Also the basement floor is not finished and it has a slope to it so I would have to level it all out etc. A lot of work.

I am going to stick with the three hole setup for now. Yes, the bathroom/tub needs to be ripped out and redone but that is not a priority at this time. I'm not married so I don't have that to worry about. I don't want to add work to this job in the way of time and also making it more difficult for me to do as I have never done this before. The 3 hole setup seems more basic to me. Redoing the bathroom would be nice but expensive as the whole thing would need to be torn out. I don't have the funds now. I just put $20,000 into my roof.

Before I rip out the old i am going to put together including PEX the entire assembly outside of the wall, on the floor. I don't care if I waste some pex as the pex I will connect to the valves are only going to be about 5" long. I just want to make sure I will have all the parts. I'll take off the 5" pieces of course when I am ready to install it. Once the prototype is done and I see I have everything then I will rip out the old.

The main problem I see here is that the valve assembly was put in from the inside of the shower and then the wall built outward towards the other end of the tub. So the assembly you see now is behind the stud. I am hoping that I will have enough room between the stud and the wall of the shower so I will be able to pull the assembly out towards me. If there is not enough room to get that assembly out then I'm screwed. There are only a few inches between the back of the assembly and the face of the stud. What I may do is build a box. Put a 2x4 across and connect it to the two other outer studs above the assembly. Place two 2x4 pieces next to the stud on the right and left and then place the horizonal one on top of the two 2x4 and screw it it really good. Then I can cut that stud that is blocking the assembly out (small section) , this way I will be able to pull the assembly back towards me enough to pull it out of the holes in the shower side. That wall I believe is a load bearing. It was once the exterior wall but the bathroom was built out from the wall. I don't think a small cutout will do any damage as long as I build it up first before cutting out the stud section.

I really wish my old plumber was around. We used to work on renovations together. He is really good and could do this job in a few hours and would not charge me that much for labor. I have done electrical work for him in the past really cheap.

Will someone please provide me with a link to the part (threaded connector) which will connect the pex to either the hot or cold water on the assembly. I just want to see what it looks like and what I will be looking for. I know there are probably a lot out there but I just want an idea.

I could go to my local plumbing supply store in town but I think they will charge me like 5 times more than what home depot would for all the parts.

 

[bud16415]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, much appreciated!!

I am going with PEX water lines (taking all copper out) and connecting the water lines down into the basement water lines that are already PEX, so no copper at all. Won't need to sharkbites in this case.

The temp shower is a good idea but would be hard for me to set up in my basement. The drain of the shower would be much lower than the sewer line so I would need a pump I would think. Also don't have the height of the ceiling to work with it, that shower is tall. Also the basement floor is not finished and it has a slope to it so I would have to level it all out etc. A lot of work.

I am going to stick with the three hole setup for now. Yes, the bathroom/tub needs to be ripped out and redone but that is not a priority at this time. I'm not married so I don't have that to worry about. I don't want to add work to this job in the way of time and also making it more difficult for me to do as I have never done this before. The 3 hole setup seems more basic to me. Redoing the bathroom would be nice but expensive as the whole thing would need to be torn out. I don't have the funds now. I just put $20,000 into my roof.

Before I rip out the old i am going to put together including PEX the entire assembly outside of the wall, on the floor. I don't care if I waste some pex as the pex I will connect to the valves are only going to be about 5" long. I just want to make sure I will have all the parts. I'll take off the 5" pieces of course when I am ready to install it. Once the prototype is done and I see I have everything then I will rip out the old.

The main problem I see here is that the valve assembly was put in from the inside of the shower and then the wall built outward towards the other end of the tub. So the assembly you see now is behind the stud. I am hoping that I will have enough room between the stud and the wall of the shower so I will be able to pull the assembly out towards me. If there is not enough room to get that assembly out then I'm screwed. There are only a few inches between the back of the assembly and the face of the stud. What I may do is build a box. Put a 2x4 across and connect it to the two other outer studs above the assembly. Place two 2x4 pieces next to the stud on the right and left and then place the horizonal one on top of the two 2x4 and screw it it really good. Then I can cut that stud that is blocking the assembly out (small section) , this way I will be able to pull the assembly back towards me enough to pull it out of the holes in the shower side. That wall I believe is a load bearing. It was once the exterior wall but the bathroom was built out from the wall. I don't think a small cutout will do any damage as long as I build it up first before cutting out the stud section.

I really wish my old plumber was around. We used to work on renovations together. He is really good and could do this job in a few hours and would not charge me that much for labor. I have done electrical work for him in the past really cheap.

Will someone please provide me with a link to the part (threaded connector) which will connect the pex to either the hot or cold water on the assembly. I just want to see what it looks like and what I will be looking for. I know there are probably a lot out there but I just want an idea.

I could go to my local plumbing supply store in town but I think they will charge me like 5 times more than what home depot would for all the parts.

Using the PEX to run up to the showerhead is ok but you will have to figure a way to clamp the pipe stem to the wall. The only adapters you will need unless you can find a PEX ready valve setup is ether .50 PEX to .50 NPT ether male or female depending on what the valve you get has. You can get them in straight or 90s. I just use the straights and bend the PEX around a big bend. The benefit of the straight is down the road you could unscrew the adapters off without undoing the PEX. When clamped they will turn and keep a seal. At least within reason. It is handy if you get a little leak at the threads you can tighten it up. In the basement where you tap into the PEX I would put a T fitting followed by a quarter turn valve you can buy them with PEX fittings on both ends.

 

[afjes_2016]

.

If I do a search of .5 PEX to .5 NPT on the Home Depot site I get nothing even close to what I would think I need.

I know their site is not really good with the search function.

Yes, I realize I will need to secure the line to the shower head.

 

[Ron Van]

Home depot has a ton of them.

Try searching for 1/2" Pex to 1/2"NPT instead of .5"

I can't wait to get rid of my 3 hole shower faucets in favor of a thermostatic mixer. I have to do the kitchen first though.

 

[afjes_2016]

Thanks Ron - that helped.

I'm not ;putting more money into this than just basic at this point. 2 handle and tub spout, nothing fancy at all.

I think what I am going to do is go to the Home Depot and get someone who knows plumbing and have this person set me up from the valve assembly right on up to the shower head and all the fittings needed. Not taking chances on ordering off Amazon or HDepot site and not getting the proper parts.

 

[bud16415]

Thanks Ron - that helped.

I'm not ;putting more money into this than just basic at this point. 2 handle and tub spout, nothing fancy at all.

I think what I am going to do is go to the Home Depot and get someone who knows plumbing and have this person set me up from the valve assembly right on up to the shower head and all the fittings needed. Not taking chances on ordering off Amazon or HDepot site and not getting the proper parts.

That’s the way to do it. Have your dimensions hole to hole for the valve and start there. Know what you want to do to get thru the wall and secure the shower head.



Then the trick is finding someone at the big store that actually knows something. I have spent hours there pulling out bins and saying nope not that one. Always try and work it out so you need the least amount of fittings. Lay the parts out on the cart or a wagon so you can visualize everything.

The beauty of PEX is you can mount everything and then connect it like you are doing wiring and the PEX is the wire. Once you get familiar with all the parts out there for PEX it becomes a lot clearer what you will need for other jobs.