How to Fit Bar Mixer Shower Pipework
This article describes how to 1st repair pipework for a bar mixer shower valve setup.
Intro
When setting up a bar mixer shower valve such as the one revealed, it is first essential to run hot and cold pipework to the valve.
Setting Up a Bar Mixer Shower Valve
Please see Choosing a shower for your bathroom to learn more on shower types and their viability for your bathroom.
This is done by recessing the pipes within the wall prior to tiling.
In this case study I will be recessing the pipework into a bathroom wall that has already been dot n dabbed with moisture resistant plasterboard.
Doing the plaster-boarding before the 1st repair pipework makes it simpler to get completely flat & level walls as you don't have the fiddly job of trying to fit the boards around/ over the pipework (among other things.).
Walls also need to be square in the corners to enable a good seal (along the edge of the bath in this circumstances.).
Please see Preparing walls for tiling-- reboarding to find out more relating to this subject.
Approach.
Using Bath to Mark Overflow/Waste and Center of Bath Taps.
The bath is temporarily placed in position, and the centre line (that goes through the overflow/ waste and the centre of the bath taps) is marked.
This will help us line the shower valve up with the taps for a more visually pleasing surface.
The horizontal level of the bar mixer shower valve is then marked, which is normally around 130cm from the flooring. If you are planning to fit a bar mixer shower with a repaired riser and shower head, you will require to make sure that this height enables you to fit the shower in without it striking the ceiling.
Correct Shower HeightIncorrect Shower Height.
Next the pipeline centres are marked with vertical lines at 150mm centres i.e. 75mm away from the centre line in both instructions. This is where the pipework will run from the valve, down the wall and connect to the pipework under the bath.
Most bar mixer shower valves accept pipework at 150mm centres as this is thought about basic-- if your particular design has a different pipe centre worth, then you need to show this at the defining stage.
An area to be chased out is then marked (into which the pipes can be recessed beneith the surface area of the plasterboard.).
The approximate height of the bath rim is also marked at this phase.
Correct Shower Height.
The areas to be chased out are then chased after out utilizing an exact saw, guaranteeing that they extend listed below the level of the bath rim, which is marked in pencil on the plasterboard.
Here we can see the pipework under the bath that will be extended as much as feed the shower valve.
The hot feed will be added the left hand channel, and the cold feed will be run up the right hand channel.
This is because the hot feed will enter the valve on the left (as we take a look at it) and the cold feed upon the right.
This is an industry standard.
Since of this, the pipework under the bath is in line with this setup.
You can see that the bath drain & trap has likewise been fitted at this time. When the bath was in position, a cross was marked on the flooring through the waste hole in the bottom of the bath to mark the necessary place of the bath trap.
Copper Pipework Is Soldered And Then Placed Into The Channels.
Two pieces of 15mm copper pipework are then soldered together with a 90º elbow for each feed, which are then positioned into the channels as revealed.
The horizontal pieces of copper (at the top) will eventually be reduced to go into the back of the bar mixer valve.
The pipes are held level and square to the wall at 150mm centres (centred on the preliminary centre line) by a home-made jig which is screwed to the wall briefly. This is essential as attaching the shower valve depends on this stage of the work being done properly:.
Pipes Are Held Level And Square To The Wall.
It is important the the pipes are recessed far enough into the wall so that the 90º elbow fitting does not extend out beyond the finished tiled surface.
This will guarantee that it does not interfere with the fitting of the bar mixer shower valve.
Inaccurate Shower PipeworkCorrect Shower Pipework.
The pipes are then secured in location by utilizing either drywall adhesive, rapidset tile adhesive or a sand-cement mix.
If utilizing a mix consisting of cement, please ensure the pipes are wrapped in duct tape to prevent the cement from attacking the copper which might cause pinholes and leakages establishing in time.
The mix is pushed in and around the pipes and is used to support the cut edges of the plasterboard.
Mix Is Levelled Off Flush With Surface of Plasterboard.
This is then levelled off flush with the surface area of the plasterboard, ensuring access to the bottom of the pipes is left open so that they can be linked up later.
Batons are screwed and glued to both walls surrounding the bath, and these will help to take the weight of the bath when it is full of water and/or residents. This will avoid it from dropping, which can result in damaged silicon seals and water ingress problems.
Temporarily Position The Bath to Allow For The Pipework To Be Connected.
The bath is then temporarily put in position to permit the pipework to be connected.
The existing cold https://plumberglasgow247.co.uk and hot pipework is linked to the suitable pipework in the wall that will feed the shower valve.
Arrangements are also made at this phase to connect the bath taps-- via flexible push fit tap adapters in this circumstances.
Just like the shower valve, hot is on the left and cold on the right (as you look at the tap) so this makes pipework much easier.
Jig Is Removed And Voids Are Filled With Adhesive.
When the adhesive holding the pipes has gone off and the pipes are firmly kept in the appropriate position, the jig can be gotten rid of and any staying spaces filled in with more adhesive.
As the pipework is now connected to the hot and cold supplied, stop ends can be seen in location at the ends of the pipes.
The bath is now be set up, and you can see the main silicon seal around the edge of the bath in this picture.
Tanking And Tiling The Walls.
The walls are then tanked and tiled.
Installing a Bar Mixer Shower Valve.