Help Mounting Hudson Reed Thermostatic Bar Shower Mixer Valve.

[BlueBottle]

My plumber and I are confused by this Hudson Reed shower fixture that I bought. Link
(Here is a picture of the whole assembly, for reference)

Anyone have experience with this?

This is a UK company, with a US distributor that claims to provide all necessary adapters.
I contacted them (hard to dialogue with, no instructions to provide) about the apparent lack of adapters, and they sent me more of what I already have.
For what it is worth, the quality is very nice. Solid brass & chrome. If only I can figure how to use it.

This is what I was given: Image
One side is assembled best I can figure, the other is laid out.

I found this video (different company, but similar product) showing how I think this is all intended to be used, but the problem is it is sized for 15mm pipe projecting from the wall. The threads in the valve are 3/4" BSP, and transition to 1/2" female (BSP? NPSM?) best I can tell. The compression fittings, non-tapered threads, etc. are weirding out my plumber. He is making this my responsibility to figure out, since I bought the darn thing.

I can't seem to locate a suitable adapter. We are going from 1/2" PEX to this strange assembly.

In addition, they gave me two dog-legs (3/4" BSP male x 1/2" NPSM Male) that also fit, but inexplicably the 1/2" side has slices through the threads at regular intervals, which would seem to render it useless. Picture.

Here is a possible alternate configuration using these doglegs: Picture

So now it could be an issue for mounting to the wall in some way that we can connect 1/2" NPSM Male to on one side, 1/2" PEX on the other. And of course it need to be nice and secure to support the fixture projecting from the wall.

I am in over my head.

Ideas?
I can't be the first person to have bought from this company, or am I?

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Terry]

Here is one more post about Hudson Reed
https://terrylove.com/forums/index....r-frustrated-by-uk-fixture-hudson-reed.55913/

 

[Sponsor]

 

[BlueBottle]

Thank you Terry! I searched before posting and read that, but didn't glean an answer to my particular issue.

 

[Hudson Reed Dan]

Hello, Hudson Reed here. I hope my posting isn't against the rules. The adapter sent should connect to 1/2" NPT, if you're connecting to Pex you could get an adapter from a hardware store for a few dollars, we would be happy to reimburse you for this. Perhaps bring the part in we sent you so you can be sure to get the right part.

 

[hj]

You may need a different plumber. The notched threads usually mean that it fits into a fitting with a gasket seal and doesn't use the threads for the seal.

 

[Reach4]

Hello, Hudson Reed here. I hope my posting isn't against the rules. The adapter sent should connect to 1/2" NPT, if you're connecting to Pex you could get an adapter from a hardware store for a few dollars, we would be happy to reimburse you for this. Perhaps bring the part in we sent you so you can be sure to get the right part.

Why are there slices in some of the threads shown in the photos and what do they do?

I presume those are not the NPT threads, since NPT threads do use the threads for the seal.

 

[BlueBottle]

Hello, Hudson Reed here. I hope my posting isn't against the rules. The adapter sent should connect to 1/2" NPT, if you're connecting to Pex you could get an adapter from a hardware store for a few dollars, we would be happy to reimburse you for this. Perhaps bring the part in we sent you so you can be sure to get the right part.

Dan, thanks but the adapter does not fit 1/2" NPT - nothing in the kit at all has tapered threads. Nothing fits 1/2" NPSM either. If we can just get to anything commonly north american, we can get all the adapters we need and figure it out from there.

I sent the HReed customer service a description of the issue, hopefully they can/will help.

You may need a different plumber. The notched threads usually mean that it fits into a fitting with a gasket seal and doesn't use the threads for the seal.

Is this done in the US? My understanding is that we don't use gasketed fittings in the wall, and even if it had a gasket why not also wrap the threads as a backup? The slices seem like someone went to trouble to make sure you can't seal the threads even if you wanted to.

 

[Hudson Reed Dan]

Bluebottle, after consulting some colleagues it looks like there was a manufacturing error on the adapter we sent you. My apologies for this. If you could PM me your order number and email address I will send you some new/replacement parts free of charge. You can also reach me via email: dan.gillen@hudsonreed.com

 

[BlueBottle]

Bluebottle, after consulting some colleagues it looks like there was a manufacturing error on the adapter we sent you. My apologies for this. If you could PM me your order number and email address I will send you some new/replacement parts free of charge. You can also reach me via email: dan.gillen@hudsonreed.com

Thank you Dan! I am sending you an email.

 

[BlueBottle]

So Dan has been very helpful in resolving the missing part scenario - correct parts are apparently on the way. Thank you Hudson Reed.

If anyone has any ideas on how best to effectively mount these items, I'd love the feedback.
I have the following to work with:
The original kit: https://www.dropbox.com/s/13mnkamv2zcjrtq/IMG_20141102_214646.jpg?dl=0
The adapter part options:
http://usa.hudsonreed.com/bsp-male-x-npsm-male-dog-leg.html
& http://usa.hudsonreed.com/conversion-coupling-for-usa-to-convert-3-4-bsp-to-3-4-npt.html
http://usa.hudsonreed.com/conversion-coupling-for-usa-to-convert-3-4-bsp-to-3-4-npt.html

 

[BlueBottle]

Dan did follow through with the parts, and we were able to make it work.
Thank you HR, for making things right. Much appreciated.

For what it is worth, of the two options Dan sent, this is the adapter we opted to employ. Fits 3/4" copper pipe which we stubbed out from elbow mounts - and most importantly allows us to adjust the mounting to the final tile surface location.
(The other option, using all threaded pipe fittings require one to make perfect assumptions about the depth of the tile setting bed.)

 

[JohnfrWhipple]

Is this what you have? Looks like you would just need a couple of Wing Back 90's and some brass pipe maybe. Some times the 1/2" increments that the brass pipes come in don't work. So you can make your own.

I looked at the adapters you got from Hudson Reed.

Are those Euro - Canadian fittings?

 

[BlueBottle]

Is this what you have? Looks like you would just need a couple of Wing Back 90's and some brass pipe maybe. Some times the 1/2" increments that the brass pipes come in don't work. So you can make your own.

Yes, that is similar; and thanks for the suggestion.
The problem was mainly one of adapters between British and USA pipe standards. The company came through and sent me adapters, which we worked into a secure mounting.
(Wing back 90's, copper thread to solder coupling, 3/4" copper stub out, cut to length later and use brass compression adapter that fits 3/4" BSP female with rubber gasket.)
We have it resolved now.

 

[JohnfrWhipple]

Awesome. Nice to know the fix. Thanks for sharing.

Many European fittings thread into a brass pipe that has threads all the way through. I wonder if two of those pipes would have worked for you? The ones I use go from an American Wing Back ninety to European inside threads. We tile, cut the pipe and the fixture screws on.