To relocate or not to relocate shower valve and head.

[PaddyFahey]

... the shower head and controls.

I am remodeling our bathroom. It has a corner shower, 36"X36", with one side on an internal wall and one side on an external wall. I am tiling the walls, and installing a semi-frameless glass enclosure. With the current location of the shower head and controls (on the internal wall) the door of the glass enclosure will be directly opposite the shower head. I am wondering whether I should relocate the shower head and control to the external wall, so that (a) it does not spray primarily against the door, and (b) so that I do not have to reach in under the shower head to turn it on, on cold mornings. In the current state of disarray, it would be fairly straightforward to move it. My concern is that now the plumbing (including the valve) would be behind the tile, on the external wall. If anything goes wrong with it, I'd have to tear out the tile, or go in through the siding (it's on the first floor). My options appear to be:
1) Leave it all where it is
2) Go ahead and move it all
3) Move the shower head, but not the control (the valve would still be on the internal wall)

Any opinions?

Thanks,

Paddy

 

[Standardairconditioner]

Thanks for joining and posting the forums.

With many new members looking for advice and answers, be reminded that good photos and illustrations always invite an audience that can give faster replies that are less generalized and more suited to your exact needs.

Try to provide at least two photos. Include a closeup of the attention area so we can identify fine details, and include one zoomed out so we can see the rest of the room and things nearby, adjacent areas, floors underneath. Use a black marker to write on blue painter's tape or bright colored Post-It's to mark areas of interest, there is no need to modify your photos with fancy text overlays. Take as many photos as you can, choose the best ones that are clear.

Do include diagrams for plumbing and supply line projects. A scan or photo of a hand drawn illustration done quick on paper is usually easier for most to create than trying to make one in a computer app. We don't need architect plans, just something simple to help us understand your idea.

Make sure your location is in your member profile, this tells us where you are so other members here with experience in your area may give you specific recommendations that may apply to your seasonal weather conditions and state code.

Edit the subject title of this post to summarize the exact nature of your issue. "Second story toilet is clogged" will attract more readers than "Help I am in desperate trouble!" which more will ignore, possibly leaving your post unanswered.

While waiting for replies, please make some effort and take the opportunity to search these forums extensively, it is likely that many in the past had your similar issue, and you may find solved solutions quicker than the many days it can sometimes take for you to get answers you want.

As you solve your problem to finish, kindly please follow up on this thread you created and update your progress, so future members with your same problem can see that this may also be used to help them.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Smooky]

You could install a toe tester. For showers where the control valve is placed so that you are under the spray when you turn on the shower. This allows you to test the water temperature first with your toes, then, when it's right, use a diverter to run the shower.

http://www.plumbingzone.com/f21/random-shower-valve-placement-28403/index3/
https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/hansgrohe-shower-installation-with-i-box.56095/

 

[Jadnashua]

It's not best to have the shower head pointing at door. But, I'd be more inclined to put the valve where it is on the internal wall, and you can put the showerhead where it works best. TO drain that line, the toe tester suggestion is right on. Things don't get really frigid in NC all that often, but I'd still not want the water in the exterior wall if there was a easy way to avoid it. If you ever want to fill a bucket, the spout can be useful, too.

 

[PaddyFahey]

OK, thanks. Guess I violated the guidelines with the title... sorry!

Jim - what do you mean, 'to drain that line'? You mean that after turning the shower off, the water from the showerhead would be able to run out of the toe tester? That's given me something to thing about.

My preference is to leave the valve but move the head.

A couple more easy options I'm thinking of:
- A longer shower head arm, that holds the head more vertically (like they use for the rain shower heads, though I'm not sure that I want to go rain shower - I hear that the pressure tends to be less, and our shower is just right now)
- A hand shower attachment, with the holder positioned on the external wall, towards the corner
- I've not seen anything like this, but a shower head arm that snakes around the outside of the shower and attaches on a different wall

Paddy

 

[Jadnashua]

While some water will drain from the shower arm and the showerhead, what's between the valve and where it turns horizontal or down, will retain water unless you provide some path for it to drain...yes, a toe-tester (tub spout) will provide that assuming you use a diverter spout if the path doesn't make too many turns with a depression in between.

The angle of the shower arm won't make much of any difference in pressure. Water pressure due to gravity changes by about 0.43#/foot of elevation change. I don't think you'd be able to detect the difference between shower arms.

 

[PaddyFahey]

I meant that the rain shower head would give less pressure. I've heard varying assessments of those. I would use the longer more vertical arm with a more conventional head.

Paddy

 

[Jadnashua]

Rain shower heads are specifically designed to dribble the water out. If you expect a strong flow to wash the shampoo out of your hair, you will not be satisfied at all.

 

[PaddyFahey]

OK, sold. I probably won't get a rain shower head.

One more question - while I've got everything out and moving stuff around, is it worth replacing the mixing valve? It's a Delta unit, brass, and it's 25 years old. It's not the cost of the valve, just that I don't have the tools, and I'd need to get someone else to do it.

 

[Jadnashua]

SOme of Delta's more modern rough-in valves can take a huge range of trim packages (in these, the trim package also contains a new cartridge). So, if the valve is compatible with the new stuff, you can easily reuse the old rough-in...you'd have to ask either Delta or someone with more experience than I on that, though. Assuming the old rough-in is not scored, or otherwise degraded, you'd get like new performance and a choice of trim.

Personally, if I could not get a new trim kit, I'd probably replace it just to get new stuff that is likely to last yet another 25-years. Also, depending on the makeup of your walls, the location of the valve depth, mostly) may no longer be proper, and replacing it would let you get the depth just right for the look you want.

 

[PaddyFahey]

Thanks for all your help. I'm relocating the entire setup, with a spout, and replacing the valve and any plastic pipe and putting as much insulation as possible. The controls and the head will be on the external wall, but the spout and insulation should be enough to avoid freezing. It will make repair access more difficult, so I'm banking on it not coming to that anytime soon :0

 

[Jadnashua]

Just make sure that the valve and pipes are on the room side of any insulation you add; you do not want any restriction of room heat to get to the plumbing.

 

[PaddyFahey]

Thanks - will do