tub + shower + handheld valve

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Jennifer Foshee

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I just had a bathroom rebuilt, with a tub / shower + handheld; but the handheld is currently not installed because I apparently bought the wrong kind of valve to do all three. I bought a Moen #3320, but didn't realize "3 function" didn't actually mean "3 function".

Not sure why I thought this, I was probably just tired and confused after hours of trying to figure out what I needed, but I had thought that I would be able to use the tub spout to divert between the tub and the shower+handheld, and then use the control on the valve to switch between or merge the shower and handheld.

But apparently not, the valve doesn't have a tub drop. So, the contractor sent one output to the tub and the other to the shower and the handheld is not yet connected.

The question is, is there any way to make this work the way I thought it would? I still have full access to the wall behind the plumbing and can do pretty much anything.

I suppose the easiest thing to do would be just to get a separate diverter valve to split the shower output between the showerhead and handheld, eg something like this. But I'd like if possible to make the tub spout diverter work, if only because (a) I already have it, and (b) Bad Things Happen if you use it.

Any thoughts? Does the moen 3320 have a big brother which includes the tub drop? I'm not opposed to replacing the valve if need be. Or is there some other clever way to do this? Or am I best off getting the separate diverter, and maybe a different tub spout without a diverter?
 

hj

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You used the wrong valve initially, but the easiest way now is the get the diverter that attaches to the shower arm and the hand held connects to it along with the regular head.
 

Jennifer Foshee

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You used the wrong valve initially, but the easiest way now is the get the diverter that attaches to the shower arm and the hand held connects to it along with the regular head.

Yeah, that was what the contractor recommended at first, but apparently my showerhead & arm is transgender -- the showerhead is male and the arm is female instead of the usual reverse setup, and he didn't have or think I could find a diverter attachment that would work. And I think it will look better having the handheld attached to the wall anyway.
 

Jennifer Foshee

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It seems like I ought to be able to run one output from the 3320 to the handheld (I have the drop elbow for it already, it's just not installed), then run the other into the bottom of some sort of T connector, with the T going into the tub spout and the top of the connector continuing on to the showerhead. Seems like if that would work then it would be just what I'm looking for -- when the tub diverter is up, the moen valve diverts/mixes between the showerhead and the handheld; when the tub diverter is down, the moen valve diverts/mixes between the tub and the handheld.

Is there a reason this wouldn't work?

[edit: or, the same idea, using a twin ell?]
 
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Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

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