Delta R10000 Valve - Basic Copper Piping System Design

[KP Texan]

I'm about to install a Delta R1000 valve body for my guest bathroom renovation. I had a few basic questions:

1. Fasteners - what kind of screws do you typically use to install the valve body, elbows, and copper pipe straps to the wood blocking? I'm sure that stainless steel wood screws would be best for this application, but I was just going to use exterior rated Grip Rite primeguard plus wood screws - not quite as good as stainless but far superior to a drywall screw.

2. Piping system - from the supply lines at the bottom, I need to make a few direction changes to get my new copper piping lined up with the valve. At the bottom, this could be accomplished using two 45 elbows or two 90 degree elbows. I know the 45s would be less restrictive, but would I really notice a difference here? I have the 90 degree elbows on hand, but would need to purchase the 45s (and I noticed they are about double the price too). What is common practice for this in the plumbing business?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Terry]

1) I use whatever screw I have on hand. Sometimes drywall screws, sometimes coated decking screws. There's no moisture there.

2) Go with the 90's
The restriction is all in the valve body and cartridge.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[KP Texan]

Awesome. Thanks for the quick reply Terry! This forum is a lifesaver.

Whatever I use will certainly be better than what they used with the original shower valves... they were just dangling there with support from the copper piping!

 

[KP Texan]

Okay, looking a bit further into my Delta R10000 valve install, I see what may be a potential issue. My tile guy uses mud and lathe, so from the studs there will be 1/2" of wall board, 1/2" mud, maybe 1/8" thinset, and then the tile thickness which will be near 5/16"; this is a total of 1-7/16" wall thickness. That is probably a bit on the high side but could be close.

The R10000 valve calls for 2-3/4" from the mounting stringer to the finished wall (or front of plaster guard), plus or minus 1/4". This is only a 1/2" of variance and seems low to me since the last Toto shower valve I installed had 1" of leeway. This means that distance from copper pipe (coming from valve body ports) to the face of the finished wall would be about 1-1/2", so my piping will be right up against the back of the wall board.

Am I reading the installation instructions wrong, or does this valve only allow a 1/2" range for installation depth?

 

[Terry]

I think I would roll with their spec.
I can't remember how much play these have.

 

[KP Texan]

After extensive searching, I think I found the answer on this forum!! I'll wait until I get my trim in tomorrow to do the mock up, but it looks like I would be perfectly fine with deviating 1/2" (if not more) from the valve body installation instructions: https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/delta-shower-valve-rough-in.55406/

 

[hj]

That valve has a LOT of deviation from the =/- 1/2". But if you are going to err, put the valve deeper into the wall because you can get an extension, but nothing to cover if the valve is too shallow.

 

[KP Texan]

Thanks hj! I'm going to do a mock up when I get my trim this evening. I'm thinking just a board with a hole for the handle spool to fit through, and then I can use that as a simulation for the wall so I can take some measurements for the valve body mounting location.

 

[KP Texan]

Just to keep y'all in the loop, I did a mock up last night and there is a ton of adjustment range due to that spool piece. I'll be able to put the valve exactly where I want it and it will look pretty good there. If you were doing a thin wall install with this valve body and trim, I think it would stick out too far even mounted on a 1x4 as far back as you could get it.