Installing Shower Cartridge before Shower Wall

[clawbennett]

Okay, newbie question here. We are redoing the shower, and I have probably a very basic question.

We are installing a shower enclosure and before I permanently attach the enclosure wall on the shower valve/faucet side, I want to ensure there are no leaks in the plumbing and the valve. The copper soldering looks kind of nasty and I am not 100% confident there are no leaks.

It's a delta valve, and during the initial water pressure test it worked fine with no leaks. However, I believe that when they tested the valve they started with the cold water side. They did NOT use the test plug, and I am assuming cold water may have gone down the hot water side before they opened the hot water valves. The water valves are in the basement away from the shower fixture. The Detlta valve test cap got damaged during the work somehow. To relieve the pressure they unscrewed the bonnet that held the test cap in place and it exploded with pressurized water. I am not sure that's how you're supposed to relieve the pressure.

So, my question is can I install the faucet cartridge and check for leaks before installing the wall permanently? Also, would the best way to relieve the water pressure after a test be to unscrew the plug from the shower drop elbow instead??

Thanks!

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Yes, you definitely want to test all the way through a capped nipple for leaks. You can install the cartridge after you flush the lines, which sounds like this may have happened with the subsequent burst of water. With the cartridge in place with the chrome retainer nut and the shower head capped nipple in place, you can pressurized the water to the valve. Once you verify there are no leaks leading to the valve, use the handle provided in your trim kit or carefully with a wrench that will not damage the shaft.. operate the cartridge to let water pressure up to the capped nipple and check for leaks to that point.

 

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[clawbennett]

Awesome. I couldn't think of a reason why it wouldn't work. I just wanted to make sure there was nothing I was missing as far as things staying in place, etc.

Much appreciated!