Shower arm installation for shower remodel

[blecrone]

So this is my current situation. I'm remodeling a shower and had a plumber replace the shower valve as I didn't want to mess it up. When he did this he also removed the old shower head and arm and left me with what you see in the photo. I didn't think too much of it at the time and proceeded with backer board and waterproofing for tile. Now I think I've gotten ahead of myself because I'm pretty sure that the nipple you see in the picture is sweated to a standard copper elbow inside the wall. I can't see very well but from what I can see that is my best guess ( and I don't remember from before I put the backer board up). I didn't specifically ask the plumber to do anything with the shower arm, so I don't blame him - he obviously had to cap the old shower supply pipe to complete his work. But now I need to address it. Is there anything I can do to make this work without tearing off the backer board and installing a female threaded drop ear elbow in the wall? The shower arm is the standard male threaded on each end. Thanks in advance.

 

[Reach4]

What you are looking at may be a nipple that is there temporarily. Usually for that he would use galvanized for the nipple because it is cheap and will be discarded. He may have just used what he had with him.

I would ask the plumber.

The next time you get plumbing work done, you will take photos before the walls get closed up.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[blecrone]

Thanks. Yes, definitely will be sure to take photos next time!

I actually did a bit more investigating - opened up the hole around the nipple a little (the nipple is copper BTW), and it does appear it is threaded into the elbow inside the wall, not soldered as I had first though. So I should just be able to remove this nipple and thread on the shower arm, however,,,

...the elbow is too far back in the wall to accommodate my shower arm. It will be about 3-1/2 inches from surface of tile to the face of the elbow, and my shower arm will only accommodate about 2-1/2 inches when allowing for the eschutcheon. I can see if I can get an arm with a longer reach, but if that doesn't pan out, I assume I could get some sort of short piece with male threads on one end and female on the other?

 

[Reach4]

I think you would usually put a coupling on a nipple.

There are short extensions, but I think you want longer.

 

[hj]

There are longer shower arms.

 

[Cacher_Chick]

It looks to me like a brass nipple, which is screwed into a drop-ear elbow in the wall.

There are a lot of shower arms out there, one of them will fit.