Fitting Thermostatic Bar Mixer Shower into solid wall

[kazgaz]

Hi everyone!

In the middle of redoing bathroom atm. I've installed a new toilet, bath, wash basin, new soil stack, walls dot and dabbed and plastered and new ceiling down lighters.

We've now decided we want to install a thermostatic bar mixer shower into a breeze block style solid wall! Obviously I'll have to channel out my new plasterwork but as I'm tiling over it, this is not a major problem.

What's best practise to do this? Is it best to install a standard bar mixer valve kit, or install the one that will come with the shower? I know bar mixers have a standard 150mm centres, thus allowing ANY bar mixer shower to be installed. Also, they seem to use compression fittings within the wall plate. I always thought to not have any joins behind any tile work? Am I worrying in necessarily?

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance.

Gary.

 

[jeff the gasman]

Just run your pipework within the wall and terminate with horizontal pipes at 150mm centres. Cap the ends and pressure test.
Complete the tiling and get some Bristan easy fit shower unions. Job done.
Jeff.

 

[longdogs]

Invest in one of these, they make the job very easy and precise. Also, the compression connection is on the outside of the valve and not buried in the wall.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bristan-bar-valve-wall-mount-11-fixing-kit-chrome-plated/58495

 

[kazgaz]

Hi guys

Thanks very much for the replies, appreciate it.

Both suggestions are great, sort of the same lines I was thinking doing.

Did some research last night and found these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mounting-Fi...34&sr=8-2&keywords=Bar++mixer+shower+fittings

Comes with a lot of favourable reviews. Obviously you'd have to be accurate in getting the centres to 150mm and level. Squeakys suggestion would obviously make sure it'd be accurate. The only thing that puts me off using the bristan wall mount is the amount of block work that would have to come out.

I'll be using speedfit piping and elbows purely for ease of installation. I've used copper so far everywhere else. I take it I'm safe to plaster over plastic rather than copper?

Thanks again for your help.

Cheers

 

[jeff the gasman]

Better to use copper and solder your joints TBH.
Jeff

 

[longdogs]

Hi guys

Thanks very much for the replies, appreciate it.

Both suggestions are great, sort of the same lines I was thinking doing.

Did some research last night and found these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mounting-Fi...34&sr=8-2&keywords=Bar++mixer+shower+fittings

Comes with a lot of favourable reviews. Obviously you'd have to be accurate in getting the centres to 150mm and level. Squeakys suggestion would obviously make sure it'd be accurate. The only thing that puts me off using the bristan wall mount is the amount of block work that would have to come out.

I'll be using speedfit piping and elbows purely for ease of installation. I've used copper so far everywhere else. I take it I'm safe to plaster over plastic rather than copper?

Thanks again for your help.

Cheers

The channeling for the pipes would be the same as the separate fixings. The backplate just needs to be inset so that it is flush with the wall, so not much wall to remove. I have fitted plenty of bar showers and have used different methods but the fixing kit is by far the easiest. Don't forget you will need pipe inserts for any compression joints.