shower tiling and plumbing

[alexhayes]

Mods (hope it falls into right catergory, was unsure if plumbing or wall tile, but with tanking and tiling issue it might be more relevant here? if not please move)

I`m trying to do as much work in the bathroom as I can before I get somone in to help me (previously paid a plumber to do work but he has gone AWOL, another story i`ll leave it there)

Basically i`m a bit stumped with the shower area tiling and plumbing. I`m working my way round the bathrrom tiling and i`m coming up to that area.

The shower tray is in and sealed to the walls, although trap isnt plumbed up, but the waste pipe is pretty much in the right place under the tray to connect to, so thats just a minor issue to be resolved from underneath.

Shower valve is: .

Shower head is:

Hot and cold feed to the shower valve has been recessed into the wall from underneath the shower tray (not yet connected into hot and cols water system), the shower valve has been recessed into the wall (solid wall). I have also recessed a suitable notch up from the valve to where the shower head should approx go, with a larger recess at the top to allow for a connection to the head. Note no pipe as yet installed from the valve to the head.

My problem is this. I`m coming round to tile this area, but before I do this, I have read it might be advisable to tank the quadrant area. Before I can tank the area (i`m assuming a tanking kit is some sort of waterproof membrane) I need to have the piping for the shower in and tested to make sure its not leaking.> Is that correct?

But I cant get the piping in and correct until I tile (ie to the right sunken depth and properly fix the shower head to whichever tile it pertrudes through) shower head I think requires 1/2" BSP connection (although not up with plumbing talk /specs so go easy)

Do I just roughly attach the head and take a guestimate of how much to sink the 90 deg connector to the shower head, then test it, tank it and finally tile it?

Also looking at the shower head fixing, it requires you to say, cut a hole in tile, feed threaded section through the hole in tile, and the tighten via nut on the back of the tile (I guess this helps hold the weight of the head and water) and then you connect into the 90 deg connector which in turn takes its feed from the valve. But how the hell am I going to go about this with a solid wall?

Would it be easier to make a hole in the wall where the head is so I can work in behind there? And then patch it up at a later date?

I`m stumped as to what to do next. I don’t want to just give up and get a proffessional in, (just yet anyway) please please give me some pointers.

 

[Galena1]

Hi Alex - What you need to screw the shower head into is a half inch backplate elbow, the same sort of fitting that would be used to screw an outside tap into. Use a soldered type rather than a compression fitting.
Cut the wall out and run the pipe from the shower valve to where the spray will be and fit the backplate elbow, screwing it firmly back to the wall. Tape over the outlet of the backplate elbow to keep any rubbish out.
To work out what depth the backplate elbow should be fitted - Push the chrome nut cover onto the head. Screw the brass retaining nut onto the shower head as far as it will go. Screw the shower head handtight into the backplate elbow, complete with chrome decorative cover plate that will cover the nut). Slide the chrome nut cover back until its back edge just covers the nut. Hold the complete assembly against the wall. Measure the distance from the wall to the back edge of the chrome cover. From this measurement deduct the thickness of tile + adhesive. This measurement will the distance from the existing wall face (untiled!) to the back of the hole where the backplate elbow will be fixed. Be sure that the backplate elbow sits squarely otherwise when the head is fitted it will be crooked. When you have tested everything and are sure it is watertight make good the wall. Fix your tiles and, obviously, cut a hole where the shower head wil fit. The head then screws into the backplate elbow. The brass nut then screws (gently!) back against the tile and the chrome cover slides over the nut.
How long is the thread on the shower head?

 

[alexhayes]

It looks rather long, off the top of my head about 50mm, but i would have to check.

I was thinking it might need chopping off a bit to get everything to sit flush, but thats maybe a bad idea.

Thank you so much for help, really!

just knowing what fitting uo use at the top makes things so much easier, i`ll go get one tonight!

i`m printing this off as its one of those things where i need to have my hands on the head and a cut tile to visualise it all going together.

good analogy on the outdoor tap thing, i can visualise it!

many thanks!

Alex

 

[daddy111]

Thats very helpful thank you for providing this info

 

[HERTS P&D]

Only 7 years late!

Andy