Affixing a mixer bar shower to a wall...

[AdamW]

I recently purchased this mixer bar.

The fitting instructions that came with it are barely existant and go no further than telling you to connect the cold inlet pipe to the blue side and the hot to the red side!

Anyway, as far as I can see the only mechanical support is from where the two inlet pipes connect to the back. The connections on the shower are a standard tap connector thread, into which two pipe adaptors are screwed in. These adaptors are threaded on the other end to allow a 15mm compression nut and olive to be used to grip the inlet pipe.

Now, I am just wondering, should the supply pipes really be used to give support to a fitting? There is no other way this mixer could be fitted, I really just want someone to be able to say "Oh, that is how they all mount on the wall!" so I feel more confident with it!

 

[taydo]

yes its secured on the other side of the wall with the pipes.

 

[ChrisR]

No it should not be supported b the pipes. That contravenes some reg I read somehwere. But many of them are. IF the pipes are coming through thewall you could look at the things used for connectingn outside taps where the pipe goes straight throughthe wall. there's a flange which normally would go on the outside ofthe outside wall , which has 3 screw holes in it. Using it from the other side of the wall at least supports the pipes. You need to see one to follow, I expect.

If the pipes are buried in the wall, use wallplate elbows (again for outside taps etc). The wiggly pipe fittings which came withthe shower bar screw into the 1/2" bsp female bit of the w p elbow (where the outside tap itself would normally screw in). That means sinking the screw heads (on the screws which hold the wpe's)about 2" deep in the wall. If the "wall" is in fact say 3/4 ply you can put the wpe's behind the ply, and put the screws through the w p e the "wrong" way, into the back of the board.

Hope that all makes sens.

When all is done i will still probably be a bit wobbly. You can help fix pipes etc into their channels, with builder's expanding foam.


IN OTHER WORDS
the design of those things is kr*p!

 

[taydo]

ooops I had better have a study of those regs and find that one.
Sorry if I have mis- advised.

I cant work out how you can use the bib type brackets if it goes through a wall.

Suppose you could make some kind of a wall plate to screw the brackets too. ????

 

[AdamW]

Thanks for the advice guys, I am going to use wallplate elbows sunk into the wall (pipework to be buried in a channel in a breezeblock wall).

I was a little dubious, after all I know compression fittings are very strong but thought they will probably weaken a little if they have a few pounds of brass hanging off them.

Just so I can clarify with the wallplate elbows: this
On this one, the female threaded end (not the compression end). Does that accept a compression thread? i.e. if you take the nut and olive off a compression fitting, would that screw into it?

And would you recommend push fittings (good quality copper ones, around £4 for a wallplate elbow) for a pipe that is to be buried in a wall, or must I use compression? Just thinking it would be hard place to get a spanner in if I found I had to remove and refit the elbow!