Planned shower - concealed pipes, sleeving, make etc.

[Albumen]

I'm planning my shower. It's going to be over a bath. Because of where the shower head itself needs to be mounted it's going to be on the long side of the bath. So any exposed pipework would be very long. Therefore I want to do it with concealed pipework.

I plan to use just concealed pipework making a rear entry into an 'ordinary' surface mounted mixer, as opposed to a built in mixer.

Questions:

1. Any pros and cons of concealed pipework making a rear entry versus fully built in mixer?

2. I'm planning to actually 'sleeve' the built in pipes. I want them to be copper, so I'll sleeve them in something slightly bigger to protect against cement/plaster and also to make them removable. Any reccomendations of a sleeve? What has an internal dia just slightly bigger than the external diameter of 15mm copper.

3. This will be connected to a combi (Vaillant ecoTec 837). Any reccomendations for thermostatic mixer? It's my home, I'm only planning to do this once, they'll take me out of here in a box. So I don't mind paying now for quality, availability of spares etc. etc. I couldn't care less about trendy high tech looks. Solid engineering is what I'm after.

4. The pressures seem a bit odd sometimes since we had the new boiler. Maybe best to fit some sort of balancing valves to the bottom of the supplies just to the shower. Any suggestions as to best sort? They can be hidden behind the bath panel, set once and then pretty much forgotten about, hopefully.

5. How do I get that last bit of copper through the tiles? Tile round it or drill the tile (is there a tile bit that big!?).

Many thanks, Mike

 

[Albumen]

Sorry, answering my own last question, it's a tile holes saw isn't it. Presumably that very last bit of pipe isn't sleeved/protected. Does tile adhesive do any harm to copper? And how effective are those rings that cover the pipe's exit. I'm kind of imagining that the way I've outlined it any water that got behind them would actually end up running down the sleeving. Which might not be a bad thing, better to get it out of the way, rather than bring the tiles off.

Cheers

 

[Technotim]

1. Any pros and cons of concealed pipework making a rear entry versus fully built in mixer?

Recessed valves have a better flow rate but with your system not really an issue.

2. I'm planning to actually 'sleeve' the built in pipes. I want them to be copper, so I'll sleeve them in something slightly bigger to protect against cement/plaster and also to make them removable. Any reccomendations of a sleeve? What has an internal dia just slightly bigger than the external diameter of 15mm copper.

You can buy plastic sleeving copper pipes in lengths that are split down the centre so they can be fitted after plumbing.

3. This will be connected to a combi (Vaillant ecoTec 837). Any reccomendations for thermostatic mixer? It's my home, I'm only planning to do this once, they'll take me out of here in a box. So I don't mind paying now for quality, availability of spares etc. etc. I couldn't care less about trendy high tech looks. Solid engineering is what I'm after.

http://www.tapstore.com/acatalog/copy_of__SL3_Bar_Shower_Valve.html
I have used this valve several times on combi boilers although I am not familar with this model of boiler, the valve is great engineering I sell these and have never ordered parts for them come with a 10 year guarantee, combis work best with valves with flow restrictors on them and this comes with them as standard.

4. The pressures seem a bit odd sometimes since we had the new boiler. Maybe best to fit some sort of balancing valves to the bottom of the supplies just to the shower. Any suggestions as to best sort? They can be hidden behind the bath panel, set once and then pretty much forgotten about, hopefully.

I would fit the shower valve first then if you have any issues with temperature or pressure variation then fit a pressure balancing valve.
Mains systems can vary in pressure at differing times of the day and affect both hot and cold water systems.
All you would need is an area of say 18" where you have access to the hot and cold pipes to fit the balancing valve they are only about 5" long and 4" wide you will need to remove the non return valves that come with them as they are also supplied with most shower valves now.

Sorry, answering my own last question, it's a tile holes saw isn't it. Presumably that very last bit of pipe isn't sleeved/protected. Does tile adhesive do any harm to copper? And how effective are those rings that cover the pipe's exit. I'm kind of imagining that the way I've outlined it any water that got behind them would actually end up running down the sleeving. Which might not be a bad thing, better to get it out of the way, rather than bring the tiles off.

Tile adhesive has got cement in it and in some cases Lime but it does not need to touch the copper or as you will need to use brass fittings, you can have alarger hole in the tile face than the pipes as you will always have a cover plate giving you more tolerance than you need.
How to cut the holes depends on the type of tile chosen and if you intend to have the pipe connections on the grout line or in the center of the tile.
Good Luck
Tim