Plumbing for shower with concealed valve and diverter

[Brownstone1892]

Hi Guys,

Putting a new shower in for us, and I'm just wondering if I should use push-fit plastic, copper with compression, or learn to solder for my plumbing?
The shower valve and diverter will live in a shelf I've built, and it'll all be cement boarded and tiled. The wall to the left has been chased for the pipework.

So, what should i use for the plumbing, and why?

Cheers,

Carl...

 

[oldbuffer]

1. Make sure you have readily accessible isolation valves for hot and cold.
2. For pipework:
2.1 In your case I'd use pushfit plastic.
2.2 I wouldn't use soldered joints unless you can learn to solder well, and are able to test the pipework under pressure before covering.
2.3 Compression joints would be my least favoured option.
3. Even with push fit:
3.1 You need to test in accordance with manufacturer's instructions.
3.2 You may find you need compression joints anyway to get onto the shower components. If so, make sure you use inserts in the plastic pipe (goes for all joints in plastic) and swap any brass olives for copper ones on plastic pipe.

 

[Brownstone1892]

1. Make sure you have readily accessible isolation valves for hot and cold.
2. For pipework:
2.1 In your case I'd use pushfit plastic.
2.2 I wouldn't use soldered joints unless you can learn to solder well, and are able to test the pipework under pressure before covering.
2.3 Compression joints would be my least favoured option.
3. Even with push fit:
3.1 You need to test in accordance with manufacturer's instructions.
3.2 You may find you need compression joints anyway to get onto the shower components. If so, make sure you use inserts in the plastic pipe (goes for all joints in plastic) and swap any brass olives for copper ones on plastic pipe.

Many thanks for your reply.

I agree, being able to solder to the level required to be hidden behind tiles with no worries is probably not going to happen quickly.

I will be using copper from and into the shower fittings, Hep2O plastics for the rest. It will be tested up to mains pressure before being cement boarded in. I will fit isolation valves, but they'll be in the crawl space under the house, which is accessible from the cupboard under the stairs, just behind the wall my shelf is built against. So not exactly readily accessible, but certainly accessible

If only I'd learned to solder before now

Cheers,

Carl...