Eclectic Homes

How to Convert a Valve to One Mixer Shower Fixture

A shower faucet is installed through two small holes at the shower wall, and a single-lever faucet takes a single hole at the shower wall. You’re left with the challenge of the two existing holes from the old faucet when substituting a two-valve faucet using a faucet. You will have to fix the wall to cover both holes from the old faucet or utilize a fix escutcheon plate to pay all 3 holes.

Turn the water supply off to the shower faucet; this will require turning all the water off . Remove the grips. Remove from. Remove the shower head.

Remove on the rear side of the shower behind the tap area. By cutting the drywall using a utility 26, if an access panel does not exist, then open the wall on side of the shower. Open the wall right. Make the gap at least 12 inches square; you could raise the size later if necessary for more working space. Locate the water pipes that provide the shower faucet.

Disconnect the pipes from the faucet. Unscrew if the pipes are galvanized steel. When the pipes are copper, use the pipes to cut about 6 to 12 inches away from the faucet. Use plastic pipe saw, if the pipes are plastic. Do exactly the same. Remove from the wall.

Attach parts of pipe, 6 to 12 inches , to the faucet. Use pipe’s kind that your new faucet needs. When it’s copper, you will have to solder the pieces. When it has threaded connections, you may use copper; CPVC, or chlorinated polyvinyl chloride plastic — adapters that will transition to the kind of pipe you want to use; a flexible kind of tubing, or PEX. Some faucets will have a spout interface. Twist this vent by installing a 3- to 6-inch part of pipe.

Place a mark on the front of the shower wall in which the faucet is going to be centered. This place should be directly between the old dual-valve faucet’s two existing holes. Examine the installation specifications that have the faucet for the proper size of gap required for the faucet to match through the wall. Use a power drill and hole saw to drill the hole.

Place the faucet in the hole that you drilled. Hang the faucet securely in place by nailing supporting pieces of wood braces between the framing studs and utilizing plumbing support straps to attach the faucet and pipes. Instead of wood you can use alloy support braces to support plumbing pipes.

Attach of pipe. Use transition fittings designed to attach the two forms of pipe if joining two types of pipe, like copper and steel. Attach into the faucet.

Install the fix escutcheon plate on the faucet if you’re using one. Install the face plate to will help hold the fix escutcheon set up. Install the faucet handle along with the shower head together with plumber’s tape on any relations that are threaded. Place a bead of latex caulk plates to stop water leakage.

Turn on the water. Check for leaks in pipe connections and tighten if needed, or fix them. Fix the shower wall if you’re not using a fix escutcheon plate. Replace the wall access panel or fix the wall opening on the backside of this shower.

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