Hi,

I'm planning to plumb in an exposed thermostatic mixer shower. Taking
feed from existing bathroom pipework. It seems straigh forward, but any
tips please? I'll be chasing out a pipe channels, how deep do they need
to be? What's the easiest plastic pipework to use, linking to existing
copper pipes? Also, any recommendations for showers? There's a huge
range in prices, are the more expensive really worth it, or are eg. the
screwfix ones any good? Thanks very much

On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 05:53:34 -0700, Spat wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm planning to plumb in an exposed thermostatic mixer shower. Taking
> feed from existing bathroom pipework.

Will you have enough pressure?

It seems straigh forward, but any
> tips please? I'll be chasing out a pipe channels, how deep do they need
> to be? What's the easiest plastic pipework to use, linking to existing
> copper pipes?

Polybutylene (PB) lays flatter than PEX. Use compression fittings
where you have to bury them and pressure test before burying. I prefer
using since then I'm burying soldered joints

Also, any recommendations for showers? There's a huge
> range in prices, are the more expensive really worth it, or are eg. the
> screwfix ones any good? Thanks very much

The cheapo bar mixers are usually OK and are easy to change if you have
problems. Ditto standard sized round ones. The bar mixer types are harder
to mount using the stupid cranked 1/2" x 3/4" reducers they give you but
you can make something better out of standard fittings (from a real
plumbers merchants or BES).

Here's one I made earlier:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.st...in_solid_wall/

On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 15:12:45 +0000, John Stumbles wrote:

> Polybutylene (PB) lays flatter than PEX. Use compression fittings
> where you have to bury them and pressure test before burying. I prefer
> using since then I'm burying soldered joints

Oops! Meant to say "I prefer using copper since then I'm burying soldered
joints"

John Stumbles wrote:

> Polybutylene (PB) lays flatter than PEX. Use compression fittings
> where you have to bury them and pressure test before burying. I prefer
> using since then I'm burying soldered joints

John, I'm sure you'd agree that any buried joints at all should be
avoided if at all possible - but why the advice to bury for compression
fittings rather than soldered? I'd have thought that if either type is
likely to develop a leak over time, it would be the compression sort?

David

Lobster wrote:
> John Stumbles wrote:
>
> > Polybutylene (PB) lays flatter than PEX. Use compression fittings
> > where you have to bury them and pressure test before burying. I prefer
> > using since then I'm burying soldered joints
>
> John, I'm sure you'd agree that any buried joints at all should be
> avoided if at all possible - but why the advice to bury for compression
> fittings rather than soldered? I'd have thought that if either type is
> likely to develop a leak over time, it would be the compression sort?
>
> David

Thanks for the replies. The pressure is fine for the shower (about 7L a
min). In the pics, you've got 15mm pipes to 22mmm, attached to the
unit, will I get any pressure value from running 22mm pipe all the way
to the unit instead of reducing then at the t-branch and then expanding
again at the shower? Presumably all shower units (haven't bought it
yet, but will be an exposed traditional style one) have standard inlet
sizes? I'm going for all copper and soldered joints. The problem is I'm
having to have quite a few changes in direction to get round some
obstacles so there'll be a fair few buried joints. That was the idea of
using plastic pipes so curves rather than joints would be possible
(take it existing mortar in the walls shouldn't cause any corrosion
problems?!).Any more advice gratefully recieved. cheers