Shower valve assembly - up vs. down

I just purchased a new Delta shower/tub kit for my shower. There is no tub, so I planned to cap off the tub side, typically the bottom.

It appears as though the tub side has two ~1/4 holes for the water to flow, yet the shower side (top) has only one. My assumption is that this is intended to allow increased flow to the tub.

This unit has seperate temp/flow control.

Can I install it upside down to allow for greater flow to the shower head - or am I asking for trouble (assuming the handle will not match the arrows on the estaceon)?

Thanks,
Michael

Ok, according to the Delta site, (and common sense) - it's specifically intended to allow more water flow to the tub. So - how much is too much flow? If the valve has seperate temp/flow... can I just turn the flow down when I don't want the pressure?

Sorry if this seems silly, but all of the other showers in the house seem to have really low pressure... and I've checked for flow restrictors in the heads, but none have them. I'm assuming that I just have low pressure here.

Thanks.

YOu could have low pressure or it just could be that the flow restrictor is doing its job. Turning the valve over will make the on/off be reversed. If your wall is deep enough, cap the shower output and run the tub output around. That's my unprofessional opinion. Then, all of the motion for the valve will be "normal". Note, though, that without the tub outlet, you will have the height of the in-wall pipe full of cold water when you start the shower.

great suggestion. So do you see any issue with using the tub flow for a showerhead?

I have checked for all the flow restrictors, none. Have not tested to determine the actual water pressure. If I'm wrong - is there any undue wear and tear to the valve if I frequently run it 1/2 flow?

Delta

The reason for the two, and sometimes three, holes is that the smaller one is where the water goes back through the valve up to the shower. Inverting the valve and either reversing the internal parts or piping the cold to the left side and hot to the right, allows the larger opening to feed the shower. The difference is size, diameter wise, is not huge, but it makes a big difference in the area which is what determines the amount of flow. Not all valves are 180 degrees symetrical, Moen being one, and for those valve you have to plug the top, and pipe the bottom opening to the shower, or use both top and bottom openings and tee them together before continuing to the shower. This is "overkill" but would reclaim any "extra" water flow that might be available.

Done - delta allows 180

Thanks all, I just finished sweating everything together. It turns out that delta allows the valve to be spun 180 degrees - so I just installed the whole thing upside down (with 2 holes on the top, and 1 on the bottom), sealed the bottom, and ran the top opening directly up to the top.

No crazy extra bends or merges needed.

Delta claims it is for mounting reverse or switched h/c... but I hear others usually do it this way, anyway.

Thank you!
- Michael

I need help.....

I have installed a Delta 1700 series rough in upside down......
neways now water comes out of the shower head and the tub spout as soon
as i turn it on. I can stop the water coming out of the spout because it has
the pull up handle wich blocks the flow. But the shower will not turn off when
i push the handle on the spout back down.

I really dont want to go in through the bedroom walls to flip it.
If there is anyway to fix this with out flipping the valve i would love to
know.

Thanks,
Jason

I don't think so...the reason water doesn't come out the showerhead normally, is that there is less restriction out the spout. Because you've changed that, it is taking the easiest path...out the showerhead.

Delta

If you inverted the valve in a tub/shower situation, there is NO way to cure it other than to install the valve properly. In a shower only installation it is not a problem and inverting it can be beneficial. All that is necessary with that situation is to be sure to reverse the cartridge, and/or insert it with the hot on the left side.