Inspection Catch 22?

Here's a good one from today's plumbing rough in inspection. Everything's fine and dandy but he asks me if all the tub and shower fixtures were going to be pressure balanced. I said I didn't think the roman tub filler w/handheld was and he tells me it's required...

so I look and ask around and near as I can tell they aren't made that way. WTF? The city requires something that isn't made? Catch 22
Left him a voice mail to try and get a clarification

anybody else come up against something like this?

Paul

Pressure balanced, I think, is only required if there is a shower involved. If you are going to use something like a hand shower, then you can get remote pressure balance devices (or temperature controlled) and still use your fixtures, but the plumbing gets more complex.

Generally a tub filler would not require pressure balance. I think an inspector could wink at a hand held on a Roman Tub. I think he could beat you up on backflow instead. But what he says.........goes.

pb

The remote pressure balance units have an enormous resistance problem, and if you expect to fill the roman tub fairly quickly, forget about it if you use those devices.

You could plumb the hand shower through a divertor valve with pressure balance, and the tub filler direct if required.

hand held

How would a pressure balanced unit work, or even be installed, on the hand held when all it has is the termpered water from the tub valve going to the diverter to work with? And the hand held would already need a diverter if it was going to function properly.

you'd basically need a second set of valves...not pretty, but doable; two separate systems.

If I put an inline PB valve (tempera) before the faucet would that need permanent access?

do they make one for 3/4 pipe

and a general plumbing industry question...how can all the plumbing showrooms and home show displays be packed with tub filler set-ups that won't pass inspection?

I could just put another pressure balanced handle and valve on the tub deck for the hand-shower and admittedly this would be a good safety install...but is there a deck mount shower valve?

I think I have the answer to my dilemma but I really appreciate getting other opinions; you are all very helpful. Thanks

Paul

You don't need pressure balance (or temperature controlled) valve for a tub only. You do need one when there is a shower involved. In some places, they won't make you change if replacing an old system - most do (from what I hear). SO, they offer the cheaper alternative, or for those that don't care about the safety and don't get the install inspected. Kind of cheesy, but it is up to the user to conform to code, not the seller. If there is a market (people buy them), somebody will sell them.

Same problem with some pre-made shower pans...some are designed to work with 1.5" pipe. National code requires 2". So, how can they in good conscience sell them? Beats me, but they do.

jadnashua said:

SO, they offer the cheaper alternative, or for those that don't care about the safety and don't get the install inspected.

Click to expand...

Yet the case in point is that the luxury fixtures of Roman tub fillers w/handshower attachements are all not PB. In fact as far as I can tell there is no deck mount tub filler w/handshower made that is PB.