embarrasingly cluless

embarrasingly cluless needs help

regrettably I have no clue about shower plumbing and fixtures. I've done some research on the web looking for exploded views of stuff but haven't had a lot of luck. so what I'm going to do is classify the plumbing into two parts. the first part being what my handyman calls the trim kit which consists of the shower handle which regulates temp and pres when turned, pulled and lifted in different directions. then there is everything which is inside of the wall, the supply plumbing, some kind of manifold system and the distribution pipes to the shower head or the tub spout.

OK I just had all of the in wall plumbing changed out on an old house I bought to rehab and sell, the wall was rebuilt and I have already had it tiled and grouted. I went to home depot and bought a tub/shower faucet. it has the shower head and pipe, the tub spout, and one handle which turns the water on and controls temp and whether the water goes to the shower head or the tub spout.

MY handyman is telling me that the in wall plumbing where the handle connects to is not standard between different manufacturers and I can not use a delta trim kit unless the manifold "thing" inside the wall is delta, and like wise for Moen, American Standard, or any other manufacturer. That doesn't make sense to me, it seems all of these should be standard and interchangeable, just like a Microsoft USB plug fits into a USB socket on an IBM computer.

Plumbing is my Achilles heel, I can replace a roof, I typically do all of my own cabinet and countertop work as well replace all light fixtures/fans/switches/outlets. I even do all of own plumbing as far as angle valves supply lines, installing sinks and disposals, pulling and replacing toilets, wax rings, and I've installed several bathtubs, and a couple of shower pans but I have no clue about the shower control valve plumbing inside of the wall. If I could just see a 2 or 3 exploded views and get the vocabulary down I'm sure I could get this figured out.

In the mean time is it true, I can't just run over to home depot and pick out ANY shower head, tub spout and shower knob that I like and take it home and replace it. How do I figure out who the manufacturer of this valve/manifold in the wall thing is?

Thanks.

You can probably pick any shower head with a 1/2" bent pipe and a little chrome plated circle and screw it into the 1/2" fitting behind the tile.

You can probably find a tub spout, but you need to know if the shower control has the diverter in the control, or if it uses a "tub spout diverter". If it has the diverter in the control, you can use any old tub spout, but you may need a piece of 1/2" pipe of the correct length (called a "nipple") to connect it. If the nipple (a pipe with 1/2 male pipe thread) is already coming out of the wall, then you need a spout to match or maybe some means to adjust the length.

The control is a totally different story. There are usually threaded holes for screws to mount the trim plate, and special details to mount the handle and control. You can't put a Ford door on your Dodge and you can't put a Moen trim kit on a Delta faucet. Somehow, you need to find out what model faucet you have and buy the correct trim kit. You got screwed by whoever put in the shower control without leaving you the trim kit. The separate control and trim kit will cost about 50% more than a control with a trim kit.

Your computer analogy doesn't apply, as the name should suggest. USB = Universal Serial Bus. There is nothing universal about the outside of a shower control, except that clockwise is usually off, unless pull is on, and maybe you push a button for a diverter, or maybe you move a lever, but in some cases you have to pull down the spout on the tub for the diverter, but sometimes you have to pull up on a little thingy that comes out of the top of the spout.

valve

If you were an automobile mechanic then you would realize that the same thing is true of cars. You can't install a Ford part into a Chevy, no matter how much nicer you think the Ford part looks. In fact, even if you find the manufacturer, not all of his parts will be interchangeable on your valve, so you have to know the model and compatibility.

where to go from here?

I'm still interested in being able to see several exploded views to learn the vocabulary. Also If I'm able to see some of the assembled units I may be able to identify what I'm looking at by type. What kind of identifiers should I be looking for to tell me who the maker is, or what type of unit this is, how else can I find out who makes this.

make and model

Most of the time it is experience. We identify the manufacturer by the appearance of the handle, the way it operates, and the design of the mechanism, for example. Since there are literally thousands of different designs, it would be impossible, or at least impractical, to even try to describe the parts so you could match yours. If you post a picture, then we might be able to identify them.

beginnings

how can I tell if the diverter is on or a part of the valve? I'm thinking the diverter aspect is controlled by plugging the tub spout. This house is 50 years old and the valve that was put in replaced the one taken out. visually, externally they look like the same thing except one is obviously newer.
I'l post some pictures but in the mean time I'll give you a limited description.
the valve is approximately 8" wide with the hot and cold entering the valve at each end from the top. in between where the water enters and the center round/cylindrical part of the valve there is an adjustable screw on each side (I'm thinking this screw would be to adjust pressure/flow of the hot and cold water, a manual balance maybe?) I'm not even going to try to describe the center part, Im just don't have the vocabulary for it and it pissess me off when someone is trying to describe something and they call parts/tools by theire incorrect names. pictures to follow soon.