new shower water supply layout

[jettrules]

I tore apart my whole bathroom down to the studs. I have installed a new tub and now am dealing with the supply to my new fixtures. This is what I want. I want one showerhead, one rain showerhead in ceiling and a tub spout. So I was looking to install a thermostatic valve then 3 lines to each of the fixtures with shut off to each fixture. That seems excessive and expensive.

So now I was looking at installing a thermostatic valve and then run one line to a 5-way transfer valve http://www.**************.com/Prod/M.../23074/Cat/281

The problem I see is I dont know why this valve isnt recommended for shower/spout applications. I should mention I do not want the plunger on my tub spout. They seem to always leak water into the tub so I just was going to install a shutoff so that all water whent 2 one of the other 2 showerheads I was using. The problem I see is that this 5 way valve only has 4 ports. I assume one for my supply from the thermo valve and the other three I can hook to my 3 fixtures. The problem is how would I ever turn OFF the water. It seems I would have to have a thermo valve that is able to shut of the water (which I dont like or want) or I have to have a shutoff valve between the thermo valve and this 5 -way valve. That seems a bit stupid also. Is there maybe a 6 way valve were I could cap the last port so that all water would be shut off as an option on it?

Help please.

[Peanut9199]

A normal 5 port diverter has 2 inlets (plug one if using mixed water) and 3 outlets.
The first position is the closed position and you would turn it to the desired outlet you want to use but you can only use one at a time.
The benefit to using 1 valve and 3 shutoff's is you can you 1,2 or all 3 at the same time.

[jettrules]

Well the Moen 3500 5way valve fixture has 4 ports on it. It says one is shared. Not sure what that means. btw.

It seems Moen quit making this valve last year but I see some for sale still. I called Moen today and they want me to buy 3 volume controls instead of this 5way valve which would cost more ($150/each with trim) plus I have to rough in 2 extra valves to do it the "Moen way".

I want to run only one fixture at a time and with the 4 ports I see no way to turn off the water without a shutoff between this 5way and the thermo valve unless I got a thermo valve that shut off the water also along with regulating the temperature. Plus with the mixed water going into this valve and you say it is made for two inlets Im down to 2 ports only for running three fixtures with no way to turn off the water unless I do what I mentioned above with a shut off. Im I stuck wih a 3 volume shutoff pretty much then?

[jadnashua]

This is a guess...the shared inputs are for hot and cold from separate supplies (with volume controls). If you have already mixed the water, you'd have to plug one of those inputs as it would always be 'on'. I don't know about Moen, but some thermostatic valves have concentric temperature and volume controls - often one of them is controlled via a lever.

A single shutoff after the thermostatic valve and before the divertor would work as well. You don't really want volume controls before the thermostatic control as then it may not be able to maintain the set temperature.

[Winslow]

Hansgrohe has the perfect valve for that application, the thermoplus III. It utilizes one pressure balancing cartridge and has three outlet ports. You choose which outlet to use from the handle. It has two ports on top and one on the bottom. You can use the top two simultaneously if you want. I put the thermoplus II in my hall bath tub shower. Here is a link. Price out the trim package before you decide. I tried to pot a link but it won't paste. just put hansgrohe thermoplus III into your search engine and you should find it.

[Peanut9199]

I don't know why but it looks like the Thermoplus is now called Thermobalance.

[hj]

If I understand your question correctly, the valve does not say it is not for tub/shower applications, but rather that you CANNOT use the second/bottom outlet for a diverter spout if you use the top one for a shower or multiport diverter. That is because of the way the valve is constructed. You CAN use one of the multiport diverter openings for a tub spout however.