Solder or Thread Pipes to Valve?

Hi Everyone,

I am going to install a new Kohler 304 valve. I had planned on soldering all the pipes (1/2†copper) to the new valve… should I continue with that plan or can I thread everything together since the ends of the valve all have threads?

Also, I'm a little confused with the depth of the valve in the wall. I read over Kohler's instructions but they are not very clear. Right now I have 2x4 studs and plan on installing 1/2 drywall with Kerdi over that, then the tile... What would this be considered a thin or thick finished wall?


Thanks,
Ed

Solder it, but take the cartridge out first. The best thing to do is to temporarily attach the trim and handle to the rough-in valve and check it out yourself. Then, you can mock up the thickness so that the handle looks the way you want it to. On most valves, you have a lot of leaway. I've heard that on some Kohler valves, you have almost no leaway for things to fit properly.

The plastic trim guard on the rough valve body is the "finished wall" surface dimension. Alternately, the booklet will give a dimension from the center of the inlets to the surface of the finished wall. Until you know WHERE the finished wall is going to be do not even try to install the valve properly.

Thanks guys.

I do know where the valve is going to go, I just wasn't sure of the exact depth. So in order to get the right depth should I take 1/2 drywall and the tile, temporary hold it near the valve and adjust the depth of the valve until the plastic trim is flush?

That will work. If you can lay a straightedge across the studs, then just measure the thickness of the wall (drywall and tile - add a little for the thinset), you should be okay. But, keep in mind there is often a range of acceptable location. That is why I suggest temporarily mocking up the whole thing with the trim on. On some valves (don't know the specifics on yours), the 'acceptable' range can be over an inch. Their acceptable is 'will the trim fit'. You may not like it sticking out that far, or possibly have the handle so close to the wall (on the other extreme). So, do yourself a favor and temporarily install the trim and measure where YOU like it (or better yet, your significant other). Otherwise, you may live with 'it sticks out too far' or 'it's so close to the wall, it pinches my hand when I adjust it'.

If you install it to where the valve sits between the min/max marks, the only thing you can be certain of is that the trim should fit...not that you will like the way it looks.

That is one way to do it if you cannot use a ruler and compute where it should end up.