Soft copper for shower line?

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Bob.W

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Hello,

I'm plumbing an American Standard R520 shower valve and adding a twin ell for a tub connection. Since the outlet for the valve is pointing up, I need to make a U-turn, go down below the valve to hook to the twin ell for the tub, then back up for a shower head. I've considered PEX, but the cost of the fittings and/or crimpers is high. I was curious if it's OK to use soft copper tubing from the shower valve to the twin-ell and back up to the shower head? Then I could sweat the connections and it would allow me to manipulate the pipe around the supply.

Thanks,

Bob
 

Jadnashua

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On some of those valves, you can flip them, then just rotate the cartridge to get it to work. Do NOT use PEX, as the ID restrictions will give you all sorts of grief, usually causing water to go out the showerhead while filling the tub. Are you sure that there isn't just a plug in the valve that could be removed? As to soft copper, I don't know if it would be allowed, and there's got to be a better way!
 

Bob.W

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Nope. That's how they designed it. Kind of strange, but I guess it will work if I can get all that pipe tucked in the wall. I checked into mounting it upside down, but then the writing on the trim kit would be upside down.

Bob
 
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Jadnashua

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You can flip it, just swap the hot and cold check stops. Not sure what the trim would look like, but it would work.
 

hj

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It appears that the number you show has a temperature control and a separate volume control above it. That type of valve CANNOT be inverted and still look correct. Use hard copper and sweat elbows to make the turn. Soft copper would require a "lot of room" to make the "U" bend, and would have NO benefits over hard copper, especially TO the twin elbow.
 
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