Rather-Be-Boating
New Member
Great site. Been lurking here for a few months. My name is Don.
I have a bathroom renovation project. The walls are open to the studs. I plan to replace the existing shower valve with a Moen Vertical Spa which has a combination valve & 3-way diverter. The system has a single shower head, and 4 body sprays. There have been a few posts on this forum about this system, but nothing that addresses my questions.
I've done a few minor soldering repairs over the years, but have done nothing for a very, very long time, and nothing like this.
Below I have posted a photo someone posted for me on John Bridge's site. It shows piping for the pressure balancing loop recommended by Moen for the 4 body sprays. This photo exactly matches a diagram in Moen's installation manual.
In this first photo, the 2 pressure balancing loops are connected by elbowing UP off the diverter, then over to the loop which is connected by a T. The loop continues up a few inches off the connecting "T".
Instead of the T connection where it is (a few inches below the top of the loop) could that connection be a T which would essentially be the top corner of the loop? I don't personally see a problem with it, but I certainly do not want to defeat the intended purpose of these loops by introducing something wierd.
My current valve is about 4 inches higher than what the vertical spa recommends (approx 48" elevation), and due to some other plumbing constraints within this same wall, I cannot easily lower it without adding too many undesirable turns. To keep the body sprays in the neighborhood of the elevation specified (39" and 54"), it would be best if I did not go up out of the diverter valve any more than I have to. I've attached a crude drawing below that demonstrates what I am asking.
Question 2: The valve assembly is 1/2" copper, as are my supply lines. Would there be any advantage, or disavantage, to constructing the loops system from 3/4" with a reducer?. I see a lot of bends, which I thought reduced pressure through each one. I cannot recall if increasing to 3/4" would offset that, or have the exact opposite effect and produce an undesireable reduction in water pressure.
Thanks for any input! Time to go search around these forums some more!
I have a bathroom renovation project. The walls are open to the studs. I plan to replace the existing shower valve with a Moen Vertical Spa which has a combination valve & 3-way diverter. The system has a single shower head, and 4 body sprays. There have been a few posts on this forum about this system, but nothing that addresses my questions.
I've done a few minor soldering repairs over the years, but have done nothing for a very, very long time, and nothing like this.
Below I have posted a photo someone posted for me on John Bridge's site. It shows piping for the pressure balancing loop recommended by Moen for the 4 body sprays. This photo exactly matches a diagram in Moen's installation manual.
In this first photo, the 2 pressure balancing loops are connected by elbowing UP off the diverter, then over to the loop which is connected by a T. The loop continues up a few inches off the connecting "T".
Instead of the T connection where it is (a few inches below the top of the loop) could that connection be a T which would essentially be the top corner of the loop? I don't personally see a problem with it, but I certainly do not want to defeat the intended purpose of these loops by introducing something wierd.
My current valve is about 4 inches higher than what the vertical spa recommends (approx 48" elevation), and due to some other plumbing constraints within this same wall, I cannot easily lower it without adding too many undesirable turns. To keep the body sprays in the neighborhood of the elevation specified (39" and 54"), it would be best if I did not go up out of the diverter valve any more than I have to. I've attached a crude drawing below that demonstrates what I am asking.
Question 2: The valve assembly is 1/2" copper, as are my supply lines. Would there be any advantage, or disavantage, to constructing the loops system from 3/4" with a reducer?. I see a lot of bends, which I thought reduced pressure through each one. I cannot recall if increasing to 3/4" would offset that, or have the exact opposite effect and produce an undesireable reduction in water pressure.
Thanks for any input! Time to go search around these forums some more!