Please help me with my tub and faucets!

[Mimi78]

I have purchased a whirlpool tub(american standard) and it says to set it in a bed of mortar or something, but the people at Home Depot told us to spray Great Stuff under it instead because it won't crack like a mortar would. Which should I do? Can I do either?

Also another stupid question, we have a three handle shower fixture and I would like to change it out to a two or single handle faucet. Are all faucets universal or do I have to have the pipes changed in order to accomodate a different type of fixture?

----What kind of mortar should I get exactly-I checked the manufacturer's instructions and they said IF I want to do so, I can use a bedding material, and it mentioned mortar. So do I really need the bedding and if so, what kind or type?

----Also a plumber came by and he said he has to install a shower tub fixture that is one handle because they are the kind that have a antiscald device in it and that there are no three handles that have that feature? Is this true, in that I have to change from the three handle to the single in order to have the antiscald device, which is required by code? The only reason I would prefer to keep the three handle config is because they look nice and I thought it might be less costly to just replace rather than having to do more extensive work to change out to a single. Maybe I'm wrong, but I am assuming it takes extra work to change it.

[jadnashua]

Best answer is to follow the manufacturer's instructions! Basically, you are doing two things by supporting the bottom of the tub: making it feel more substantial and preventing stress fractures in the floor when it flexes slightly when you step in. The foam will help, but it is flexible on its own right.

Standard plumbing in the US has the hot supply on the left and cold on the right. Each tub/shower filler will have its own offset and setback, there is no real standard. That is how far apart the supply lines are and how far back from the front of the finished wall it needs to be so that the trim fits properly. Most supplies use 1/2" inputs, but some are 3/4". The larger ones are often used for really large tubs or multiple head shower systems so that they can flow more water in a short time. Unless your house is unusual it probably has 1/2" lines going to the valve. 3/4" happens, but is not the norm although it may not be far away. Any new shower control must be either/or or and a pressure balanced or thermostatic design to help prevent scalding if say someone flushes a toilet and suddenly takes all of the cold water for instance.

[Cal]

Jim is right again . Hot-left / cold-right measurments all diffrent. Find something GOOD and install or get it installed . Moen or Delta are great !

Set that tub in a sand mix or better yet a bucket of pre-mixed thinset mortar.

FORGET the spray -in "Great stuff" crap,,,,, THAT WILL EXPAND AND RAISE THE TUB !!

Spread out the thinset mortar and squish that tub down in it till it's level and not rocking.

Good Luck !
Cal

[hj]

Who cares if the bedding material cracks? It does not have to be watertight, and the only problem would be if it shrunk or expanded, since that would affect the support of the tub.

[Mimi78]

The reason they told us to stay away from any type of mortar is because if it cracks you might hear the little broken pieces shaking while the whirlpool is on, so that's just why I had the question. I have no idea what I am doing so thanks for the help.

[hj]

When the whirlpool is on it will be full of water, and it is not going to "shake", and the weight would keep "all the little pieces" from going anywhere. But if it cracks it will not separate into little pieces. There will just be a line across it where it separated into two or more large pieces. One thing to consider is that if you set it on mortar, concrete or something similar, the tub will lift off them if you ever have to remove it, which happens fairly often. Foam sprayed under it will glue the tub to the floor.