How would a pro plumb this Roman tub faucet?

[Bschooly]

See attached image. I have a bath tub with roman faucet on one end and a shower on the opposing end that I need to plumb. I plan onPEXx to the shower valve, copper from it to the shower head.

But given the limited room and the need for T's on the faucet end how should I plumb this?

I've got to plumb together the three bits of the faucet, as well. Should I use stainless braided hose? I read somewhere that it is not recommended for closed space.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Is that a diverter valve? Where is it planned to be installed? What is the brand of the tub and model? Is it an undermount. It looks like good quality.

I had a braided SS hose under a sink and unknown the crimp connection weeped for years. It was dripping on to a pipe of towels and since the bathroom was hardly used, the towels never were moved. One day the wife noticed a water stain in the bathroom below it. A very small stain next to the exhaust fan so I assumed condensation. On an inspection after a sale, the house inspector happened to find it.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Bschooly]

Its the hot valve side. Danze roman faucet. I may have enough room to use https://www.homedepot.com/p/Apollo-...emale-Pipe-Thread-Adapter-APXFA1234/305728961 at the bottom of each valve and immediately T off to the shower and supply. Its going to be close; maybe too close for pex to compensate.

 

[Bschooly]

Oh yes it is under mount or drop in. Kohler "tea for two". I'm doing under mount as I've got a shower and don't water trapped on the deck behind the curb that a drop in would have.

 

[Bschooly]

Please look at the attached image. I can't decide how best to plumb the supply. See the offset? I'm thinking the stub has to come off and carefully redo the copper from the female joint. Should I do this? What alternatives do I have?

 

[Reach4]

I am not a plumber. Looking at your photo, I think the blue and red PEX will connect to the outer copper connections from the knobs, and the blue stack of connections will be cut out.

The problem would seem to be how to connect the two gaps between brass fittings. I think a plumber would use copper to fill the interval, and solder that copper. Soft copper could be pre-bent to match the required shape, and it would be cut to the required length before soldering. Alternatively, maybe there is enough give in to use regular copper pipe. I expect that copper pipe will be nominal 1/2 inch, which is 5/8 OD. I expect that fits into the fittings to be soldered. The outside threads would not be used.

I don't know if something will be removed from the center piece before soldering to avoid heating rubber. I expect the soldering to be done with MAPP gas to get in and get out quickly. I expect an appropriate shield would be in place to avoid hurting PVC or wood.

 

[Jeff H Young]

are the inside of the male pipe thread on the valve and diverter tee CTS ?(copper tube size) meaning copper tube can slip inside and be soldered? if not they need to be fit up using copper male adpters consider making the spread wider. at the spread you have now you would need to point them away from the spout and a series of fittings
Since the copper manifolds are close its going to be a bit of a cluster to get your tees in and go to roman tub valve as well. I would be doing this in copper then from the tees to the shower valve on other wall I would run copper as well. you said you wanted to run pex there but just saying I would run that in copper as well. but I would be removing the pex at the manifolds.
BTW good idea to remove guts from valve when soldering

 

[WorthFlorida]

I looked over the instructions sheet on the DANZE site. They show a copper tubing sweated between the valve and the spout, and a faucet flex hose from the supply the valve connection. I would do it my #2 way the second picture. I prefer copper sweated since this will not be able to get access, assuming that this knee wall will be tiled.

1) I would use a torch at the tee and remove the stub going to the old PEX. Sweat in a new street elbow, a short length of copper then and elbow going straight up with a length of copper pipe or tubing. At the valves and between them and the spout, copper tubing between the two and use compression nuts.

2) Or redo all of the copper fittings and sweat all connections. What is different is the hot side it a 3/4" tee all the way, the cold is 3/4" x 1/2" x 1/2". The faucet fittings are 1/2". Just need to be care with the torch on the valves.

I'm like Reach, not a plumber but have done a lot of copper sweating on my own bathroom remodels, adding spigots, etc. and owner of five houses in the last 40 years.

 

[Bschooly]

Yes, The valve connectors appear to be CTS. See attached image. I actually built a template in plywood to test the placement out so I can increase the width if needed. I think the connections between the valves won't be an issue. I'm more concerned with the manifold connections to the valves and the needed Ts. My shower valve has pex connections so I'm stuck with pex for at least that part.

 

[Bschooly]

I think option 1 should be tried first. I'm hoping that the pipe can be carefully removed from the female joint of the manifold. Then cleaned out for a re-solder. There is a lot of crude to contend with for option 2 and 4 chances for something going wrong vs 2. Man, Am I paranoid?!

 

[Reach4]

I think option 1 should be tried first. I'm hoping that the pipe can be carefully removed from the female joint of the manifold. Then cleaned out for a re-solder. There is a lot of crude to contend with for option 2 and 4 chances for something going wrong vs 2. Man, Am I paranoid?!

For the supply side, I am thinking there is a

soldered to the copper. The clamp could be removed, and a new piece of pex could be attached to that existing brass adapter. Below is my suggestion, but remember the minimum radius for bends. You could use elbows instead of a loop.

 

[Bschooly]

Here is what I've come up with. hot side PEX will come from left (cold from right). I'll solder a male PEX fitting into the valve supply ends then use a combo of PEX T's and L's to complete. This will work. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[Terry]

I would make sure you run hot water somewhere to make sure you know which of those the hot water is running through.
Then you can decide which side you're plumbing to on the faucet.
It looks like you can run PEX or copper to that.

 

[Bschooly]

Its correct. Left side ...hot to the touch. I run a recirculation pump on the hot water since my hot water heater is on the far side of the house from the kitchen.

 

[Bschooly]

Finally the last of the plumbing is done. A little tight but turned out well. Again, thanks for everyone's help.

 

[Dj2]

looks good.
When you close the wall, leave an access door for future plumbing work.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Nice, but I would not have placed concrete in the hole. Maybe a dry mix to help seal it. If a drainage issue should ever occur, more likely not, it'd be tough to get to the tub drain shoe. Leaving the hole open would allows for some movement from vibrations and expansions. As I said most likely nothing would ever occur.

 

[Bschooly]

Yep, the skirt will be constructed for removal if needed.

The concrete is only a 1.5 inch in depth. About 16 inches of sand underneath so easy to remove if needed.

Thanks for the comments.