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Triple master contractor Ed Del Grande
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By Ed Del Grande
Q: Hi, Ed. I'm a contractor who's experienced in all phases of construction, and I have picked up great tips from your column. I hope you have one for me now! I've changed many shower valves by going through the back of the wall, but now I have a shower valve job that has me a little perplexed. My job has a shower stall that is back-to-back to a tub and shower. They both share the same wall with the plumbing lines and mixing valves! I've never seen a set-up like this before; have you? To make things worse they are both older tile jobs.
Will I have to open up one of the walls in the tub or shower? That is going to be a big mess. Or is there a way to install the new mixing valve from the front without destroying the tub or shower surround? What options do I have? Dennis (Virginia)
A: Hi, Dennis. Sounds like this job is a menace! Unfortunately I have seen set-ups like this before. Whoever installs these needs to understand that eventually all plumbing fixtures will have to be serviced or changed. Many local codes do make provisions that an access panel or area needs to be installed, so there will be access to mixing valves. However. this may be a very old installation from when no access codes existed.
Anyway, you do have two ways to do this. Neither one of them is going to be very easy, so let your customer know this may be an expensive job. Hopefully, they won't get mad at the messenger! First, there are extra-large stainless steel cover plates for mixing valves; they're sometimes called "goof" plates. These large, football-shaped, flat cover plates may allow you to open a hole around the present mixing valve, remove the old valve from the front wall and install the new valve to the existing piping. Once the valve is in place, the large metal plate should cover up the enlarged hole and allow the valve trim to be installed. Trust me on this, it's a tight fit to change a mixing valve through a hole in a wall, and also risky if you need to solder joints with a torch in a tight area.
Even though this type of cover plate may work, who's to say that next year the tub valve next door won't give you trouble since it's the same age as the shower valve, and now you're stuck again? So, option two may give you more bang for the buck. Completely open up the smaller tub front wall and re-pipe and replace both mixing valves. This will give you plenty of access to do the job, but then you will have to match up the tile (as best you can) and install a new front tub wall to complete the job. I know it's not a perfect solution to box everything in again, but at least it's a fresh start.
Sometimes you can only do the best with what you have to work with, and unfortunately since the fixtures were originally installed-back-to back, this job really has you up against a wall!
Ed Del Grande was born and raised in a family-owned plumbing business. With more than 25 years of experience in every aspect of construction, he holds current Master licenses in pipefitting, fire protection and plumbing. If you have a question for Ed, send him an e-mail at eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.
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