Fitting shower to wall

[Trilby Tim]

I'm building my shower, I'm using Showerwall (laminate sheet stuff) to line the walls. It's a quadrant enclosure, the wall that runs parallel to the side of the boat is where I'm fitting the actual shower, and herein lies the problem. I'm making a sort of stud work frame to support the showerwall board, but I can't work out how to fit the actual shower to this. I've got a Grohe thermostatic mixer shower, the instructions seem to assume that you already have 1/2" female connections built into the wall, I assume in a house the pipes would be preinstalled and then plastered over? But how do I mount 1/2" female connectors firmly into the showerwall? I could just glue the connectors in, but this really doesn't seem very secure. If I mount them close to a stud then I can clip the hoses in very close, which gives it a bit more support, but is there any better way of doing it? The shower mixer itself is not fixed to the wall by anything other than the inlet pipes, and it's fairly heavy and I don't want it to come off in my hand when I turn the tap!

On another point, the instructions for the shower recommend hemp as a sealant. I can't find anywhere I can get this (and also I find it hard to believe it's as good as more modern materials). This is available as a substitute, but it says on the data sheet that it's for pipes over 25mm (mine are 15). Is there any good reason for using hemp or hemp substitute as opposed to PTFE tape, which I'd normally use for something like this?

[OldGoldy]

<snip> The shower mixer itself is not fixed to the wall by anything other than the inlet pipes, and it's fairly heavy and I don't want it to come off in my hand when I turn the tap!<snip>

Something in this selection may do, if fitted behind the panelling Screwfix LINKY

[steelaway]

I'm building my shower, I'm using Showerwall (laminate sheet stuff) to line the walls. It's a quadrant enclosure, the wall that runs parallel to the side of the boat is where I'm fitting the actual shower, and herein lies the problem. I'm making a sort of stud work frame to support the showerwall board, but I can't work out how to fit the actual shower to this. I've got a Grohe thermostatic mixer shower, the instructions seem to assume that you already have 1/2" female connections built into the wall, I assume in a house the pipes would be preinstalled and then plastered over? But how do I mount 1/2" female connectors firmly into the showerwall? I could just glue the connectors in, but this really doesn't seem very secure. If I mount them close to a stud then I can clip the hoses in very close, which gives it a bit more support, but is there any better way of doing it? The shower mixer itself is not fixed to the wall by anything other than the inlet pipes, and it's fairly heavy and I don't want it to come off in my hand when I turn the tap!

On another point, the instructions for the shower recommend hemp as a sealant. I can't find anywhere I can get this (and also I find it hard to believe it's as good as more modern materials). This is available as a substitute, but it says on the data sheet that it's for pipes over 25mm (mine are 15). Is there any good reason for using hemp or hemp substitute as opposed to PTFE tape, which I'd normally use for something like this?

 

 

Hi

 

These showers are a pig to fit even in a house. I now fit the 90 degree garden tap connectors then you can at least screw the pipe work to some thing solid.

Because of the thickness of the bathroom walls I mounted mine on a sheet of stainless mounted across a corner, giving me just enough room to run the pipes down the back.

PTFE is perfect if the connections are fixed

 

 

Alex

 

[david and julie]

I assume in a house the pipes would be preinstalled and then plastered over?

That would depend on whether they were mounted in "brick walls" or internal studs.

 

You're effectively using studs - so I'd use fittings such as these.

http://www.screwfix....bow-617W-15mm-x

 

The BSP part is obvious - but (I'm now guessing a bit and assuming your using Hep2o or similar for your plumbing?) on the compression half of the fitting you use rigid copper pipe down to say floor level - then (ideally) use Hep2o T pieces with a drain off cock (for winterising) then convert back to plastic pipe at this "T".

 

Mechanically fixing the section of copper pipe with saddle clips will hold your mixer in place.

 

http://www.toolstati...0/sd2706/p25676

 

I used stud construction on my boat bathroom as its a good way of concealing wiring for lightswitches etc.

[NBMike]

How about something like this

http://www.shopzilla.co.uk/8B--Plumbing_Supplies_-_cat_id--13747__keyword--bar+shower+mounting+bracket

Mike

[Trilby Tim]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I've actually got a couple of those wall plate elbows that I bought ages ago by mistake! I'll make up something like this to go behind the wall then. Cheers again, and PTFE tape is fine instead of hemp?

[Robin2]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I've actually got a couple of those wall plate elbows that I bought ages ago by mistake! I'll make up something like this to go behind the wall then. Cheers again, and PTFE tape is fine instead of hemp?

 

Could you use rubber or fibre washers instead of ptfe tape or hemp - much simpler.

 

 

Why are they still using Victorian systems when they could easily use O rings ????

[sharpness]

Forget all the cobbles (I've been there), this is what you need:

 

 

The top one is surface mounted, 15mm compression on the back.

The bottom one is fitted, the copper pipes with the shower fittings on the end sticking out as far as you want through the plate and held by the compression nuts on the plate & then tiled over.

 

Steve