How To Install A Thermostatic Mixing Valve In Shower

Our expert guide on how to install a thermostatic mixer shower volition help you consummate your bathroom renovation projection. The guide is broken down into like shooting fish in a barrel to follow steps, and there's some handy tips to make the task easier, plus nosotros've listed all the tools y'all'll need to get the job done with a minimum of fuss.

What is a thermostatic mixer shower?

Mains-fed showers can exist an outcome – flushing the toilet or running a hot tap elsewhere in your domicile can make your shower run freezing cold or scalding hot. If you're looking for a new shower and so you lot definitely need to choose a thermostatic mixer shower to ensure a safety and comfortable showering feel. This type of shower allows you lot to pre-set the temperature to what you lot're comfortable with then maintain that temperature regardless if someone flushes the loo or turns on a tap.

Is a thermostatic mixer shower compatible with my water organization?

Our thermostatic showers are suitable for use with pumped systems, gravity, standard mains pressure and combination boilers. It's a good idea to check with the supplier that the shower you want is compatible with your water system before purchasing.

Types of thermostatic mixer showers

Thermostatic mixer shower valves are bachelor in two styles – exposed or concealed.

Concealed shower valves just have the controls on show with the valve and water connections subconscious backside a plate. This guide explains how to fit an exposed shower, but the principle is the same for a concealed valve.

An exposed shower valve attaches to the face of the wall, and the hot and cold pipes either run up the wall to fix underneath the unit, or come through the wall to adhere to the back.

Concealed thermostatic shower valve

Exposed thermostatic shower valve

Installing your thermostatic shower

Tools required:

Piping cutters for plastic and copper pipe
Pencil
Record measure
Adjustable spanner
Tile drill
Spirit level
Dust canvas
Thermostatic mixer shower
Shower head
15mm plastic and copper pipe
Plastic and copper connections – tees and elbows
Shut-off valves
Double sided tape

1. Decide where to take the hot and h2o supplies from

First you'll need to determine where to take the hot and cold water supplies from. If you are plumbing equipment the shower above the bathroom y'all can tee into the tap supplies. If you are fitting the thermostatic shower valve into a shower enclosure you can tee into the closest hot and cold pipes, which are oft found under floorboards or subconscious in a cupboard. You tin cheque which is which past tracing the pipes dorsum from the nearest hot and common cold taps. The catamenia of h2o can be felt through the pipe with the tap running. Run each tap in plow, you'll know which the hot water pipe is every bit it warms upward quickly.

2. Isolate the supply

Once you've decided where to accept the hot and cold water supplies from yous tin start the piece of work, but earlier doing anything you'll need to isolate the supply. And then, switch off the stopcock (usually positioned under the sink) and so open the hot and cold taps to drain abroad the water in the pipes.

three. Run the pipework towards the shower

When yous've isolated the supply, tee into the hot and cold supplies and run the pipework towards the shower. Cheque the instructions that are included with the valve and feed the hot and cold supplies to the correct sides – hot is on the left and common cold is on the right.

Superlative tip: for a hassle-free plumbing solution, plastic pipage tin be run under floorboards and up backside stud walls. To forbid plastic pipe from deforming employ piping inserts at any joints.

Include a shut-off valve on the hot and cold supplies as close as possible to the shower. It's easier to tighten up pinch-type joints on a copper pipe, then slot in a department of copper pipage at the cease of the plastic pipe runs. In one case yous've done this, put the plastic cease ends on these pipes, switch the stopcock dorsum on and check for leaks on the new pipage runs.

4. Flush the pipework through to remove whatever clay

To prevent any damage to the shower valve, flush the new pipework through to ensure any dirt flowing in the water is removed. Turn the water off, remove the terminate ends and get someone to hold a saucepan under the outlets while you turn the water back on. When yous have finished flushing the h2o through y'all can switch off the stopcock.

five. Work out how much outlet pipe is required

Take the shower valve, identify information technology against the wall where it's going to be fitted and marking off the corporeality of outlet pipe required to allow it to fit flush to the wall.

6. Cut the outlet pipes

Next, cut both outlet pipes to the required length.

Top tip: utilise a close quarter tubing cutter, which is great for tight spaces.

7. Drill the holes

You can now mark and drill the holes for the valve. Utilize a diamond- tipped tile drill if you're drilling into tiles.

Acme tip: to create perfect holes fast employ a water-cooled drill guide.

Fit a shower tray, grout tiles, install a screen, seal a bath, fix a tap, make soap…

8. Place a collapsible olive into each inlet

Identify a collapsible olive into each inlet on the valve and secure by screwing the retaining nut on by one plow.

ix. Align the valve with the supply pipes

Align the thermostatic valve with the supply pipes ensuring they slide into the inlet pipes fully. Next, spiral the shower valve to the wall and tighten the retaining nuts with an adaptable spanner. Plow the stopcock back on (make certain the shower valve is turned off beginning) and bank check for leaks at the inlet pipes.

ten. Fit the rest of the shower kit

The menses of hot and common cold water from an exposed shower valve is taken to the shower head by a flexible hose or a solid riser pipe. (For a curtained shower valve it may exist taken to a wall or ceiling mounted fixed shower head).

If your shower kit uses a flexible hose all you need to do now is connect it up and fit the bracket that holds the handset in place.

If you lot have a riser pipe it may need to exist cut to length first to arrange your ceiling height. If you exercise need to cut it down, mensurate the depth of the recess that the pipe sits in on the valve and and then on the bracket that secures the top of the riser.

11. Take measurements

Accept some double-sided record and put information technology on the superlative bracket, stick it at the height you desire it to be above the shower valve. Measure betwixt the bottom of the subclass and the top mounting nut on the valve. Add together this measurement to those yous made in the previous step and cut the riser pipe to this length.

Superlative tip: make sure to cut the piping with a pipe cutter, not a hacksaw.

12. Test the riser pipe fits

Examination that the riser pipe fits between the valve and bracket, and ensure information technology'due south vertical with a spirit level. Mark off the superlative bracket mounting holes, drill and plug.

thirteen. Fully fit the riser pipe

Now you can fully fit the riser and tighten the top and bottom nuts. Some shower kits have an extension slice that attaches to the riser's pinnacle subclass – this takes the shower caput. Fit this and screw the shower head on. Bank check for leaks past running the shower. Ensure the thermostat works by switching on the taps and make sure the shower temperature remains constant.

Good TIPS

Be very careful when hammering in the wall plugs. It'southward a expert thought to use a suitable hammer – otherwise, you run the risk of swinging and bang-up into a tile instead. In fact, hammer the wall plugs directly into the wall behind, if possible. This will tighten the spiral into the brick surrounding the drill hole without cracking the tile.

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DIY is a great way to salvage time and money, however to avoid thwarting, invalidating your warranty, and potential injury nosotros recommend hiring a trained professional person. This guide on how to fit a thermostatic shower is for your information only and if you lot do decide to be bold and try information technology, we cannot exist responsible for any upshot.

Hi, I'm Liz, an interiors blogger. My main focus area is the bathroom, where I aim to inspire anyone who's planning and designing a new bathroom – you'll find plenty of tips, how-to guides and a wealth of ideas!