Change older shower mixing valve? Other considerations while the wall is open?

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thompsdw

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I am ripping out a fiberglass shower at my daughter's home and installing a walk in tile shower. Is it necessary (or just a good idea - like the thermostatic feature) to put in a new mixing valve while I have access to everything in the wall? Or just change the cartridge? The house is about 35 years old. And is there anything else that you would recommend while I am doing the project? I guess it's OK for the water in the home to stay pressurized behind the mixing valve during construction?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Make sure the new shower valve has individual water stops, so the cartridge can be replaced without shutting down the water to the entire unit.
 
Yea, I did but get this. Had to go back to HD because there were no stop valves in the kit. :mad:. So I go back and 3 of 6 boxes don't have stop valve bag in the box. Must be a hot item I guess.
 
I just installed a new Delta shower valve from Home Depot and the first 3 HD re-sealed boxes were missing the valve faceplate.
 
thompsdw said:
Yea, I did but get this. Had to go back to HD because there were no stop valves in the kit. :mad:. So I go back and 3 of 6 boxes don't have stop valve bag in the box. Must be a hot item I guess.
Click to expand...
havasu said:
I just installed a new Delta shower valve from Home Depot and the first 3 HD re-sealed boxes were missing the valve faceplate.

Buy it from Amazon! Too many people monkeying around with boxes at Lowes and Home Depot.
 
thompsdw said:
I am ripping out a fiberglass shower at my daughter's home and installing a walk in tile shower. Is it necessary (or just a good idea - like the thermostatic feature) to put in a new mixing valve while I have access to everything in the wall? Or just change the cartridge? The house is about 35 years old. And is there anything else that you would recommend while I am doing the project? I guess it's OK for the water in the home to stay pressurized behind the mixing valve during construction?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I would add enough horizontal 2x6 or 2x8 set into the studs such that you can properly accommodate safety grab bars. @Twowaxhack as I recall does this when he does the renovations as well.
 
thompsdw said:
Yea, I did but get this. Had to go back to HD because there were no stop valves in the kit. :mad:. So I go back and 3 of 6 boxes don't have stop valve bag in the box. Must be a hot item I guess.
Click to expand...
I went to HD to get two Brasscraft 1/4 turn shut offs. Had to open four boxes to get two with ferrules. another hot item?
 
thompsdw said:
Yea, I did but get this. Had to go back to HD because there were no stop valves in the kit. :mad:. So I go back and 3 of 6 boxes don't have stop valve bag in the box. Must be a hot item I guess.
Click to expand...
Depends on the manufacturer. HD has Symmons and Delta products with integral stops as stocking units. These valves are code-required in MA for multi-family units allowing single units to be serviced without requiring you to shut down an entire building to service a single unit. Symmons valves have an "X" designation in the model #. Additionally, these units have valves installed and no extra bag of parts is included or needed.
 
tomt30960 said:
Depends on the manufacturer. HD has Symmons and Delta products with integral stops as stocking units. These valves are code-required in MA for multi-family units allowing single units to be serviced without requiring you to shut down an entire building to service a single unit. Symmons valves have an "X" designation in the model #. Additionally, these units have valves installed and no extra bag of parts is included or needed.
Click to expand...
While I like my Delta valves, and have had them for many years without issue, I really enjoyed my Symmons on my first home, one I renovated in 1989. My dad gave us the shower valve. Symmons isn't as widely distributed as Delta but they are common in Massachusetts where Dad lives. If I needed to change one out I might look for a Symmons again.
 
I joined the Forum a few months ago looking for help to identify a shower valve that had an unknown faceplate manufacturer. The construction of the Symmons is very impressive and fully rebuildable. Downside in my area is none of the supply houses stocked them so I had to go to Amazon or an internet supplier.

I posted a some pics and a utube video I found that was excellent. Delta repair parts seem to be more widely available.
 
Shower is cut out now, so I know what I am dealing with and had a few more questions. Everything is 1/2" sweat copper. My daughter wants dual shower heads, so I have to get water to the other side of the shower. The way they framed their corners there is no way I will be able to solder corners without ripping framing out, so I think I am going to convert everything to 1/2 Pex.

A couple of questions:
  1. I am not as quick as you pro's so I was thinking of just soldering 1/2" ball valves on the supplies so that I can get the water in the house up and running again. Either that or solder a few caps in place, but then I have to cut them off. I can't imagine anything would go wrong with an open ball valve in the closed in wall over time?
  2. Do you guys trust threaded connections (to convert to Pex) at the shower valve, or do you always solder?
 

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Mitchell-DIY-Guy said:
havasu said:
I just installed a new Delta shower valve from Home Depot and the first 3 HD re-sealed boxes were missing the valve faceplate.

Buy it from Amazon! Too many people monkeying around with boxes at Lowes and Home Depot.
Click to expand...
I refuse to purchase anything from Spamazon. In fact, I am president of a non-profit who is suing to stop Spamazon from destroying our town with a million sq ft warehouse in the center of my city. Yep, not in my backyard!
 
I totally support your effort - unfortunately in a rural area like mine sometimes it is the best option. What's just as frustrating is the under the table tax dollars going to the USPS to help Bezos.
 
havasu said:
I refuse to purchase anything from Spamazon. In fact, I am president of a non-profit who is suing to stop Spamazon from destroying our town with a million sq ft warehouse in the center of my city. Yep, not in my backyard!
Click to expand...
AOC got them to move from her garden spot in NYC to within spitting distance of my shack here in northern Virginia. If you need her “digits”, I am sure they are available somewhere.
 
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