Toilets, Sinks, Showers, Tubs and Disposals - Bewildered by whirlpool plumbing
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hawkdl2
03-03-06, 07:56 AM
It starts with I had no idea there seems to be so many ways to plumb a tub/shower these days - old style H/C valves, diverters, thermostatic mixers and individual volume controls. I'm having trouble figuring out the best approach to plumb in the handspray option I need for the whirlpool in a new spa room.
I'm re-piping my whole house and remodeling a spare bath as a spa room. I plan to have 1" main lines going to 3/4" in the spa room and master bath - both will have "water features" and higher demand. The tub comes with a built in waterfall filler (3/4"). The tub fits in an alcove and the filler is in the back, so the valves have to go on the wall to the front left for access and space (there is not enough deck for the valves and it's an oval tub of same dimension as the alcove). The manufacturer and one of the plumbers I've had bid on the job recommended 3/4" to the tub filler (75 gal). It also seems that the higher end fixtures either come in 3/4" or it's an option, while the lower end brands seem to come predominately 1/2". That doesn't seem to challenging to figure out. However, I'm lost as to the best approach to put in a handspray - diverter, volume controls for the filler and handspray, etc. I would think I only need 1/2" to the handspray, but I'm having some trouble finding much i n the way of 3/4" handspray fixtures to allow 3/4" to pass through to the tub.
Further, all the valve rough-in sets I've seen in catalogues seem to require the tub filler to be between the H/C valves. Does this have to be the case? Can I buy any 3/4" valve/spout set and just throw away the included filler spout section and plumb the H/C vlaves to a "tee" and then over to the tub's built in waterfall filler? Does the diverter for the HS have to be located in line with the same pipe diameter? Would it end up making more sense, and costing a lot more, to use volume controls for the filler and HS and just "tee" off the 3/4" line from the H/C valves?
I know I can go the expensive route and use separate volume controls as I'm planning on for two heads and 6 body sprays in my master bath, but that seems too expensive and overkill for just filling a tub. However, this is what the seemingly knowledgeable sales person at Expo Design recommended for the master shower (no diverter, just a thermo mixer and a series of volume controls) to allow unlimited choices of two sets of body sprays and the showerhear/handspray. Interestingly, I looked through a nice catalogue at HD yesterday that showed a series of manufacturer set up options from Grohe and Hansgrohe, and another manufacturer, and of the 10 or so configurations ALL used a diverter - none were just a thermo mixer and a collection of volume controls.
I'm lost. Help.
I'm re-piping my whole house and remodeling a spare bath as a spa room. I plan to have 1" main lines going to 3/4" in the spa room and master bath - both will have "water features" and higher demand. The tub comes with a built in waterfall filler (3/4"). The tub fits in an alcove and the filler is in the back, so the valves have to go on the wall to the front left for access and space (there is not enough deck for the valves and it's an oval tub of same dimension as the alcove). The manufacturer and one of the plumbers I've had bid on the job recommended 3/4" to the tub filler (75 gal). It also seems that the higher end fixtures either come in 3/4" or it's an option, while the lower end brands seem to come predominately 1/2". That doesn't seem to challenging to figure out. However, I'm lost as to the best approach to put in a handspray - diverter, volume controls for the filler and handspray, etc. I would think I only need 1/2" to the handspray, but I'm having some trouble finding much i n the way of 3/4" handspray fixtures to allow 3/4" to pass through to the tub.
Further, all the valve rough-in sets I've seen in catalogues seem to require the tub filler to be between the H/C valves. Does this have to be the case? Can I buy any 3/4" valve/spout set and just throw away the included filler spout section and plumb the H/C vlaves to a "tee" and then over to the tub's built in waterfall filler? Does the diverter for the HS have to be located in line with the same pipe diameter? Would it end up making more sense, and costing a lot more, to use volume controls for the filler and HS and just "tee" off the 3/4" line from the H/C valves?
I know I can go the expensive route and use separate volume controls as I'm planning on for two heads and 6 body sprays in my master bath, but that seems too expensive and overkill for just filling a tub. However, this is what the seemingly knowledgeable sales person at Expo Design recommended for the master shower (no diverter, just a thermo mixer and a series of volume controls) to allow unlimited choices of two sets of body sprays and the showerhear/handspray. Interestingly, I looked through a nice catalogue at HD yesterday that showed a series of manufacturer set up options from Grohe and Hansgrohe, and another manufacturer, and of the 10 or so configurations ALL used a diverter - none were just a thermo mixer and a collection of volume controls.
I'm lost. Help.