No access to shower plumbing

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mdnagel
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:39 am

I am looking to pick back up a project to re-do all my plumbing with PEX (going with PEX-A): I spec'd this out WAAY back in 2012 (viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9018)! I believe that I only have one issue to resolve, and that's how to connect up to the master bath shower. It's a one-piece walk-in unit. The plumbing lies on an outside wall, with no access from outside.

Would I be able to snake lines up and fix them in place w/o removing the shower unit?

I've had a new faucet laying around that I never could justify trying to install, thinking it was going to be a ton of work. I think that I figured I'd hold off until doing this larger project. Anyway, it looks like this faucet (round) would accommodate having a significantly larger access hole to work with (than the two knob, rectangular one).

And what about the piping to the shower head? No clue as to what the existing pipe is, nor how to access. Maybe it'll just connect up to the new faucet and I can leave it alone?

My other tub/shower has an access hole from an adjacent bedroom, for the faucet part. No access to the shower head here either.

Home is a 1998 doublewide Champion.
mdnagel
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:39 am

Found this thread to be of interest (it popped up in my search for "drop ear"):

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5875&sid=ac0fa3cfee ... cbe0b2473c

Still doesn't address what can be done if you don't have access.

As my guest bath has an access panel via an adjacent bedroom I'm going to pull it off and take a look (need to know anyway). I figure that it should be the same basic plumbing bits (most everything is original). I've got a ton of crap blocking the panel, so gonna take a while before I cant gain access.

I unscrewed the cover for the shower head pipe, but that didn't really tell me anything.

Might just look to retain whatever piping is in there (most likely CPVC). Assumes, that is, I can get the pipe on the new valve.
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Greg
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Location: Weedsport, NY

It sounds like you have two options,
neither are going to be easy. You can open the outside wall or you can open the inside wall. I would be very surprised if you can just snake the new lines up from the bottom and if you could I doubt you could make the connections at the faucet. maybe it's time to think about a bathroom remodel.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mdnagel
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:39 am

Hi, Greg!

Yeah, that's kind of what this is looking like. I know I could probably pull the shower enclosure, but it's a lot more work than I'd like. One option might be to just run PEX to the existing faucet, connecting with sharkbite (PEX->CVPC) fittings, and then look to finish it off properly when I get around to doing a remodel.

I do wonder, though, whether popping out the moldings (and door rail) on the one side might not allow me to pry that side of the unit enough to gain access.
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Greg
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I personally do not like using pushlock type fittings in an area that you can not see. I have them leak on me.
If you can remove moldings and gain access that may work for you.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mdnagel
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:39 am

You're right. I should, instead, do PEX-A to CPVC adapters. But, I'm getting a little ahead of myself because I have no idea how the connections to the bath/shower faucets are: will try and get around to accessing the guest bathroom's connections.
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Greg
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Most of the new ones that I have seen are either 1/2" pipe thread or PEX.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
mdnagel
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:39 am

Here's the guest bath's shower faucet connections (just showing one water line, cold- the other one is the same). These appear to be swivel fittings?
gBath.jpg
The one in the master bath is likely the same. I "might" be able to go direct with PEX. Don't know whether I'd be able to get away with installing a new faucet (just in the master at this time), but needing to cut up the stall to facilitate the new faucet would mean more room to work with [though I wouldn't look to cut until I was sure that I did have working room].
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