Until recently, replacing a shower valve meant major plumbing surgery and a conspicuous wall repair - or worse, replacing the shower enclosure.

That's because until recently, replacing a shower valve meant major plumbing surgery and a conspicuous wall repair - or worse, the valve's escutcheon is large enough to hide the access hole that allows you to remove the old valve and install the new one. The oversize escutcheon was designed for a reason other than retrofitting: It houses two adjustable jetted spray nozzles. So even if you don’t need to fix your shower, you may want to consider the Delta 1824 valve as a luxurious step up from ordinary shower valves. Suggested retail prices for the 1824 range from $299 to $525, depending on the finish. It may sound expensive until you consider the cost of repairing or replacing a shower enclosure — and the valve can be installed in just a few hours.

Installation tactics
We worked with Club member and master plumber Joe Robillard to install the new valve in a fiberglass shower enclosure. The photos show how he enlarged the opening, removed the old valve and replaced it with the new one. Of course, walls and plumbing in your shower may require different installation procedures from the ones shown.

Keep in mind that not every shower is suitable for a retrofit. For example, you may have waterlines that run through framing members, or the wall may be too thick.If possible, check the condition and position of the plumbing by looking inside the wall cavity through the existing valve hole or by making a few small holes where they won’t be seen. (This works well if the shower’s back wall is accessible from the inside of a closet or another area where a patched hole wouldn’t be noticeable.)

If you do have access to the wall behind the shower valve, you may want to install from that side. Delta provides a hole-drilling pattern and thin-wall mounting brackets for this installation method or for use in new construction.

Before you do any cutting, be sure to close your house’s main water valve. If you use a rotary cutout tool such as a RotoZip to enlarge the opening, be sure to set the bit’s cutting depth only slightly deeper than the thickness of the wall. Because the valve we replaced wasn’t secured with blocking, we were able to push it away from the area we were cutting to further reduce the chance of nicking a pipe.

When soldering or using the torch to remove the old valve, wet the surrounding area by misting with a spray bottle. Also, use fireproof felt (see photo 9) to back any area where you apply heat for any length of time. Be sure to dry-fit connections before you solder. You should do most of the soldering with the valve in place.

SOURCES
Delta Faucet Co.
800-345-3358, www.deltafaucet.com


STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: First, remove the old shower valve’s handle and escutcheon. (The old valve was installed before the shower stall and without bracing.)

Step 2: Use the escutcheon as a pattern for cutting a new hole and the old valve as a reference point for the existingsupply lines.

Step 3: Draw a second line about 1 in. inside the pattern line. Use the escutcheon to check the clearance for the jet holes.
 
Step 4: Use a rotary cutout tool to remove the waste. To avoid damaging the plumbing, set the cutter depth slightly more than the wall thickness.
 
Step 5: Cut the showerhead supply line. This line will be shortened after the old valve has been removed and the new one has been fitted.

Step 6: Unsolder the valve to remove it from the supply lines. Don’t cut the lines or the new valve’s position will be changed in relation to the opening. You may need to spread the supply lines slightly to fit the new valve. First, anneal the lines with a torch to soften them (inset).

Step 7: The new valve requires support blocking. Screw 2x4 blocking between the studs located on either side of the opening.
 
Step 8: Solder extensions to the valve inlets; then fit and apply flux to the remaining connections before screwing the valve to the blocking.

Step 9: Solder the rest of the connections. Back the joint with fireproof felt and wet the area to prevent combustion. Work quickly; don’t heat the pipes any more than necessary.
 
Step 10: Finish the job by installing the escutcheon, jets and handles. The escutcheon has a self-sealing foam ring, so there’s no need to caulk.