Shower - is this right?

Carrot007

Hey peeps,

Just wanting your thought on a shower installation that was done at my mothers!

I think it is really bad. But I like things done well. Maybe it's not as bad as I think but there are in my view a lot of bodges done to make life easy for the installers rather than do a good job.

First thing I wil point out. After it was initially fitted the shower just dribbled (shower off gas combi, good pressure, hot water fine from taps, yes old boiler and 15mm gas pipe, but then again it is practically next to the meter so 15mm may be fine even now). Anyway they sorted that (could still be better in my views but hey it's ok).

Right so my issue's with what they have done after having just been over to investigate slow draining (you take a long shower it would overflow).

i. The shower tray was just plonked on the floorboards. Now this definatly come under the lazy part I think. Shoudl have removed floorboards and placed on beams to lower and make not so much of a step (hey you want a shower as you are less mobile, you don't eant a step).

ii. Becuase of i there is a longer drop from the trap, they used a corrugated pipe for this. As a consequence I could not get my camera down and will have to remove the pipe from outside and go in. I think flexi tubing is very wrong on waste. Especially in this case.

iii. Shower placement. They put it on the inside walls not the external. This means furrther to go for draining and seems to contribute to the above with their bodges. No reason the shower and sink could not have been the other way around. My mother did not specify any palcement for anything.

iv. They just reused the old bashed in metal downpipe for the toilet rather than replace. The shower/sink also just drain into an old fashioned halfway up the wall open top pipe. Again repalceing the downpipe and plumbing in right would have IMO been the think to do. (this cost more than my bathroom where all this was done).

v. Used laminate flooring. Definately not a good idea around water if you ask me. My mother will keep it dry. Others would not. (agaain easy life for them, my cheaper bathroom was tiled and had plywood down before it as well, this means hardly any step/lip on my shower!). (they also used plastic pannels on the walls but I think my mother asked for that. I don't like, but hey!)

So mainly is my view that putting the tray on the floorboards and using a flexi tube in waste are really poor workmanship justified. Now yes I expect more than just the basics and may be wrong. But it seems I got competent poeple that know why things should be donwe and my mother got some fool that knows nothing and just expects things to work and blames anything burt themselves when it does not.

(ohh nearly forgot)

vi. the thermostatic mixer is in no way calibrated. to get anything near heat I have to put it up full, full, after the safety (it is cold before it!). Now again my mother prefers cold showers but this is just poor! (and what they replaced as the old one was vblamed for the nothing but a drip flow).

Jeepers_Creepers

15mm pipes are fine for use with a combi boiler (often recommended, in fact), since the water is delivered at mains pressure, so flow should not be held back. If your taps 'gush', then so should your shower.

Make and model of shower?

Placing the tray straight on the floor is fine - provided the floor is firm enough to take it without movement. I understand that you would want it as low as possible, but assuming they are using the old waste pipe level, the lower you place the tray, the slower it will drain.

Having said that, the tray should drain - if it doesn't, there's either a blockage, or else it wasn't installed properly Eg waste pipe doesn't have adequate fall. Waste pipe has unnecessary bends and kinks in it. Concertina'd pipe is not a good move - not the sign of a pro. It'll also be more restrictive in flow, and might also not keep to the required 'fall' since it's flexible.

Thermo shower mixers are adjustable, and should have been calibrated after installation, assuming they actually checked the flow and temp?! If you can ID the make, we should be able to guide you (didn't they leave the instructions for the shower?)

elsien

V. Used laminate flooring. Your mother is the customer. Did she not specify what flooring she wanted? 

That would normally be part of the quote if they are supplying. So what did they quote for? 

southcoastrgi

Good job I didn't fit the tray cause it would have either been on feet or a base, I have no idea what you are talking about with the wc pipe maybe post some pics of what you aren't happy with 

tacpot12

How much did your Mum pay for the work?

Doozergirl

I would not place a shower tray directly onto the joists because even good ones have a propensity to flex.  Any flex in a shower tray is bad as it will break the silicone seal quickly. 

Plywood is not an ideal base for tiles as it doesn't bond correctly with tile adhesive.  Cement board should be used on tiled areas. 

Changing all of the waste pipes outside is not a standard job for a bathroom refit. 

fenwick458

most of the points raised are things that the person ordering the work should have agreed with the contractors before work started.
the use of corrugated waste pipe as you call it isn't good.
was that all planned out and agreed before work started?

Carrot007

Jeepers_Creepers said:

15mm pipes are fine for use with a combi boiler (often recommended, in fact), since the water is delivered at mains pressure, so flow should not be held back. If your taps 'gush', then so should your shower.

Make and model of shower?

Placing the tray straight on the floor is fine - provided the floor is firm enough to take it without movement. I understand that you would want it as low as possible, but assuming they are using the old waste pipe level, the lower you place the tray, the slower it will drain.

Having said that, the tray should drain - if it doesn't, there's either a blockage, or else it wasn't installed properly Eg waste pipe doesn't have adequate fall. Waste pipe has unnecessary bends and kinks in it. Concertina'd pipe is not a good move - not the sign of a pro. It'll also be more restrictive in flow, and might also not keep to the required 'fall' since it's flexible.

Thermo shower mixers are adjustable, and should have been calibrated after installation, assuming they actually checked the flow and temp?! If you can ID the make, we should be able to guide you (didn't they leave the instructions for the shower?)

Cheers. I meant 11mm for the gas. But the meter is really on the other side of the wall so not far!, maybe 3m of pipes.

Is pretty much what I thought then (when I have my resonable head on). All ok beyond the issues and the flexi pipe!

Carrot007

elsien said:

V. Used laminate flooring. Your mother is the customer. Did she not specify what flooring she wanted? 

That would normally be part of the quote if they are supplying. So what did they quote for? 

As far as she is saying she just asked for  a good deal and left it to them. Even if she asked for it should they not say, are you sure becuase...?

Carrot007

southcoastrgi said:

Good job I didn't fit the tray cause it would have either been on feet or a base, I have no idea what you are talking about with the wc pipe maybe post some pics of what you aren't happy with 

No problem with the WC pipe as such but being the original 70s one and the metal bashed in outside I would have expected a replacement. Let's face it a new pipe costs next to nothing and could have had the other waste plumbed in.

Carrot007

tacpot12 said:

How much did your Mum pay for the work?

5.5K I think. And yes area will come into it, but she's 20 mins away and I paid less for a better job with better stuff.