What type of shower can I have?

sho_me_da_money

plumb1_2 said:

It’s industry standard to have hot on the left, you will have present and future problems if the pipework is not fitted correctly. There should be enough room under the tray to swop them over.

The gap with yellow arrows, are you having a stud wall built with a pocket in it.? I built one last week for a customer. For 1400 mm tray. Also recommend that a Classi seal ( other makes available) is fitted around the tray 
As Buff says the only shower valve I know that can be swopped around for cross supplies is a Mira excellent.

Thanks Plumb!

How much would you charge to make something like this right. Just don't want to be ripped off.

ThisIsWeird

I suspect Plumb would be very unlikely to make what is a very basic error in the first place, and if he did, he'd sort it for nothing. 'Cos it was a mistake - the plumber's.

I'm a DIYer, and I wouldn't have done this. More than once

plumb1_2

Ya you shouldn’t be charged for it, I can’t understand why they’ve clad the walls in tile board if you’re building a stud wall in front of the said wall.
Off to work now grouting a wall with a pocket in I built a few days ago and laying a lvt floor.

sho_me_da_money

So there is a bit of hoo-haa forming between plumber and I and he is refusing to fix. I think I want to just get rid and just get someone proper in to fix it. 

The shower tray is sealed in place but under the tray is the concrete hardie backer board that is screwed down to the OSB board. Under the OSB board are the pipes. I don't believe it is easily accessible at all. So only way I see is the tray has to be removed and replaced or am I wrong? Would you guys be able to advise how much this would cost me?

The reason for the Hardiebacker on the wall is because when the original plasterboard was taken down, that wall is bulding using those hollow terracotta clay bricks. Very very very weak. Since we were planning on tiling, we decided to go with hardiebacker so that it would give the wall more strength to hold a sink and shower unit. The fake stud now being built for a niche was an after-thought.

ThisIsWeird

sho_me_da_money said:

So there is a bit of hoo-haa forming between plumber and I and he is refusing to fix. I think I want to just get rid and just get someone proper in to fix it. 

The shower tray is sealed in place but under the tray is the concrete hardie backer board that is screwed down to the OSB board. Under the OSB board are the pipes. I don't believe it is easily accessible at all. So only way I see is the tray has to be removed and replaced or am I wrong? Would you guys be able to advise how much this would cost me?

The reason for the Hardiebacker on the wall is because when the original plasterboard was taken down, that wall is bulding using those hollow terracotta clay bricks. Very very very weak. Since we were planning on tiling, we decided to go with hardiebacker so that it would give the wall more strength to hold a sink and shower unit. The fake stud now being built for a niche was an after-thought.

Ask this guy which specific thermostatic shower mixer he recommends you buy. Because something weird is going on if he reckons it's ok to use the incorrect H/C inputs. The thermostat will simply not work.

sho_me_da_money

ThisIsWeird said:

sho_me_da_money said:

So there is a bit of hoo-haa forming between plumber and I and he is refusing to fix. I think I want to just get rid and just get someone proper in to fix it. 

The shower tray is sealed in place but under the tray is the concrete hardie backer board that is screwed down to the OSB board. Under the OSB board are the pipes. I don't believe it is easily accessible at all. So only way I see is the tray has to be removed and replaced or am I wrong? Would you guys be able to advise how much this would cost me?

The reason for the Hardiebacker on the wall is because when the original plasterboard was taken down, that wall is bulding using those hollow terracotta clay bricks. Very very very weak. Since we were planning on tiling, we decided to go with hardiebacker so that it would give the wall more strength to hold a sink and shower unit. The fake stud now being built for a niche was an after-thought.

Ask this guy which specific thermostatic shower mixer he recommends you buy. Because something weird is going on if he reckons it's ok to use the incorrect H/C inputs. The thermostat will simply not work.

He just posted me this

https://www.builderdepot.co.uk/hansgrohe-vernis-blend-200-1-jet-showerpipe-with-thermostat-chrome

Im guessing he is wrong.

ThisIsWeird

What stage are you at with payments? If you did have to cancel the contract, how would you and he be left? Happy to 'call it quits', or will one be left owing/owed?

How much of these conversations are you able to record and demonstrate - anything by email/messenger/Whatsapp for example?

If he is maintaining that the incorrect supplies will not be an issue (unless there's a very specific model like the Mira mentioned which is apparently reversible?), then he is wrong. You can Google this until the cows come home. If he continues with this installation with the existing supplies, you will be restricted to virtually one make and model of shower.

So you need to make him acknowledge that this is unacceptable. You don't need to tell him his job, but just ask (and if done verbally, then have your phone recording, or it witnessed):

"Are you telling me it doesn't matter which way around the H&C are?"

"So you're saying the thermostat will still work as it should?"

"Which makes and models of thermostatic shower will work this way?"

"Are you saying I don't need a thermostatic shower mixer?"

Etc - whichever Qs you need to ask.

Based on his replies - and let's face it, he either hunkers down on his incorrect claims or else acknowledges he does need to sort it - there's no other options I can see - you either let him sort it (at zero extra cost to you), or else you write to him cancelling the contract based on his incorrect advice. That should be more than enough to justify 'that you've had a loss of confidence in their ability, and trust in their information'.

If you are considering the 'cancelling' route, then cover yourself 100%.

sho_me_da_money

Thanks TIW

He just posted me this shower but I have a feeling he doesn't know. Is this compatible? Im guessing now but will let you confirm.

https://www.builderdepot.co.uk/hansgrohe-vernis-blend-200-1-jet-showerpipe-with-thermostat-chrome

Gavin83

So these are the installation instructions for that shower, from the Hansgrohe website:

https://assets.hansgrohe.com/mam/celum/celum_assets/16__hrgh2121_pdf.pdf?_gl=1*11yud36*_ga*MzU1NzM2MTAxLjE2NzgzNTc2ODk.*_gid*MTQwMDAxODkzNC4xNjc4MzU3Njg5*_fplc*MFhrRmtFOTRNOG5SNjhOUmh1TDdGeCUyRkVEY3Bvc21YYk1vd1BhMWpZRHVXRjBIZlFDcEFiaWVMZUNYSk1FODdieVZtVG5mbHlKbXFTVm5lYTRHQnBXRlF1S2NjRUtxRk0wRmQyUWpQNSUyRlpncm1GYkNBek5Na2JZYTZIJTJCT05nJTNEJTNE

They're quite basic but if you go to the English section and look under the 'Technical Data' section you'll see a bit regarding the connections. It clearly says under that 'cold right - hot left'. Ask him how that'll work given your connections are the opposite way around.

sho_me_da_money

PHEW that was a lucky one. 

He just confirmed the red tape on the right pipe DOES NOT mean hot. He put that tape one to avoid corrosion but assures me the HOT feed is indeed the left pipe and the COLD feed is indeed the right.

Not to take the pee out of him, is there any way I can check this?

Another basic question:

When you do a flow/bar/pressure test. Which tap do you open - cold or hot? I've noticed the cold is much more pressure visually than the hot. So when it comes to identifying the right shower and they say you need min 1 bar or X/litres per minute, which feed are they referring to?