fitting new shower mixer, bar type

[Tom]

Hi All,

I have just bought a Swirl thermostatic shower mixer that is to replace a leaking AquaLisa recessed model.

After I have filled in the hole where the old shower was (it was sunken into the tiled plywood "wall" of a cupboard) I need to fit the new mixer.

The method of fixing it isn't clear from the manual - it seems to be achieved using "s-elbows" (supplied) and nothing else. Is this usual?

Is there a guide anywhere of how to fit these type of mixers? Is it effectively supported on the pipes - it does seem quite heavy?

What do I connect the s-elbows to at the supply side?

Thanks, Tom

[Roger Mills]

When I fitted mine, in a stud wall, I used one of these:

elbows are rigidly supported by the cross-piece which, in turn, I screwed to the studding. I used Hep2O (or equivalent - forget exactly which) flexible plastic pipe - with inserts, of course - straight into the compression inputs of the elbows.

I was building the wall at the same time, so it was easy to build this into the wall. If you can get behind your plywood 'wall', and fit one of these, it will make your life a hell of a lot easier.

[YAPH]

A few suggested fixing methods on the DIY wiki

[John Rumm]

Possibly:

more likely by the sounds of it:

What do I connect the s-elbows to at the supply side?

The cranked adaptors allow you to take out any slight error is pipe spacing. Normally you would arrange to being a 1/2" BSP female socket out about level with the finished tile level. The cranked adaptors go into these with plenty of PRFE tape to seal. The mixer screws onto the

3/4" BSP end of the adaptors.

[sm_jamieson]

When I did mine, it came with non-cranked 1/2 to 3/4 inch adapters and some panel-mounting bolts. I connected the adapters to a compression elbow at the back, then mounted the adapters onto a piece of aluminium plate (from a local metal supermarkets) carefully measured and drilled. The larger plate gives a more solid fixing, and better to resists forces is someone uses it as a grab handle ! Forward planning is required to ensure the correct depth after tiling. Simon.

[Andrew Gabriel]

The bar type are all (AFAIK) slow acting thermostats using a phile. Your recessed one may have been a fast acting one designed for a multipoint heater or combi boiler (although they also come in cheaper slow acting versions for stored hot water, and completely non-thermostatic valves). Might want to double check you have a suitable replacement before fitting it - there are several types of thermostatic controls for different situations (with a wide range of prices).