How to Install a Pressure-Balance Shower Valve | This Old House

Maintaining safe shower water temperatures with This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)

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Richard helped a homeowner replace an existing three-valve shower control with a single-handled mixing valve. In a three-valve control, one handle controls hot water, one handle controls cold, and the third handle diverts water from the spout up to the showerhead. The new single-handle valve prevents scalding, should there be a sudden drop in cold water pressure. Richard began by removing the existing valves. Next, he traced around a template supplied by the new valve's manufacturer. He used masonry bit to drill many small holes around the perimeter, being careful to stay inside the template line. He then used a cold chisel to break the tile carefully between the holes. With the new opening cut in the tile wall, Richard cut out the existing valves and centered the new valve body in the opening. He then soldered the connections to the hot and cold water supply pipes as well as the lines to the tub spout and showerhead. With the connections made, Richard covered the opening with a trim plate, installed the handle and a matching tub spout, and the installation was complete. Later, up in the loft, Richard showed a variety of decorative trim packages available for shower valves.

Shopping List for Installing a Pressure-Balance Shower Valve:
- Pressure-balance shower valve [https://www.symmons.com/]

- Copper pipe and assorted fittings
- Lead-free solder and flux
- Emery cloth
- Teflon tape

Tools List for Installing a Pressure-Balance Shower Valve:
- Pliers
- Handle puller
- Adjustable wrench
- 24-in. level
- Drill/driver fitted with 3/16-inch-diameter masonry bit
- Hammer and 1/2-inch cold chisel
- Drywall saw
- Reciprocating saw and metal-cutting blade
- Propane torch
- Tubing cutter
- Screwdriver

Richard helped a homeowner replace an existing three-valve shower control with a single-handled mixing valve. In a three-valve control, one handle controls hot water, one handle controls cold, and the third handle diverts water from the spout up to the showerhead. The new single-handle valve prevents scalding, should there be a sudden drop in cold water pressure. Richard began by removing the existing valves. Next, he traced around a template supplied by the new valve's manufacturer. He used masonry bit to drill many small holes around the perimeter, being careful to stay inside the template line. He then used a cold chisel to break the tile carefully between the holes. With the new opening cut in the tile wall, Richard cut out the existing valves and centered the new valve body in the opening. He then soldered the connections to the hot and cold water supply pipes as well as the lines to the tub spout and showerhead. With the connections made, Richard covered the opening with a trim plate, installed the handle and a matching tub spout, and the installation was complete. Later, up in the loft, Richard showed a variety of decorative trim packages available for shower valves.

Richard installed a new pressure-balanced shower valve manufactured by Temptrol®
Symmons Industries, Inc. [https://www.symmons.com/]

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How to Install a Pressure-Balance Shower Valve | This Old House
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