Tub Faucet Replacement
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Dunbar Plumbing was called out to install a 3 handle faucet in a existing structure down on Short and Pike street in Bromley Kentucky. At first we assumed the faucet was a single handle device, which normally denotes pressure balanced. The state of Kentucky and many other states on a national level require that any bath tub or shower must have a device installed that protects the end user of the faucet from extreme hot or cold fluctuations in the temperature. This is a protection that affords the removal of possibilities of people with certaain physical or mental issues that can cause harm to themselves or others. Epileptic seizures are one common example in what these new designs in shower valves are good at protecting from. Inside a potable water system there is a give and take scenario that is constantly playing out as you consume water inside your home.
When this happens, pressure between the hot and cold inside the piping can be unequal for various reasons. This is where the balancing spool inside these new style faucets protect by offering the pressure differential being matched and no temperature spikes result. A pressure balanced valve avoids the sharp decrease in pressure when a toilet is flushed, a sink faucet ran, dishwasher going through cycles along with a washing machine on a fill cycle. These can affect the way the tub-shower faucet emits water at a steady temperature.
It was after we explained all these benefits to the customer that a decision was made to switch to the single handle faucet. At Dunbar Plumbing we would of flatly refused to install a non pressure balanced shower valve given the hazard involving the old design without protection. It is in the best interest of the customer and all parties involved that the plumber provide the instruction and recommendation through insight of the code requirements.
This faucet installation took roughly 3.5 hours from start to finish to install the faucet. There were considerations of course that gave a degree of difficulty to the task at hand but the struggle was short lived. A template of the remodel plate was etched on the wall before cutting to make sure the opening was enough access to allow free movement to install the new shower faucet. Once the opening was created we began roughing in the Delta R10000 valve body from Delta Faucets to mount into the wall connecting the hot and cold water supplies as well as the shower riser and tub spout.
Once the tub shower valve was properly reconnected inside the wall to the water piping , the remodel plate that serves as the opening to cover the prior 3 hole design was installed and secured to the wall, aligning center where the shower valve came out of the wall.
From there the faucet cartridge, chrome trim hardware and tub spout were installed to complete the job at hand. The faucet was operable and ready to use right away. Dunbar Plumbing offers this type of plumbing work and specialize in emergency calls relating to issues such as these. Contact us for more information at 859-359-4833 for more information or visit our main website at www.DunbarPlumbing.com
