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ionized_gw

tub/shower valve

ionized_gw
11 years ago

I had some plumbers in last week to do a few things. I am so far behind that I don't have time to figure out how to do all the things that I have never done before, only a few.....

One item was a very slow leak directly under the "coupler" to the hot water valve. Note that this is a three-valve system with a pull-out diverter in a 50s-early 60s bathroom. It is all copper and there is an elbow directly under that valve body and very close to the fitting that screws onto the valve. I had the paneling off the wall opposite the tub and I noticed a little moisture on the bottom of the elbow. The leak is so slow that after a shower, it is dry for a while due to the heat in the pipe.

Plumber had a hard time getting the fitting unscrewed due to position* and muttered that he was not sure that he could make it work because the fitting is not available any more. After re-setting both the hot and cold side and some cutting and soldering, They left feeling satisfied.

Later, I noticed that the wire lath-backed tiles were cracked around the hot water valve and later still, there was still moisture collecting on the same (slightly repositioned) elbow.

The questions are:

Should that tile have been cracked? In other words, were they careless?

What do I do now, just put in another faucet/diverter assembly? Should I do it myself? It does not look that hard. I have successfully sweated copper pipes a couple of times with at least a decade between attempts. Is the spacing between the three holes/stems standard?

I should have taken a pic. Note that this whole bathroom needs to be redone as more is broken or worn out than sound.

*The installation has the hot water side valve behind an iron vent pipe. The guy repositioned the copper so now it is easier to reach in there.

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