Creative plumbing for water saver valve
You know those water saver valves you can attach to a faucet or a shower arm? You push a little button and it causes the water to dribble rather than a full force spray. The purpose is to allow you to soap up without wasting so much water yet maintaining a small stream flowing to ensure the water stays the same temp as you soap up. When ready to rinse off push the button back and you got full stream again.
Well I have short kids who can’t reach the shower arm to push the water saver button. I’d like someones idea on a creative way to permanently attach this valve sothat my kids can use it as well as myself. I’d love to find a valve designed for use inside a wall with a push button that can be mounted to the wall, but never seen anything like it.
Anyone ever plumb a water saver valve creatively like this before?
Replies
There are old style fawcets for claw foot tubs where the whole fawcet is exposed and it has the shower tube come up out of it fully exposed up to the shower head. You could put the valve in there where your kids could reach it.
Here's a link to one I found. click to enlarge the pic. The goose neck is exposed on the way up. http://shopping.msn.com/specs/shp/?itemId=861898908
Edited 11/5/2007 11:29 pm ET by popawheelie
well I appreciate your input. I should clarify, however, that I have a shower surround where the faucet and such needs to be inside the wall. I think it'd be cool if there was some kind of push button water saver someone would make that you can install on the wall but is attached to the shower riser and shuts off the water when depressed. Maybe I'm on to something, maybe if I can invent this I can make a few million.If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
So you want it to look good too! I'm the same way sometimes. I have an idea but want it to look finished. We need our own team of people to make our ideas happen. ;^)
how about a ball valve in the wall with a longer stem that comes through the tiled wall. On the stem you could put a simple handle. You could put an ecscusion sp?behind the handle to dress out the stem.
Edited 11/5/2007 11:59 pm ET by popawheelie
Plastic step-stool?
what about going with a hand held and a mounting rod to move the head up or down with the valve mounted close to the hand held?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000KPZW3A/sr=1-65/qid=1194339089/ref=dp_image_0/105-5752304-6604462?ie=UTF8&n=1057792&s=bedbath&qid=1194339089&sr=1-65
Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
Edited 11/6/2007 3:53 am ET by JHOLE
That would work, too, except I hate handhelds because they look cluttery in the shower. I mean itll certainly work, what you're saying and I may be forced to do it that way. Sigh, I just like appearances, too. I can't believe the makers, AS, Kohler, etc, haven't thought of this. Then again anytime you get ANYthing slightly more fancier than a normal faucet it'll whack the price up $300.If at first you don't succeed, try using a hammer next time...everything needs some extra persuasion from time to time. -ME
Replace the shower valve with one that has a themostatic valve and a separate volume control. It's not a pushbutton but will accomplish the same thing.
How much money do you want to spend?
Here's one I did for some people that own a national upscale clothing shop.
http://www.interbath.com/ondine/esstub.html
"Well I have short kids who can't reach the shower arm to push the water saver button."
Barry Bonds had the same problem til he discovered HGH (Human Growth Hormone" ;)
why not just plumb in a nice looking valve above the shower valve. Won't be a button, but maybe will look good. If I had a client who wanted this I would just buy a shower valve that has seperate controls for volume and temp, there are lots of different models...