I’m remodeling an alcove tubshower and I want to put the shower head on the ceiling about 2/3 of the way back from the fixture instead of on the wall above the fixture. It will be mounted on a nipple that is long enough that a tall person can stand under it but it won’t spray over the shower curtain. I plan to run this in copper and insulate it to prevent sweating on the short run in the attic as well as install support blocking at the ceiling penetration. I will slope the pipe one way or the other so it will drain. I could possibly run the pipe on decorative brackets ( im a blacksmith ) below the ceiling too. (Hmm , good place to hang towells )
I don’t have the fixture yet but I think the shower head pipe is usually 1/2″.Should I increase the size of the pipe to 3/4 because of the extra length ? I’m not sure if this matters since I would have to reduce back to 1/2″ at both ends but I don’t want to limit the flow to the shower head.
Do you guysgals see any problems with this or have any suggestions ?
This tub has a toilet sitting next to the rear end of the alcove so my reasoning is that it will be a lot nicer to be able to adjust the water while inside or outside the tub without standing under the water. I’m also going to have a hand wand shower head on the fixture wall because these are so handy for cleaning the tub, washing the dog, etc.
Thanks a lot
Chris
Replies
Unless you intend to install an oversized shower head I would reccommend you NOT mount the head on the ceiling. The arc of a wall mounted shower adds to the coverage. When it is ceiling mounted it just sprays down. You will only be getting your head or one shoulder at a time wet.
BTW, most oversized shower heads require 3/4" pipe from the source, not just from the showerbody . Installing 3/4" pipe from a 1/2" source only gives you 1/2" flow.
I don't think there is a need to even insulate the pipe going through the attic. The pipe is not in use long enough for sweating of any significant degree to occur. Whatever water is left in the pipe after each use will just warm or cool to the existing attic temp.
F.
Or freeze.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
Good point, but then insulation really would not help either. For such a small amount of resting water, the insulation would only increase the time for it to cool, it would cool nonetheless. Freezing would still occur.
Don't know where Chris lives? Maybe Fla?
I grew up in New England and have lived in upstate NY and Vt for some time and I don't believe the attic temp ever got down to 32 degrees. And we had some cold winters. But these were all lived in homes which were never left unheated during the winter
But then again, I could be wrong!
F.
I'm in central Texas, it does freeze here, sometimes snows but the attic probably stays above 32 plus the pipe will be under a second layer of insulation I have in most of the attic.
I was planning to use a larger head. They have a couple of nice oversize ones at Home Depot so I can buy a few to try out. I'm not sure where I will find the long down pipe this will require. I may experiment with copper to get the height right then buy a piece of stainless steel and have it threaded for the final install. this will matche the nickel finish on my fixtures better.
thanks for the advice
- C
Chromed pipe comes in a bunch of lenghts. 2" to 2'
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
Correct me if I'm wrong: Freezing should not be much of an issue regardless of attic temperature.
1. It's a tub/shower combo, so I'm assuming one set of valves with some form of diverter, as opposed to seperate shower and tub fill controls. Tub spout diverters (lift a knob type) will typically open when water is turned off, automatically draining the vertical pipe; further assuming the horizontal pipe is not installed with a valley - no ponding, it will drain as well. Valve body diverters I've seen (as in 3 handle setup) can be turned to a halfway point to accomplish this.
2. Should the attic reach freezing point, and water did not drain, it's a shower head line. Assuming the head has no closed Navy or "soap up" valve, as the water freezes it will expand towards the open end of the pipe, allowing it to relieve pressure enough to prevent bursting the pipe. Like keeping an outside spigot open in winter.
Of course that's a lot of assumptions, but I'm a couple thousand miles away, so I feel safe making them.If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.
1. Mine doesn't drain automaticly. Strictly manual.
Temps here get to -30/40. How cold does the attic get?
Why risk it
2. One ice dam forms and the rest is history.
Say the pipe or a joint just cracks a little. How long before you discover that you're trying for an over head swimming pool?
Will every one using the shower remember to insure that the line is drained each and evey time?
Then again you could pitch the pipe to drain. Block it in just above the SR and under the insulation.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
The little difference in length won't matter at all. You can use the same size pipe you would have used for a wall mounted head and it will work the same.