I’m in the middle of a bathroom remodel. I’ve put in a new 3/4″ subfloor and 1/2″ durock. I’ve got my 1/2″ water supply stubbed up through the floor and capped off. I’m getting ready to install 1/2″ terracotta tile. The shutoff valve is a fancy nickel-plated 1/2″ solder-in type (not compression fit). I want to install the tile and then solder in in the shutoff with the eschuteon already in place. I’ll drill a hole in the tile and slide it over the stubbed up copper pipe.
Any suggestions on how to solder this in place with the finished floor in place? I want to make sure the escutcheon slides down to the finished floor and hide the connection. I’m not sure how to solder a portion of this when the connection will need to be slightly below the tile. I’ve included a sketch of the scenario.
I’m trying to avoid soldering the shutoff before putting the tile down and then having to cut the tile to fit around it.
Thanks!
Seth
John Cage
Replies
I would drill the hole in the tile and slip it over the pipe, Not set it in thinset until after I solder the two together. then trowel the mortar under the tile and set it. How far will the tile be able to travel upward if you did the solder first?
I've probably got about 4ish inches, some of which is lost with the escutcheon thickness - then the 1/2" tile, so let's say about 2 1/2". Probably enough room...but tight!
Thanks.
Seth"Nothing is a
mistake. There is no win
and there is no fail . . . there is only
make."
John Cage
If you still have access to the supply line under the floor I would cut it. Install a short stub pipe on the valve, put it in the hole, and then reconnect under the floor.
How's access to the underside of this? Is it a crawl, or do you have a downstairs ceiling open? If so, perhaps you could tile around your existing stub, and then pull the stub out, separating it from the ell below. Solder a piece of copper pipe to the valve, slip the trim on it, try it in place and cut it to the exact length you need, then make the final position determining solder joint at the ell under the floor.
Without access to the bottom, another way to go might be to put a female NPT adapter in under the floor, and stub up with a brass nipple of the appropriate length. This has the advantage that the valve can be replaced in the future without having to mess with fire. But of course the downside is that you already bought the solder type valve.
-- J.S.
No access underneath, yikes! In my flurry to move the project along I really didn't stop to consider this challenge.
I do have maybe a little "pull room" and could probably get another inch out of the pipe if I try to solder it once the put the tile around it.
Is there such and thing as a compression fitting that's more like a union and it very low profile? I could compression on both sides and if it's short enough the escutheon might be able to slide over it.
Thanks!
Seth"Nothing is a
mistake. There is no win
and there is no fail . . . there is only
make."
John Cage
FWIW, here's how I do it. Using a deep escutcheon, slide it on the extention, then I like to cut off a about an inch to get rid of the nickel plating inside, ream the end out so it fits over the pipe easily. Clean and flux both and slide it down just off the floor. I like to make a little dimple in the extention. It will keep it from sliding down when you heat it. Soldering these things is tricky. The extention will heat up a lot faster than the pipe. So start your heat at the bottom on the pipe and work your way up and around. Put the solder on and keep touching it after pulling the heat away. I like to smear some flux on and hit it with some more heat and solder. You might want to remove the stem. Today most of them are plastic. In my soldering box I always keep a pair of small metal spring clamps. I use one to hold the escutcheon up out of the way. Gotta watch the heat not to discolor the plating. Good luck!
Yesterday I couldn't even spell plumber, today I are one.