The shower is an integral part of your home. Usually, showers are installed at the time of construction. Most showers have a long life, and their rough-in plumbing involves soldered copper pipe joints, making them last longer. So, you may not need to plumb the entire shower for years, except for a few minor repairs.
Sometimes, however, you may want to plumb a new shower as the old one is beyond repair or no longer suits your showering needs. In that case, you will need to do more than simply replace shower fixtures such as shower heads or faucets. This process requires careful planning and enough plumbing knowledge.
Let’s see what the shower plumbing basics are.
1. Know What Type of Shower You Have
From simple to complex, you can find an unlimited range and types of shower assemblies in the market. However, all these assemblies come down to two basic types: built-in showers and prefabricated showers. Depending on which one you have, your plumbing process and requirements may change a little.
Prefabricated showers, as the name suggests, are single-piece units that you can directly install in your bathroom. Sometimes, you can also get a unit with three walls and a base that needs to be assembled at the time of installation. If your existing shower is a prefabricated unit, finding a similar one will make the replacement process a lot easier.
Built-in showers are a bit more complex. They are a part of your bathroom’s construction, built using waterproof material or tiles on walls and the base, and usually a glass door. The plumbing assembly is roughed-in at the time of construction. As you can imagine, these showers are often custom-built and hence, require aprofessional plumber in Boca Raton for major repairs, replacements, or a complete overhaul.
2. Installing Shower Fixtures in Boca Raton, Florida
In most cases, DIY shower plumbing is limited to replacing or repairing fixtures such as faucets, valves, taps, and showerheads. Although these fixtures are durable, you will need to make a few repairs and replacements eventually.
Sometimes, you may also want to install new fixtures to better suit your needs. For example, you may want to install a temperature-controlled shower faucet or replace an old shower head with a new one that helps save water. Whatever the reason is, you can do the basic shower plumbing with the help of a few commonly available plumbing tools.
First, make sure to choose the fixtures that are an exact match for the ones you are replacing. Unfortunately, not all faucets or valves are interchangeable. If you can’t find an exact match, you will need to find something that is a close fit to your original fixture’s assembly. You will also need to consider your showering needs when selecting the new fixtures.
Next, whether you are placing a tap or a showerhead, make sure to turn off the main water supply before starting the work. You will also need to prepare the installation site in advance and mark the areas where your fixtures will go. Taking a look at the manufacturer’s installation manual can help you plan and execute everything properly.
Before starting your work, check the necessary building codes and local regulations to see if you can do the work yourself. If the regulations call for a certified plumber in Boca, Raton, call one immediately. If not, you can proceed with the plumbing.
Once you have finished, make sure to double-check everything. Turn on the main water supply and check all the connections for leaks and water temperature (hot and cold supply). Water or plumbing leak detection in Boca Raton homes is often difficult and if ignored, it can lead to expensive water damage repairs, which brings us to the next point.
3. Fixing Water Leaks in Boca Raton, Florida
A few water leaks, such as leaking faucets or shower fixtures, are easier to detect. If you see any such leaks, make sure to fix them immediately. However, detecting water leaks in the hidden areas of your bathroom or shower is a little difficult.
If you see paint flaking on the wall, chalky wood finishes, and mold spots on the wall or ceiling or in the corners, it is likely that your shower has a leak. Finding the source of the leak can be a little harder as it could be located in the rough-in plumbing, which is hidden behind the walls of your bathroom.
Nonetheless, you should conduct a thorough visual inspection of entire shower area to see if you can find cracked tiles, water puddles on the floor, water marks on the ceiling, or gaps in the shower door. Any of these could be the source of the leak. Make sure to call a plumber for water leak detection in Boca Raton, if necessary.
Conclusion
As you can see, plumbing a shower can be a complicated job. While it is perfectly fine to fix or replace a fixture on your own, it is better to get professional help if the problem is major. You need a permanent solution to the water damage caused by a shower leak, which only a professional plumber can offer. Of course, you can try these tips first, if the problem is a minor one.
Talk to the Best Plumber in Boca Raton about Your Needs
When it comes to leak detection and fixing water damage in Boca Raton, Florida, there is no better plumbing company than Erica's Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Restoration. Our skilled experts will make sure to find the most suitable solution for your plumbing or water damage issue, whatever it may be.
