# Pex shower rough in valve, what goes to the shower section?



## twilightcall (Jan 4, 2008)

I am looking for a Pex shower valve. I have found a few but they on;y have Pex for the hot and cold but no pex fitting to the shower section. Is there one out there with pex fittings on the entire shower valve kit? Thanks.


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## clasact (Oct 21, 2006)

I installed Pex all through my house but to be honest I am not sure what your looking for


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## Ron The Plumber (Jun 7, 2006)

If it's shower only, and it has a sweat or screw in type to the shower, the install an adapter.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

twilightcall said:


> I am looking for a Pex shower valve. I have found a few but they on;y have Pex for the hot and cold but no pex fitting to the shower section. Is there one out there with pex fittings on the entire shower valve kit? Thanks.


Are you doing a shower or a tub/shower? 

If it's a tub shower you really want to use something besides pex for the shower riser and tub spout. The pex adapters are too small, and they will cause your showerhead to run while you're filling the tub.


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## clasact (Oct 21, 2006)

you can do as Ron suggest and add an attachment to go to copper and then your connection or go to Lowe's they sell pex adapter's that you can screw your connector right on to it and they fit over the pex so no lose of anything.That is what I have and my supply lines screw right to it no leaks ,no lose of pressure or volume and anyone can do it and they work great


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

These work well. Sweat them to the valve body and then hook up the PEX.

Sioux Chief makes these.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

I think those are expensive in comparison to a copper street 90 and a brass pex - male sweat adapter. If you have to do some soldering anyway, whats 2 more joints while ya have the darn thing hot? :thumbup:


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

Alan said:


> I think those are expensive in comparison to a copper street 90 and a brass pex - male sweat adapter. If you have to do some soldering anyway, whats 2 more joints while ya have the darn thing hot? :thumbup:


I'm with you Alan, but for clean installation with minimal joints, why not? Remember, you're a pro...On a DIY site I'm all for keeping it as easy as possible with as few connections as possible. :yes:


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## mstplumber (May 3, 2008)

If you use PEX for a tub spout you will have a very hard time making the spout secure. If this isn't a problem then you can use any of the choices above. I think it is worth the effort to solder at least the tub spout piping into the valve (or male adapter if it is a threaded valve).

If your valve is either threaded or sweat, then you'll have to at least install an adapter before you can transition to PEX. The shower head can be installed using a barbed Drop Ear Ell with a crimp connection. Since the maximum volume allowable through a shower head is 2.5 gpm, the restriction due to the insert fitting isn't an issue. It may be simpler to just solder a sweat drop ear ell on for the shower head while you are at it, the choice is yours.


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## twilightcall (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks guys. I am installing a new shower valve on a shower/tub combo. 

Ok so I shouldn't run pex from the valve to the drop ear? 

It is ok to use pex for the hot and cold inlets but only use copper for the tub stub out? 

Thanks Again guys. I appreciate it.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

thekctermite said:


> I'm with you Alan, but for clean installation with minimal joints, why not? Remember, you're a pro...On a DIY site I'm all for keeping it as easy as possible with as few connections as possible. :yes:


Well, the other option is to just sweat the brass adapters into the valve directly, and use plastic bend supports to make the 90. Not sure what that costs either, but probably still cheaper than a premade 90.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

mstplumber said:


> If you use PEX for a tub spout you will have a very hard time making the spout secure. If this isn't a problem then you can use any of the choices above. I think it is worth the effort to solder at least the tub spout piping into the valve (or male adapter if it is a threaded valve).
> 
> If your valve is either threaded or sweat, then you'll have to at least install an adapter before you can transition to PEX. The shower head can be installed using a barbed Drop Ear Ell with a crimp connection. Since the maximum volume allowable through a shower head is 2.5 gpm, the restriction due to the insert fitting isn't an issue. It may be simpler to just solder a sweat drop ear ell on for the shower head while you are at it, the choice is yours.


Maybe nobody else has had the same problem, but our problem is having a pex adapter in the tub spout outlet of the valve. The reduced internal diameter of the pex fitting does not allow the water to flow freely out of the tub spout, and causes the showerhead to drip while the tub is filling. I would run pex to the showerhead in a heartbeat, but always copper or even CPVC (if you want to stay plastic)for the tub spout.


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## mstplumber (May 3, 2008)

*Makes sense*



Alan said:


> Maybe nobody else has had the same problem, but our problem is having a pex adapter in the tub spout outlet of the valve. The reduced internal diameter of the pex fitting does not allow the water to flow freely out of the tub spout, and causes the showerhead to drip while the tub is filling. I would run pex to the showerhead in a heartbeat, but always copper or even CPVC (if you want to stay plastic)for the tub spout.


That makes sense. I can see how that could happen. I've never tried PEX for the tub spout so I've not had this problem. I always use copper for the spout and PEX for the shower riser.

If the tub spout is a screw on, like some high end Kohler spouts, I use a drop ear in the wall with a brass nipple.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

mstplumber said:


> That makes sense. I can see how that could happen. I've never tried PEX for the tub spout so I've not had this problem. I always use copper for the spout and PEX for the shower riser.
> 
> If the tub spout is a screw on, like some high end Kohler spouts, I use a drop ear in the wall with a brass nipple.


We do the same thing, but some people put a pex adapter in the tub outlet of the valve and run a short piece of pex to a pex drop-ear, and then use a nipple, therefore not actually using pex for the spout, but still creating a restriction at the valve.

I think some people just don't like to solder anymore.


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## Ron The Plumber (Jun 7, 2006)

We always run copper to the spout.


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## Tommy Plumb (Oct 7, 2006)

Doing pex I always rough the entire shower body in copper and transition a couple feet away from the shower body. 10ft of half inch copper and a few fittings really isn't that expensive.


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## drumstick (Jun 20, 2009)

*valve body*

Have you guys ever used a 1/2'' male to 1/2'' compression fitting . The 1/2'' male pipe fitting would screw into the valve body and a 1/2 copper pipe would slide into the other end and tightened in place. If the tear drop fitting on the shower end or spout end is off a bit you could loosen the nut on the compression side, turn the copper pipe then snug it up again. Saves soldering once everything is in place. What do you think. Doug


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## Plumber101 (Feb 25, 2009)

Depending on the shower valve you can use a female or male pex adapter off the valve into copper then to a shower ear pex and secure it to a 2x4 then the spout. Just use copper everyone is right the difference in ID between the pex and copper will make the shower head drip.

Adapters



Drop ear


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## drumstick (Jun 20, 2009)

*valve body*

Say plumber 101 have you used the brass compression fittings much for bathroom work or for joining two pipes together or quick repair. If so how tight do you tighten the nut to the sleeve so as not to overdue it yet not have it leak.I was told to snug it up hand tight and then half a turn with a wrench. Thanks.Drumstick


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## Plumber101 (Feb 25, 2009)

Since shark bites I havn't used compression but you are on the money snug and about 1/4 to 1/2 more then check for leaks.

If I can't us a SB I'll sweat a fitting in


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## mstplumber (May 3, 2008)

*Why use copper with Sharkbites?*

Hey Drumstick,

I absolutely agree that you should use copper for the spout, but if you are going to use Sharkbites for the shower riser why not just use PEX? It will be lots easier and as long as you secure the Drop Eared Ell at the top it will be fine.


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## drumstick (Jun 20, 2009)

*copper and pex*



Plumber101 said:


> Since shark bites I havn't used compression but you are on the money snug and about 1/4 to 1/2 more then check for leaks.
> 
> If I can't us a SB I'll sweat a fitting in



Thanks for the help guys. I think I'II use pex on the hot and cold risers with 90 degree pex fitting, but stick with copper for spout and shower head.


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## drumstick (Jun 20, 2009)

Thanks for the help guys. I think I'II use pex on the hot and cold risers with 90 degree pex fitting, but stick with copper for spout and shower head.


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## timistheword (Aug 9, 2009)

*Delta has pex fittings*

This is too late for the original poster, of course, but for future researchers--I'm plumbing showers in my house right now, using pex. I went to a local plumbing supply house to get some shower valves and found that Delta makes valves with pex fittings on the hot and cold inputs. As far as the to showerhead and bath connections, you still have to get female to pex screw on adapters. Use four wraps of teflon and crank them down good. I think Zurn also makes some basic shower valves with pex fittings.


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