Second fix shower.

[Russdl]

A shower head fixing question if I may. 
 

How do I fix my shower arm into the wall so that 

 

a. It never leaks.
 

AND

b. It ends up pointing in the right direction, namely down, when I’ve finished. 
 

PTFE and then more PTFE? 

 

 

[Russell griffiths]

I like the locktight 577 but I’m not a professional plumber, just a wood butcher. 

[Russdl]

27 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

locktight 577

That’s a new one in me, Google it is. Ta ?

[Jonny]

https://www.screwfix.com/p/flomasta-pipe-thread-seal-50g/4373j
 

or this stuff. It doesn’t even need doing up tight as once it goes off has a good mechanical strength 

[Russdl]

So no votes for PTFE then. I've got loads of the stuff but none of this newfangled thread seal, off to Screwfix I go.

[joe90]

Only problem with ptfe IMO is getting it tight and facing the right way ?gas PTFE tape is better as it’s thicker and less round and round .

[Russdl]

@joe90 That was my concern and as I live under a rock I’d never heard of those thread sealing gloops, looks like that is the way ahead. 

[Russdl]

Working on the theory that there are no such thing as stupid questions. 
 

What should I do here? The brass thingy is in as far as it will go. When I fit the chrome thingy there is a gap. The obvious answer is that I just cut the brass thingy to the required length. Isn’t it?

[joe90]

Is that shower head a push fit?, seems strange it’s not fixed to the wall/pipe?

Edited February 11, 2021 by joe90

[Russdl]

It’s a hand shower attachment to go in the lower hole in the shower enclosure. 
 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Russdl
To prevent innuendo

[markc]

Im guessing the threaded part is over length to cut down as required ... or the mounting boss is too far forward

Edited February 11, 2021 by markc

[Carrerahill]

On 10/02/2021 at 10:44, Russdl said:

A shower head fixing question if I may. 
 

How do I fix my shower arm into the wall so that 

 

a. It never leaks.
 

AND

b. It ends up pointing in the right direction, namely down, when I’ve finished. 
 

PTFE and then more PTFE? 

 

 

Quite a few ways of doing this. 

 

I think I would initially dry fit it all and make sure the wall plate and shower arm have equal lengths of the bush threaded into them. I'd mark that then bond the bush into the wall plate so that it is sealed and solid, then I would offer up the shower arm to the bush with PTFE, at least if that side leaks it will be visible and drip into the shower.

 

As I say, so many ways, you could also just PTFE it into both sides, or Hawk White jointing compound or basically glue it in with water and temp proof epoxy or Locktite.

[joe90]

Yes, as said above it needs cutting down by the amount of gap you have, I still worry about a push fit (presumably why there is 2 o rings. )? is there a grub screw to hold it on?

[Russdl]

Thanks all. 
 

@markc Maybe the boss’ are too far forward, I’ve got another problem with a different shower head, it’s one pice and threaded so no adjustment and I can’t quite get it vertical. I guess I just lop the end of that as well. 
 

@joe90 yep, there is a little grub screw that holds the hand shower bit all together. 
 

 

[Russell griffiths]

The boss is not too far forward, it should finish flush with the tiles or a few mm back, if you where to set it in the wall it has the potential if a leak occurred to drip inside the wall. 

 

correct procedure 

 

Mock it all up dry, 

mark the length of things to be trimmed

get an old fitting that screws in to the wall boss

screw old fitting into boss

get some CT1 and splurge it around the boss smoothing it off level with the face of the tiles going a bit concave back to the boss

let the CT1 dry

remove dummy fitting. 

 

BINGO  you now have a waterproof junction between the boss and tiles, if the arm fitting ever leaks it will run down the face of the tiles not into the wall void. 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Russell griffiths

[joe90]

I agree with @Russell griffiths above, best see if you can bung some CT1 in the gap. If it falls away behind the board, I used to squirt some foam in there. When dry scrape away the foam but leaving some at the back to support your CT1.

Edited February 11, 2021 by joe90

[Russdl]

@Russell griffiths thanks for that detailed instruction, very helpful. As it is when water drips from the boss’s it is dripping behind the tiles so whilst I would have filled the gaps I wouldn’t have done it in such an effective way as you describe. Brilliant. 
 

There really is no such thing as a stupid question it would seem ?

[Russdl]

@Russell griffiths I have a challenge for you! The front face of one of the boss’s is 30mm behind the front face of the tiles. So it’s actually behind the plasterboard to which the tiles are attached. If I were to try to fill with CT1 it would just disappear into the void behind the plasterboard. Any top tips for a situation like this?

 

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2021 by Russdl
Better photo

[Russdl]

Cancel request.
 

I managed to get some expanding foam in there without pumping it all down the boss so hopefully I’ll be able to continue a la @Russell griffiths previous instructions once the expanding foam has cured. 
 

Or does CT1 eat expanding foam alive and I’ll be back to square one?

 

I’m only left with 16mm of the brass fitting sticking out of the wall. Is that more than enough?

[Russell griffiths]

Use that liquid pipe sealer, the one from toolstation, half the price of the locktight. 

[Russdl]

@Russell griffiths I got the Screwfix version as I couldn’t find any of the Locktite stuff. Reviews seemed good, fingers crossed and all that. 

[Russell griffiths]

The locktight stuff is £15 a tube. ?

[Russdl]

So I saw, I was somewhat taken aback!

[Russell griffiths]

You can get a tread extender if you need a bit more length. Ooh Er misses. 

[Russdl]

@Russell griffiths thanks for that. I’ve got 16mm of thread exposed and that thread extender doesn’t seem to offer much more so I’m kinda hoping 16mm and that thread sealer will see me right. With the CT1 filling the hole then I’m fairly confident that any failure will be evident on the front of the tiles and not quietly dripping away down the back.