Bath Surround / Boxing In, and concealed pipework

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, sphannaby said:

Presume your access panel is on the front tapered panel?

If so how would your access your taps anyway because from what I can see your taps are located on the opposite side?

One in the long side to access the trap. One in the end to have some chance of getting to the flexibles to the taps.

My missus wasn't convinced by the taper until she physically stood next to it.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Onoff

[Nickfromwales]

One of a few decent looking ones. 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Manthorpe-Tile-Access-Panel-GLTAP-500-/272270041907?nav=SEARCH

[Onoff]

13 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

One of a few decent looking ones. 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Manthorpe-Tile-Access-Panel-GLTAP-500-/272270041907?nav=SEARCH

Wot I said!

Taught well me you have...

 

[Nickfromwales]

2nd place is still a trophy mate

 

[Onoff]

Done a wee bit more today:

EDIT: Like a pillock I cut the mitre on the 18mm ply too far back so it doesn't overhang the 12mm sides. Easy fix though to glue and pin a bit o

The corner infill was a biatch.....second attempt:

Mulling over turning the bath around so the taps are outward. It would mean the motor & pump is accessible from the end & the taps from the long side. Would ditch the taps for a waste filler type set up. I would have to cut a channel for the motor support bracket in the slab the other end though. Sure there might have been another reason why I didn't want to turn the bath around but for the life of me can't think of it!

EDIT: Remembered! We were concerned that by spinning the bath 180deg and even having "low profile" taps and a combined waste / filler, then the "hump / projection" where the taps sit would be awkward to get across when getting in.

 

Edited July 3, 2016 by Onoff

[Onoff]

What idiot.....was 45mm out when he measured for the "scallops" to miss the pipes?  Luckily they're not yet glued and "he" has some spares:

 

And the short end:

[Onoff]

Just need some magnets now! I've worked it so the 400w tile over hangs the removable panel by 10mm either side. That should place the "cuttable" joint between tiles on the plywood:

And sorted the pipe scallops:

[Onoff]

On 01/07/2016 at 09:25, sphannaby said:

SWMBO has demanded we try and achieve a sunken look for the bath and I have attached a picture of something she was keen on.

You sure it's not the SAME woman! This is what I was given:

[sphannaby]

Haha, it could well be.  Shelf for beer and Kindle is integral I was informed!

Out of interest what size have you made your outside ledge of tiles that the bath will sit on?  My tiles are 300*600 so presume I should do it to suit those?  Possibly 150 so it is half a tile?

[Onoff]

3 hours ago, sphannaby said:

Haha, it could well be.  Shelf for beer and Kindle is integral I was informed!

Out of interest what size have you made your outside ledge of tiles that the bath will sit on?  My tiles are 300*600 so presume I should do it to suit those?  Possibly 150 so it is half a tile?

This was an earlier section but what hasn't changed is the ledge width around the bath, only 100mm. Limited on that width because of room size, doorway etc. The beer/wine will fit so that's the main thing. PM me your email address and I'll link you to my Flickr album where you can look through all my pics that were over on eBuild. That is if you have trouble sleeping.....

[Onoff]

Decided to try the bath rotated through 180deg.....

BUT that means putting a short trench in the floor slab for the pump motor support bracket and some modding of the boxing in:

I'll tidy the trench up a bit later.

[sphannaby]

Thanks for the share of those pictures mate, much appreciated.

I had drawn up some nice plans and taken on a bit from your pics and then the Mrs dropped the bomb that she now doesn't want the bath sitting in a 'shelf' any more as it will eat up too much bathroom space.

What little hair I have left is now gone!

[Onoff]

9 hours ago, sphannaby said:

Thanks for the share of those pictures mate, much appreciated.

I had drawn up some nice plans and taken on a bit from your pics and then the Mrs dropped the bomb that she now doesn't want the bath sitting in a 'shelf' any more as it will eat up too much bathroom space.

What little hair I have left is now gone!

Tell her it's less floor to clean and more shelves for ornaments.....

Tbh, my headache continues! By turning the bath through 180deg I'm having to re-think the pipe run to the taps as the feeds now have to come across/under where the pump motor will sit.

Lucky I like a challenge!

Still need to source some quality tap hole blanks in chrome or decide if I'm fitting mood lights there.....

Edited July 14, 2016 by Onoff

[Onoff]

Wanted to tidy up where I'd knocked out the floor for the pump motor support. Mixed up 4:1 sharp sand to cement. Used SBR at 5:1 to mix up. Not the straightest/neatest (might have been the beer's fault) but after a coat of floor paint under there etc. 

[Onoff]

Continuing the saga.....

 

Knocked the floor out and made good in order to sink the motor support bracket:

 

 

So that fits except the motor caught the side support. Have hacked that about but not very pretty so may re-do. Might even re-think this whole end of the carcass

 

Now then, the feeds. Currently have hot and cold for bath plus mains for sink cold coming down in 15mm (they're not fixed yet). No problem to bend a convoluted length up minimising soldered joints to get from the copper to the bath tap position. I've shown a couple of bits of hose for the sort of line I was going to take with the bath feeds. BUT.....it's too long for flexibles. AND I want some form of easy disconnection should I need to remove the bath ever. IDEALLY I want the disconnections the wall side of the motor bracket:

 

 

 

 

Any suggestions? 

 

(IGNORE please the can of SRB hiding in the stud! )

 

And LASTLY.....I'm having to play with the bath feet as in putting blocks underneath. Using plastic trouser shims just to get it right.

 

 

These will then sit on the base of the recessed ply box as per second pic above of this post. Whats the norm doing this, just get the height required and make up all in timber?

 

Cheers

 

 

[Onoff]

Decided, (at last), that using flexible pipe is the only practical way to make this bath removable. So rough route from the taps to the copper coming down the wall shown below. I just so happen to have a few metres of each of which I'd forgotten all about:

 

- grey Hep2O 15x1.7mm PB pipe (rated 12 Bar at 20degC, 7 Bar at 82degC)

 

then some :

 

- white JG Speedfit 15mm B-Pex (rated; 12 Bar at 20degC, 4 Bar at 82degC, 3 Bar at 92degC)

 

Both to BS 7291. Tbh the grey Hep2O PB "feels" better whilst seeming more flexible and less rigid that the white JG one.

 

Any pointers which is best?

 

 

 

And I was thinking to use these to connect the flexible pipe to the taps / deck valves or maybe the Hep2O "Hand Titan" ones?

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/hep2o-push-fit-straight-tap-connector-15mm-x/7367f

 

Cheers

 

Edited August 7, 2016 by Onoff

[Nickfromwales]

The Hepworth stuff is much better than the JG, for both flexibility and for the range of fittings. The stainless inserts are also much less obtrusive than the JG SuperSeal inserts. Hep all the way.   

 

[Onoff]

OK, cutting this Hep2O PB pipe:

 

Using a pair of "proper" pipe shears, well these in the link anyway, it cuts clean but leaves a slight oval - the pipe on the left. No burrs nothing. Using the normal 15mm copper pipe cutter (the disc type) it's more round but burred - the pipe on the left.

 

The bloke on the Hepworth site video says to cut the plastic pipe with a normal pipe cutter used for copper???

 

http://www.screwfix.com/p/plastic-pipe-cutter-26mm/59590

 

 

Shears, shows the ovality better:

 

 

Copper pipe cutter burred:

 

 

The shears go through the JG white pipe like butter and leave it perfectly round. The Hep2O is much, much tougher to cut.

 

How forgiving are these Hep2O push fit fittings to a bit of ovality?

 

These shears btw did my UFH pipes perfectly.

 

This is where Nick comes along and tells me a) To stop worrrying or b) To buy better quality, sharper plumbing tools!  

[daiking]

Isn't that what inserts are for?

[Onoff]

4 minutes ago, daiking said:

Isn't that what inserts are for?

 

Wouldn't it be really funny if "somebody" forgot to fit the inserts.....

 

 

[daiking]

3 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

Wouldn't it be really funny if "somebody" forgot to fit the inserts.....

 

 

You clearly need some very obvious nugget of wisdom that no one will point out till about 6 months after the event on someone else's topic. When you suddenly realise that's why XYZ happened.

 

For XYZ read, "your UFH manifold wouldn't hold a pressure because all the pipes were not lined up straight."

Edited August 8, 2016 by daiking

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, daiking said:

You clearly need some very obvious nugget of wisdom that no one will point out till about 6 months after the event on someone else's topic. When you suddenly realise that's why XYZ happened.

 

For XYZ read, "your UFH manifold wouldn't hold a pressure because all the pipes were not lined up straight."

 Luckily the OP bought the Hep2O demounting tool when he bought the fittings.....seems a bit of an idiot to me! Still, it could have been worse "he" could have put the plasterboards on.....

[daiking]

4 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 Luckily the OP bought the Hep2O demounting tool when he bought the fittings.....seems a bit of an idiot to me! Still, it could have been worse "he" could have put the plasterboards on.....

The forum is full of them 

 

Edited August 8, 2016 by daiking

[Nickfromwales]

Are you moving the cutter around the pipe a little as you apply pressure to them? Your not supposed to keep the pipe and cutter still whilst completing the cut. Not rocking side to side btw, going around the pipe diameter   

Whoever said to use the rotary copper pipe slice is an idiot. Look at the damage to the outside of the pipe ! That's where your fitting will try and create a seal with the o-ring. .

A tool with a tool. .

[Onoff]

2 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

A tool with a tool. .

 

Yep, that's me! 

 

I was trying to rotate as I cut the pipe but it seemed a sharpness thing rather than lack of the knack.  (I remembered you saying to do this back on eBuild I'm sure). Just for peace of mind I'll grab some new shears for the sake of £7/8. Last used this pair for a few cuts on 25 mm MDPE that had been lying around and was a bit mud steaked. Maybe dulled the edge a bit. Perhaps keep one set for "best"!