Advice on fitting a freestanding bath

[AnnaKH]

Hi, I'm looking for advice on whether I can fit a freestanding bath in our new house. The first fix plumbing has already been done, and I don't want to undo anything, so if the freestanding bath isn't possible, I'll go for a built in bath. If anyone can advise, please let me know and I'll message you some images. Thanks

 

[BotusBuild]

You can add images here 🙂

With a freestanding bath, the main differences are that the waste pipe will likely need to go under the floor "to hide it", and your hot a cold water will connect to what I call a "stand pipe" tap. So, it all depends on what has happened with your first fix plumbing - where do the hot, cold and waste pipes currently end? Are there near where you want to locate your freestanding bath, or would they need moving somewhere else?

[Mike]

Before you fit one, first consider whether you have good access from at least 3 sides to be able to clean around it properly, and to give it the space to set it off; a free-stander squashed between other items or against the wall won't look luxurious, it will look squashed.

[Nickfromwales]

Waste plumbing and hot & cold feeds are very particular with a freestanding bath, so do you have some pics of the one you’re considering installing? 

[Temp]

We have a free standing bath. The waste pipe comes out of the wall at floor level. We used flexible pipe to connect to the trap on the underside of the bath. We actually used more flexible pipe than necessary so the whole bath can be moved away from the wall for cleaning. Our taps are wall mounted.

[AnnaKH]

Thanks @Nickfromwales, I’ve sent you a message with some details and questions!

[AnnaKH]

Thanks @Temp, that sounds similar to what I’m planning. Do you know how much clearance from the floor to the underside of the bath you had, and how far away the drain hole (?) was? I think this is my main worry as there’s a specific gradient for building control. 

[Nickfromwales]

10 hours ago, AnnaKH said:

Thanks @Nickfromwales, I’ve sent you a message with some details and questions!

Hi. Please post them here as there will be far more input 😊👍. My pm inbox is like Piccadilly Circus 🎪. 

[AnnaKH]

 

Ok, please excuse my terrible sketch and zero understanding of plumbing!

 

The screed floor is already laid so it would need to be an exposed pipe underneath the bath running to the waste pipe in the corner. Would that work? I don't mind the pipe being exposed. My concern is whether there’s enough clearance for the pipe to be at the required gradient - the space under the bath is 147mm and the ‘drain pipe’ in the corner is about 930mm from the bath hole (I measured it out). The tiles for the floor are about 15mm. 

 

For the taps, I'd quite like a boxed-in area (see very bad sketch) which the taps could sit on (that way I get a ledge as well). Could the hot and cold pipes run horizontally into the boxed in area, then connect to the taps?

 

Total width of the wall is 1800mm, so once it’s tiled, there will be a gap of about 40mm on either side. I take the previous point about squashing in a nice bath to a small space, but I’m happy with that look. 

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

 

 

[Onoff]

I'm thinking a few more plasterboard nails wouldn't go amiss...

[Nickfromwales]

You just need to remove some plasterboard and alter the hot and cold feeds so they come out inside the boxing in, as I’d not want to see them on the surface as that would look 💩. 
 

The waste pipe will have plenty of fall etc, so just put a 90° bend on it in the corner, as low as possible, and then clip a new run along the wall so it can come out under the same line as the taps. If you need to break some screed there to expose more pipe in the corner then that’ll be covered by the boxing in so is not a problem.

 

You’ll need the bath in the room now with the legs set at the desired height, so you can see how and where the twos will be mounted, as a picture is much better than any idea. Would be a shame to do the prep and then the twos just look too close / far away / high / low etc.

 

Are you employing a plumber for this? 

 

The fittings on the copper look too close be press fit, but these can be converted to Hep2o easily by just cutting into the copper pipe and using those fittings instead. 
 

I use hep on almost every job and it’s bombproof. You can then use hep pipe and fittings to alter the hot and cold feeds easily / DIY if you’re competent and confident (?). 

[Nickfromwales]

13 hours ago, Onoff said:

I'm thinking a few more plasterboard nails wouldn't go amiss...

If tiling then yes, screws every 150/200mm  minimum afaic. 

[Onoff]

38 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

If tiling then yes, screws every 150/200mm  minimum afaic. 

 

Would you screw on a joint like that? (I wouldn't). 

[AnnaKH]

16 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

 

The fittings on the copper look too close be press fit, but these can be converted to Hep2o easily by just cutting into the copper pipe and using those fittings instead. 

Thanks for this advice, it’s really helpful. We will have a plumber fitting it. My main concern is that I don’t want to create extra work and cost just to go with this new bath I’ve decided I like - is the work you’re describing quite straightforward for a

professional? Thanks 

[Nickfromwales]

49 minutes ago, AnnaKH said:

Thanks for this advice, it’s really helpful. We will have a plumber fitting it. My main concern is that I don’t want to create extra work and cost just to go with this new bath I’ve decided I like - is the work you’re describing quite straightforward for a

professional? Thanks 

Yes, another day in the office for anyone good at their job.

 

The biggest challenge is getting the wall mounted tap in situ, to be flush or sat on the tiles correctly, so choose your plumber well and it’ll be fine.

[AnnaKH]

Thanks @Nickfromwales, that’s great. Diolch!

[AnnaKH]

2 hours ago, AnnaKH said:

Thanks @Nickfromwales, that’s great. Diolch!

Three years living in Llantwit Major and this is about the extent of my Welsh!

[SteamyTea]

2 hours ago, AnnaKH said:

Llantwit

I tried to pronounce that, in Welsh, all I got was (expletive deleted)