I am going to instal a new shower valve etc for a friend and have never done so with pvc before. My only question is, should the nipple the actual shower head arm screws into, through the wall, be metal vs pvc and any particular type of metal.
Thanks

I think you will want a metal nipple, usually brass or copper, that is plated to match the plating on the shower head

The in-wall fitting is a brass 90 degree elbow that has 'ears' on it so that it can be secured to framing with 3 screws. You can get it an any home store in the plumbing fitting section. About $4.

Thanks

90 degree brass with ears, it is.

It's typically called a "wing back elbow" or a "shower elbow", and if it wuz me, I'd run Type M copper pipe from the (prolly brass) valve body to the shower elbow and use Type K copper pipe for the tub spout pipe (if you have a slip-on tub spout).

And, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pressure test your plumbing before closing the wall back up.

I find a good way to do this is to solder a 1/2 inch copper cap onto the tub spout pipe, wrap the shower arm threads with teflon tape and screw a 1/2 inch threaded cap onto the end of the shower arm finger tight. Turn your water on and wait for air to stop whistling out at that capped joint and it starts to drip water. Then tighten the that cap until it stops leaking and close the water shut off valves to that bathroom. (That way, if something lets go during the night, you wake up to a puddle, not a flood.) Leave paper towels under each joint that could potentially leak so that even if there's only one drop per 24 hours, that drop will relax the embossing on the paper towel and you can tell that there WAS a drip but subsequently dried by holding that paper towel up to a light. Carry on the test for 24 hours, and when you're convinced that there is no leaks, loosen the 1/2 inch cap on the shower arm and see if it squirts water out (like it's under pressure). If it does, and you're confident your shut off valves aren't leaking, then you know there's no leaks.


Then, drill a small hole in the copper cap to drain the water before unsoldering it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nestor,

Great idea, will do.

Thank you again

It's called a drop ear elbow.
Do not use PVC.
Use Copper or CPVC.
http://www.faucetdirect.com/we...12724&baid=437630150

This message has been edited. Last edited by: joecaption,

plumb whatever legal and safe to the shower valve. same rising up to the drop ell. you need a 1/2 FPT threading in that drop ell. it's 4 bucks as Jaybee said. you need a solid chunk of wood behind the drop ell fastened to both studs on either side to bolt that drop ell into. otherwise, there is an 80 percent chance of Very Nasty Ugly occurring in the wall when you twist on that shower pipe.

I have done both a notch-out of the stud and put a 3/4 exterior plywood board in for the ell, and screwed on 2x(whatever after cutting) for bracing the plywood to with screws.

both work. I'm a copper man all the way, but drop ells are forged brass. it all solders the same.