Best Course Of Action

[jaydebruyne]

Went to a property yesterday as was asked to change a shower valve.

It's quite a high end property.

I couldn't do the job as no means of isolating the water (property is in a large block of flats).

In my head, I would have had to remove the tiles surrounding the valve as there was no access behind the valve.

Question is, and excuse me for sounding like an idiot but I do question myself when faced with this type of thing as I have no building experience, but is it normal practice to take out tiles, platerboard, do the job and leave the custard with a gaping hole and exposed shower until a builder can go in to make good?

 

[Chalked]

There must be some means of turning the water off. How is the hot water provided?
thats a trevi mixer. Are you repairing it or replacing?

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Concealed mixers are designed to be removed and maintained without mauling the wall buddy.
The heads should be removable on both of the valves, then the cover plate should slide off allowing you access to the guts of the mixer. It should be removable completely then.... of it's all been installed correctly 😉

 

[townfanjon]

These jobs turn into right cans of worms pal. You have probably saved a lot of grief by walking away, however if the valve has been fitted correctly , with the knobs off and the plate off you may be able to swap the valve, you obviously have to have the identical valve ready.
How you turn the water off ?? No doubt somebody has made it even harder by tiling the floor. As I said you have done yourself a favour by walking

 

[jaydebruyne]

It's not a direct exact replacament as I was given a Bristan valve to replace it with so I figured some pipework would have to be adjusted to suit the new valve. I also don't know why it needed replacing as the existing valve worked fine, but I'm sure there was a decent enough reason for the decision. Regarding isolating, I just scoured the place for a stopcock. I didn't see a boiler or a cylinder so I'm thinking hot water is communal.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Even if it's communal it should still have a means to isolate within the flat, also if changing the valve the first question I would want answering is do you have spare tiles?

 

[jaydebruyne]

Even if it's communal it should still have a means to isolate within the flat, also if changing the valve the first question I would want answering is do you have spare tiles?

You'd think. But I've been to flats where there is no means to isolate so have had to freeze pipes. With regards to spare tiles, nope. But the firm employ a couple of builders to make good any damage we cause so it would be out of my hands anyway.

But I'm useless at taking tiles off in one piece so any I did take off I'm sure would end up smashed in pieces so I hope they'd be able to get the same ones!!

Speaking of tiles, any tips on removal of them without breaking them? At the mo I generally scrape the grout out with a grout file and then try and pry off the tile slowly with a scraper...

 

[Rich8]

Cordless grinder or multi tool gets them of if your changing to a different valve you might end with a big hole in the wall be carful mate it could end up messy

 

[jaydebruyne]

Cordless grinder or multi tool gets them of if your changing to a different valve you might end with a big hole in the wall be carful mate it could end up messy

That's what I thought. I didn't want to be the one who did it first and got the sack for a claim 😛

 

[Alex Knight]

What are the tiles mounted on?
Cut through grout and backer board take section out, then easier to take tiles off, can then replace board behind tiles and re tile

 

[hammers4spanner]

Tiles are doodle to remove like already said remove grout surrounding tile then smash tile in centre with hammer and it just falls out .

I love jobs like these have had numerous jobs like it around plymouth nice luxury new build flats and shower issues .

Builders have sealed everything in so no access ,plumbers have put filters in behind wall can't get at them list goes on on on .

I just smile when i walk in and say this is gonna cost £40 first hour £30 per hour after that no fixed price to repair .

Good earners

 

[jaydebruyne]

Tiles are doodle to remove like already said remove grout surrounding tile then smash tile in centre with hammer and it just falls out .

I love jobs like these have had numerous jobs like it around plymouth nice luxury new build flats and shower issues .

Builders have sealed everything in so no access ,plumbers have put filters in behind wall can't get at them list goes on on on .

I just smile when i walk in and say this is gonna cost £40 first hour £30 per hour after that no fixed price to repair .

Good earners

I can remove tile easy if I don't care about saving them in one piece 😉 Anyway, the boss had a go at me today for not doing the job and has given me 2 of them to do tomorrow.... Grrrrr but I'm quite looking forward to it!!!

 

[rpm]

Well thats better than getting the sack as in #9

 

[jaydebruyne]

Well thats better than getting the sack as in #9

Sure is rpm 😉

 

[gassafe]

Bugger that job!!

Youve already said the valve works fine, find out what the problem is & repair the existing valve in situ! Most probably just a thermostat cartridge etc... I would not be opening a can of worms, especially if you need a builder to go back after to complete tiling & making good!

6 weeks down the line, big wet patch in the below property... Customer phones you asking for liability insurance details, you blame the builder... Builder blames you & no one lived happily ever after 😉

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

Is that a Trevi boost valve?

If so it will be mains cold and gravity hot so another type wont work with it

Most custards keep spare tiles, sometimes under the bath

 

[jaydebruyne]

Is that a Trevi boost valve?

If so it will be mains cold and gravity hot so another type wont work with it

Most custards keep spare tiles, sometimes under the bath

Not sure mate, I just get told what part needs changing and the address :/

 

[wetdrip]

I can remove tile easy if I don't care about saving them in one piece 😉 Anyway, the boss had a go at me today for not doing the job and has given me 2 of them to do tomorrow.... Grrrrr but I'm quite looking forward to it!!!

Well, if the boss was worth his salt he'd have had someone show you how to do the job good and proper.
If I had been your boss, I would have had another employee with knowledge and experiance of this type of job, take you out on both the jobs he's now given you.

 

[jaydebruyne]

Well, if the boss was worth his salt he'd have had someone show you how to do the job good and proper.
If I had been your boss, I would have had another employee with knowledge and experiance of this type of job, take you out on both the jobs he's now given you.

Not looking for a new employee are you wetdrip? 😉

 

[wetdrip]

Not looking for a new employee are you wetdrip? 😉

In my book, he has a duty of care toward his employees and customers , and the best way forward would have been to have someone give you eyes on whilst they done both jobs.
Your skill and knowledge are in your boss's best interests; he should have been more proactive.

 

[jaydebruyne]

In my book, he has a duty of care toward his employees and customers , and the best way forward would have been to have someone give you eyes on whilst they done both jobs.
Your skill and knowledge are in your boss's best interests; he should have been more proactive.

I agree 100%. Some of the stuff I've done thus far have been me working blind - like being made to change a shower bar mixer on a live system as no means of isolation which was fun - Most times I don't mind as I can suss stuff out (if I have time) or call someone from the team to talk me through stuff. But with a shower valve replacement which I've never done before I would really like to see first hand so at least when I do get one I'm not winging it. And it's never ever an exact replacement valve either so pipework will normally always need changing to suit.

 

[jaydebruyne]

Is that a Trevi boost valve?

If so it will be mains cold and gravity hot so another type wont work with it

Most custards keep spare tiles, sometimes under the bath

It is a trevi, but it works with all systems:

Ideal Standard Trevi Outline Concealed Shower Mixer Valve

 

[jaydebruyne]

I'm so glad I didn't do this job. On this trevi valve both hot and cold go in on the left side. The valve I had to replace it with the hot goes in on the left and cold on the right. I would have had to take off quite a few tiles in order to reroute the pipework :bomb: