Spinning thermostatic wall blanking plate

[MLPDIY]

Hello everyone.
I hope that someone can provide some guidance on something I can’t figure out how it is done
Essentially my plumber has put in my thermostatic shower before the tiles have gone up
So now I need to remove the mixer and the blanking plates to tile and then to refit them afterwards
One problem
I can’t figure out how to get the things off
They just spin
I’ve tried a little elbow grease but there is no give, I don’t want to break anything
As you can see, the plumber had put in a metal sleeve, which I thought might have been stopping it - but I removed this and still the plate spins
The plate is a single piece, made by a shower company called Enki
Any thoughts on how I can get this off would be so appreciated right now, I have spent the entire afternoon on it :-/
..or should I tile around them..?
Thank you for reading

 

[king of pipes]

There's a olive on the pipework which will stop the plates coming forward they won't be coming off in a hurry 🙁 I suggest get the plumber back .

 

[MLPDIY]

Thank you so much for the reply. You are right, my plumber finally replied and said the same. Tile around them he said

At least I can start now.

Really appreciate the reply and advice. Thank you 🙂!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

No don’t tile around them you want to tile behind them

 

[king of pipes]

In an idea world Shaun is correct it looks like Hardi backer has been used as the backing board so you could possibly tile around them if you have the correct tools and skill ??

 

[Ben-gee]

Is there enough play to ease the plates away from the wall and slip a tile behind?

Layout the tiles so there is a horizontal grout line centred on the pipes, then you will be able to just cut a semicircle in each tile and slip them around the pipe but behind the plate.

 

[MLPDIY]

Thanks for all the comments

I had a feeling that the tile should’ve been behind them, that’s why I spent so long trying to figure out how to get them off.

Due to time constraints it looks like I am going to have to tile around them - and by the looks of it I am going to need to be super precise or it’s not going to work.

There is 1mm of give on the plates so nowhere near enough to get it in.

The back is plastered plasterboard which now has been waterproofing coated since the last pictures.

The way the tiles will be laid will mean I can hole saw the holes into the tiles, it might take one or two attempts but I can make it work

Really appreciate the time that has been taken to reply 🙂

 

[ShaunCorbs]

You won’t be able to waterproof around and it’s a mess down the road waiting to happen

 

[Timmy D]

You won’t be able to waterproof around and it’s a mess down the road waiting to happen

I second this.

This is a mess and problem waiting to happen.

Do you want to fix it now, or take tiles off etc in the future.

I’m also questioning how much of a plumber your “plumber” is. Why is there tape on a thread that should seal with a washer...

Pipes should have be stubbed out 2” and capped off.

Once tiles are on, they’re cut to size and shower fitted.

I also can’t imagine how the plumber got the pipe horizontal without the use of a fitting. Having a push fit fitting buried in the wall is not a great idea...