How to Install a New Bathtub Faucet when it is Incompatible with your Existing Faucet
Yesterday I shared all about installing our new bathroom fixtures! We installed a new sink, a new robe hook, hand towel holder, grab bar with towel bar and a new toilet paper holder! Our last step in updating our fixtures was to install a new shower head and bathtub faucet!
All went well…until we came to the last step: installing the bathtub faucet. You see, there are two different ways that bathtub faucets can attach to the plumbing. Our old faucet was screwed into place at the bottom of the faucet. But our new faucet needed to be twisted onto the existing plumbing.
In other words, our existing plumbing was not compatible with our new bathtub faucet.
So today I am going to show you How To Install a New Bathtub Faucet When it is Incompatible with your Existing Faucet!
Thankfully, we were able to remedy our little situation. With a blow torch. (And a few other items of course 🙂
Essentially what we needed to do was to make our existing pipe a little longer and attach an end with threads on it that the new bathtub faucet could twist on to.
So we grabbed a piece of copper pipe (to match our existing pipe) and went to work soldering it together.
First you will rough the end of the new pipe up with a bit of sand paper.
Then you will generously apply Water Soluble Flux to the same end. The solder is attracted to the flux. Without with the flux, the solder can actually drip off the pipe. So be sure to be generous with your flux to ensure a good seal.
We placed a coupling onto the pipe and then using a blow torch, we heated up the area.
After the connection area was heated fairly hot, we applied Solder to the connection area.
Solder is pretty neat stuff. As long as the pipe is hot enough, the Solder, that looked like thick wire, just melts upon contact, sealing the connection between the coupling and the new pipe!
After that was complete, we cut the copper pipe to the correct length that was needed for the faucet to be twisted in place correctly. Be sure to measure carefully!
You will then attach the new pipe to the existing pipe with a coupling and then solder this connection point as well. Be sure to sand and apply flux prior to soldering.
Then you will solder the male-threaded adapter piece onto the end of the pipe, again sanding and applying flux first.
We took a moment here to turn on our water to be sure we had no leaks! At this point a leak would still be very easy to notice and simple to fix! So be sure that things are working properly before going on.
Apply teflon tape around the threads and then simply twist the new faucet into place!
Finally we applied a thin layer of silicon caulk around the edge of the faucet.
We LOVE how our new bathtub faucet looks!! It is a HUGE improvement over our last one. And both of my children BEG to shower in THIS shower every night!
After we had completed all of this work (the new tile, the plank walls and installing new fixtures) our son woke up the next day and said “Thank you daddy for making our bathroom so awesome!!!”
Which was about the cutest thing ever! Although…secretly I wondered where my credit was for all of the work I did…but mostly, I think it was the cutest thing ever! Our sweet little 4 year old noticed all the changes in his bathroom, and was kind enough to thank us for it and tell us how “awesome” it is!
That makes it all so worth it!
You Might Also Enjoy:
How to Install new Bathroom Fixtures
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How to Install Tile
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*As always I am not an expert in plumbing. I am simply a person sharing what worked for us! You may need to seek the assistance of a professional plumber. And as always, please take all proper safety precautions.*
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