How to Install a Shower Valve for New Construction

Installing a new shower valve in new construction involves the use of advanced tools like a blowtorch and solder. You'll find that installing a shower valve in a new home is easier than installing one in an existing bathroom, however, because in new homes the walls are not finished. All you need to do is mount the valve and solder it in place, while in an existing home you have to take apart part of the wall.

2-by-6 inch board
Screws
Screwdriver
1 1/2-inch copper pipe elbow joints
1 1/2-inch copper pipe
Solder flux
Blowtorch
Solder

Instructions

- 1
  Install a 2-by-6 board between the two studs where the hot and cold water pipes are located in the spot where you plan on installing the shower valve. Use wood screws and a screwdriver. Mount the valve to this board by screwing the brackets to the board with the provided valve mounting screws and your screwdriver.
- 2
  Fit two elbow joints to the hot and cold water pipes that are on either side of the valve. Do not solder the joints yet. Measure the distance from the joints to the valve with a tape measure.
- 3
  Cut sections of copper pipe to your measurements with a hacksaw. Fit the copper pipe sections between the elbow joints and the valve so they connect the valve to the pipes.
- 4
  Remove the pipes and elbow joints once you have established a proper fit. Coat the ends of the pipe sections and the elbow joints with soldering flux. Assemble the elbow joints and the pipe sections again.
- 5
  Heat the pipes at the point where the joints and pipes connect, with a blowtorch. Apply the solder to the heated area and let it fuse the pipes together. The solder will run into the seams, filling up the gaps. Repeat this on each seam to solder the fittings. Let the solder cool each time you complete a seam.

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