DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

The plumber I employed has plumbed the shower incorrectly, the cold on the left & the hot on the right. I have asked him to resolve e it he said he can't as it's all tiles in.
Can I purchase a new thermostatic tap & plumb in the fitting upside down so the correct valves line up? Thank you Gordon.

Hi, this is something I have come across before. A thermostatic valve as you are finding out will not work correctly with the hot and cold water supplies crossed. In theory, you could do as you suggested and fit it upside down, it would work but all your shower controls would be on the wrong sides and turn the opposite direction. It would all be a bit confusing.

Far better you switch the supplies around the right way. Even if it means bashing a few tiles off, re-plumbing and replacing tiles. It's only a half day job once you put your mind to it.

Another method which may work for you is to lift some floorboards next to the bathroom and see if you can switch the supply there, sometimes you can get lucky and you can get to the supply pipes to the shower. Or even switch the supply to the whole room, bear in mind you will have to swap around the pipes to the taps and re-take a new cold supply to the toilet so depending on where your pipes are it may be more hassle than it's worth. you can also cut away a small section of the ceiling below the shower and usually can get to the pipes from there. I understand they are all a hassle but better than living with an upside down shower valve for the foreseeable future.

Hi, thank you for your help, typically, we can't lift any board as it was a ground floor extension, so everything is concreted in & then tiled over.
My only solution is to hack off the tiles & do it that way if I can't find an alternative shower controller.
Thanks Gordon