wall mount tub faucet not legal?

11 years ago

I'm told that you can no longer install a wall mount tub faucet.
But this is the look we want. Is there any way to get this look but be code compliant?

First, this is a free standing deep tub - one of those new acrylic modern looking ones - this will be a tub only - no shower.

I am told that my only choices that are code compliant are:
(a) a deck mount tub faucet that you mount on a horizontal surface either on the tub rim if it's wide enough to drill or put it on an adjoining horizontal tile/stone deck surface.

(b) Or get a Shower valve control and wall mount tub filler - but the plates for shower controls are huge and not very appealing look. This is why option B is not appealing.

(c) get a Floor mount tall faucet and put that near the free standing tub - we don't like the bulky look of the floor faucet though.

I don't mind having one control for hot/cold mixer but I want the look of a small control knob and a tub spout or 2 knobs and a tub spout. Is there a system that has one knob as mixer and one knob as volume so we could have that balanced look?
It's the huge shower valve plate we want to avoid.

I know that separate hot/cold handles are illegal on wall near the tub. But it's weird to me that if I built a half wall nearby and put in a Deck mount Roman tub filler system - they come with separate hot/cold handles. Yet this is not allowed for wall mounting.

Could someone please explain this to me?

Featured Answer

brickeyee

11 years ago

It is pretty hard to have thermostatic control with two separate valves.

How did we ever survive with 140 F water heaters and no thermostatic control in the faucets?

Oh, that's right ... It's for the children.

This post was edited by brickeyee on Wed, Feb 27, 13 at 18:03

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Comments (8)

randy427
11 years ago
Which code?
I see a lot of wall mount tub faucets for sale when I do a google search.
Perhaps it's something about your particular installation that's a problem.
kisu
Original Author
11 years ago
New remodel with all the walls open. Two separate plumbing supply houses said the same exact thing - that I would have a problem with plumbing inspection in San Francisco if I did the bath tub wall mount faucet with a separate hot and cold handle.

and they said that I could not use a wall-mount faucet made for sinks because they fill the tub too slowly.

I don't care what kind of faucet it is on the wall - I just prefer a wall-mount that doesn't have that huge plate. But the issue is apparently since the Tub faucet must now by code have a thermostatic control valve - those only come in the type of wall mounts that look like shower controls with the huge round/square access plates in the front.

I too can also google for wall mount tub faucet. The question is whether the handle is legal anymore. Presently, I am told the tub must have a thermostatic control valve even if it is not a tub/shower combo and is just a standalone tub. And the ones that do have that required valve have huge plates in front to service the valve.

Tons of stuff sold online and in home depot but doesn't mean you can pass inspection with it.
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Thanks so much for the suggestions and advice. I am concerned about being able to get the tub close enough for a faucet reach but far away enough to clean. Unfortunately, a floor mount is not ideal since we're on a concrete slab. A wall mount would be a much easier install. It would be on a wall backing up to the master closet, so I think we could also have a panel to access the plumbing. I really like the Newport brass fixture, although it's a bit more modern than fixtures we've used in the other bathrooms. I would like to use a readily available brand name so parts are replaceable.
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Go to the Kohler site, see this one at 9/34 L Loure ® Bath SpoutK-1467 https://www.themine.com/tub-spouts-and-systems/kohler-14676-loure-wall-mount-9-3-4-in-bath-spout_13094347.html?ppc=2615&af=2615&cm_mmc=sce_google&s_kwcid=AL!4500!3!188533346319!!!g!293047202107!&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIobzK7r-b1QIVQ4J-Ch0HcQa-EAYYBiABEgKe0_D_BwE&ef_id=VjjIvwAAAX3ySzwH:20170721231222:s OR Rohl below https://www.efaucets.com/detail.asp?product_id=BA125-STN
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There are plenty of lovely examples of wall-mounted faucets with free-standing tubs. Perhaps the one posted is not the best example. Most tub fillers used for free-standing tubs have the option to purchase accompanying hardware for floor, deck, or wall mount. The wall mount hardware may have the option of purchasing an extender to stand out from the wall a couple more inches. How quickly a faucet fills a tub is based on the gallons per minute (GPM) of the particular faucet. An example is the Rohl tub filler I bought to go with my clawfoot tub, which has the option of floor, deck, or wall mount. Mine will be wall mounted with an extender because I prefer the cleaner look of plumbing in the wall. My tub will be only a bit closer to the wall than with a floor mount, plus it saves about $1K by not buying a floor mount. A regular quick swiffering between the wall and the tub should keep the area clean enough with the very occasional deeper cleaning (no kids or pets will be using the tub). If you find something you like, be sure to ask your contractor or plumber if it will work with your particular tub. Reach is definitely an issue to double check. Good luck!
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It appears you should search for "roman tub faucet hand shower". In my search results, most configurations put the hand shower on the deck as well ([example 1[(https://www.houzz.com/products/nameeks-l07us-remer-deck-mount-tub-filler-with-hand-shower-chrome-prvw-vr~114794575)) and those that put the hand shower on the wall have the hose exposed, not inside the wall ([example 2[(https://www.houzz.com/products/single-lever-one-hole-tub-filler-with-hand-shower-prvw-vr~12991528)). An all-in-one design.
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kisu
Original Author
11 years ago
I don't mind having one handle now to meet code for bathtubs the problem is now you have to have that huge 5"x5" cover plate to cover the tough valve and it looks a little funny over a tub spout on a free standing tub when there is no shower anywhere . I wish there was something that would mimic the clean look and small base trim on current wall mount vanity faucets. But you can't use sink faucets for a tub.

Plus my really big question is why do I have to have a single mixer handle for a stand alone tub but deck mount roman tub faucets with separate handles are still legal.
hendricus
11 years ago
How about an anti-scald device on the water lines before the bath, then you can run separate faucets legally.

Here is a link that might be useful: anti-scald
Aletia Morgan
9 years ago
I saw this thread and hoped I might revive it. We're getting to the final details on our new MBR plumbing - and what I would like to do is have the tub spout on the opposite (long) side of the tub, but with the hot/cold valves on the deck of the tub, where the user doesn't have to reach across the tub to turn it on/off.

Obviously, there are lots of tub-filler faucets with all three (Hot/Cold/Spout) combined togther, but I am hoping that the spout on the opposite side will be less intrusive.

We've been looking at Grohe or Hansgrohe, and it looks like there's no way to do what I'm envisioning. Like KISU (OP), we have been told our only option is a big pressure balance valve, that's ugly, and will require the half wall at the end of the tub to be higher than I'd like it to be (just to fit).

Is there some code reason why this shouldn't be done, or just that it requires high-end products? I saw a photo that is close on Houzz, although the hot/cold valves are on the wall. But they're so much less annoying!

See:

[Modern Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2105) by Houston Architects & Building Designers RD Architecture, LLC

We're in NJ, if that makes a difference. Is there something we're all missing?
Thanks!

This post was edited by AHMIowa_NJ on Sat, Nov 22, 14 at 22:16
snoonyb
9 years ago
"I could not use a wall-mount faucet made for sinks because they fill the tub too slowly."

YEP!
The truly left coast, nanny state title 24.

Pay a visit to the building dept. and ask why and the alternatives, like the anti-scald device mentioned.

The truth lies in the, "because they fill the tub too slowly,"
because of the temperature depreciation of the water, over time.
Aletia Morgan
9 years ago
Somehow I missed that you had replied - thanks! But the issue can't just be one of gpm/flow - there are tub faucets that mount to a wall that are 6gpm or more, appropriate for a tub vs. a 2.5 gpm flow for a vanity faucet.

So how come it's so hard to find a way to separate the controls (other than the big ugly valve) from the faucet...?

Oh well, I'm running out of time, so I might give in. But it's annoying.

wall mount tub faucet not legal?

brickeyee

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