I have finished major part of the project, still need to fix small things like paint work on the wooden boarder, arbor over waterfall, rails, aquatic plants and fish. here are some pics; Mia, thanks again for the pump and filters, it is working great, lift lot of water. Thank you all for all those tips to make it happen. Here is a link that might be useful: Hot Bath Tub Water Garden

[Cross-posted from Plumbing in case anyone over here with recent bathroom renovation experience has any insight!] I'm wondering if anyone might be able to offer some ideas or advice on an issue we're having--thanks! We had a 15-year-old Delta shower/tub setup with a leak. At the time DH thought it was an issue with the valve and tried to fix it...and wound up breaking it by turning it too hard. So we had a plumber come out and install a new valve....but the leak persists. Pretty sure it's the spout diverter at this point. So question #1: we have a universal plastic Delta adapter. The new valve is Kohler (pressure-balanced temp only) and I plan to buy the Kohler trim set that includes the diverter spout. The options are slip-fit or 1/2" NPT. Neither, I assume, is compatible with the Delta universal; can I simply take the plastic piece off and use a slip-fit (or cut off the threading and put a slip-fit over the plastic) or do I need to replace the entire pipe? There seems to be a short copper pipe underneath. AND....we've developed a new problem now! When we run the tub, we now hear gurgling sounds from the showerhead (a handheld showerhead, so there are multiple connections---some of which seem to leak even when we're just running the tub). When we turn the tub off, the gurgling continues intermittently, and water runs out of the spout each time it gurgles. Is this also related to a bad diverter in some way? It didn't happen before we had the new valve installed, so I want to be sure it's not a problem with the valve or the installation before we tile everything back in. Any help would be much appreciated---thanks!

Omg, lol, engineerchic! I was thinking as I read your post that I had the same thing happen to me with Kohler, then read it was even the same line! I loved that stacked thermostatic valve set though. My very experienced plumber was completely confused by the diagrams in the instructions. Seems to install it for a normal arrangement of single handheld shower head and tub spout is not what they intended! After several days with no shower due to this stupid valve issue we returned it all and got a Price Pfister set locally that looks just as nice and was about $1,100 less. So much for splurging on good fixtures, we saved enough for all the "extras" that went in the room outside the fixtures! And looking back, the most entertaining part was the confused look on the plumbing guys at HD when I insisted they reassure me all the valves that are needed for the rough in are included in the box. That was all separate, and very expensive, with the Bancroft line. They were completely taken aback that you can even buy a trim kit without a rough in valve, but I assured them that yes, that was absolutely possible, and I had done just that. They thought I was nuts.

For a jetted tub used as a shower, it has to have an integral tile flange. That allows the wall cladding to overhang and any water that hits the wall to not go behind your walls. There aren't that many in that size that are inexpensive. It will need a specialized drain, and, if you want to spend any time in the tub, a supplemental heater so the water doesn't cool off so fast. Since it's a tub/shower, the wall cladding will need to be redone to be waterproof into the tub. It's possible, if the build is recent, and it was done with the proper vapor barrier behind it, that only one row of the tile would need to be pulled in order to replace the tub. But, I wouldn't count on that. I'd count on having to replace all of the wall cladding in the alcove. That can be as cheap as a plastic surround for around $100 or cheap tile with the proper vapor barrier for probably $150 or so. The first is the easiest and the least chance of leaking. The second will read as more upscale, but you have to be sure your contractor understands about the vapor barrier and correct materials to use to tile this (NOT mastic.) And since you have that torn out, it would be foolish to try to keep your current control valves for the bath unless they are also very new. New safety standards are in place for anti scald mechanisms. So, you will need a new shower/bath faucet and valve. Then you will need the electrical line run from the panel to the location for the whirlpool pump and supplemental heater. That location is usually opposite the drain side of the tub. You will need to be able to site an access panel that is removable to be able to get to the electrical innards here. That can be from an adjacent room, or from a hidden panel on the tub itself. All in all, you might be able to get all of the needed materials for 2-3K if you shop the box stores carefully and find some bargains. The danger to that is that if you are inexperienced, you don't know if you're buying quality or crap. They sell both. And that's one reason that it would be simpler to let the pro pick the products after you tell him the features that you want. Then you've got to pay the contractor labor to install all of that. The electrician's price will depend on how difficult it will be to access the panel and run the wire to the location. For that, it's a really good thing you are on a crawlspace! That makes it cheaper for both the electrician and the plumber. On the whole, I'd expect your project to cost between 5-7K, depending on location, and if you have no DIY skills to bring to the table and have to hire professionals for the whole job. And be sure that you hire someone that is licensed and insured to be in your home, and will pull the proper permits to get the job inspected with your code office. Some handyman guy isn't licensed to do electrical of that nature, and while he might be able to do the demo and get the tub in place and glue on the plastic surround, it's unlikely that he'll have the right insurance to deal with a large job like that, and thus probably wont' want to pull permits and be inspected. They are usually limited to smaller jobs like simple fixture replacements like a faucet or light. Which this isn't. Just remember, you are doing a project that combines electricity and water. You really have to know what you're doing here! A small General Contractor should be able to do the complete job, and also carry the needed papers. And he should have no problem with the code guys coming in to inspect his work either. If he does, then he's not the right person for the job.