We ran into the same issue diy, in that dh was not expecting the danze shower supply to have a threaded adapter. We were doing a wet fit of our plumbing and sweat the piece out and replaced it.

I think there are adapters you could use. Not sure of your specific dimensions, or how a licensed plumber could sweat this in safely, but something like the attached.

I hear you on the overall frustration level of your contractor.

Here is a link that might be useful: Adapter

Sorry to say and this does not help you, but you buy the parts you assume the risk, all parts need to be on site. You cannot expect them to do the research due to your failure to do your job as the GC. At this point you can and ask Hansgrohe their recommendation or pay right now to have it corrected. That or change to a standard fixture that will work.

Can the plumbing be accessed from the other side of the wall?

The plumbing can not be accessed from the other side of the wall as there is a tiled stand up shower on that side.

I've found number of a adapters. Problem is that the tile would have to be removed to get access.

As to having the part on site, the contractor was CLEARLY notified that we are using Hansgrohe. I was at the house when the plumber subcontractor started the job and CLEARLY STATED to him that we are using Hansgrohe Axor line. He replied back that he had worked with Hansgrohe before. Contractor did not request that all products be on site. It's HIS responsibility to figure out how things are installed, not mine.

What are "recommended supply houses and recommended brands"??? I was certainly never given a list. My responsibility is to pay the guy and purchase the materials. I was NEVER told the plumbing fixtures had to be on site. In fact we had a trailer full of plumbing fixtures and as far as I know they were never opened since the tape was still on the boxes undisturbed.

Bear in mind this is part of a several hundred thousand dollar remodel. And the contractor sent me a $5400 change order bill for the use of "non-standard fixtures". So as far I'm concerned, after I had personally notified the general AND the sub that I was using Hansgrohe, it's on him to make sure the specific fittings work.

Hansgrohe is a huge company whose products are used the world over including the USA. What is "standard" anyway?

Of course your contractor should have made sure he knew what plumbing was required before performing the work. And if he needed the part on site, he should have let you know that work could not begin until he had the fixtures in hand. That is just idiotic.

You are not acting as a gc, you bought a faucet. That does not relieve the plumber or your gc of responsibility in carrying out their work. What a sweet deal that is, to make the layperson the scapegoat.

Wow, $5400 to use fixtures you want. I would not have worked with him. But you have already paid royally with all your change order charges to have him fix his screwups. He wasn't paying attention, so he didn't win that lottery. Besides, as the project manager, he is already being paid a whole lot, I'm sure, to actually manage the work. Fixing problems is already built into that fee. For that kind of money, the problem should have disappeared without you needing to know or say anything.

He sounds like a real gem. Also sounds like you need to call Hansgrohe for him, to see if there is a simpler fix.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sat, Jan 24, 15 at 14:04

I agree with you thelex. I used Hansgrohe for my remodel and it never occurred to me that it was not "standard". And even if it were not "standard", how in the world would you know that. After you said you were using Hansgrohe, it's up to the contractor to say that he absolutely needs to have the parts on site, not for you to read his mind. And $5400 for a change order if pretty outrageous.

The setup you have is TOTALLY standard, as in, the big-box stores stock $10 tub spouts that will fit on it. There are three common setups - the set screw your contractor is talking about, the threaded pipe like you have, and a threaded pipe that only extends less than an inch from the wall.

It's all on your GC. He gets to argue with the plumber over how this gets remediated, but it gets repaired at no additional cost to you.

Your plumber made an error. Doesn't matter if it's because he's ignorant or apathetic. Doesn't matter if it's because your GC failed to communicate or supervise. It's up to the GC to resolve this with your plumber.

The GC can eat it. The Plumber can eat it. They can go dutch. It's of no concern to you.

If the tiler needs to be brought back in, he suffers no loss as he was no part of this problem. The tiler gets paid by the GC at no additional cost to you.

I'd be there when the tiler comes back. Have an honest conversation with him. Can the tile be sectioned away and eventually replaced without compromising the membrane or the look of the installation as a whole. If he feels confident, then you can proceed. If he doesn't, then you can travel down another path.

If I was building your house, I'd be apologizing and making it right.

If your plumber had no idea of what type of spout was going to be installed, then he should have installed a threaded drop ear adaptor:

{{gwi:2132686}}

The drop ear union gets sweated on to the pipe coming from the valve, and then either a threaded nipple (for your hansgrohe) or a threaded coupling with a sweated copper stub out can be threaded in to the drop ear for any type of tub spout.

The 89 cents your plumber saved by napping at work? Costly.

Mistakes happen.

And Hansgrohe? About a third of what I install in showers seems to be Hansgrohe. I'd say it's pretty "standard."

"If your plumber had no idea of what type of spout was going to be installed, then he should have installed a threaded drop ear adaptor: "

Yes!

I installed a Hansgrohe faucet in my bathtub myself, and it was very easy. I had a plumber install the controls because they were pretty complicated, but I showed him what I had bought before he agreed to do the job.

Putting the faucet on should be the easiest part.

Lars

Is this the thermostatic or pressure balanced valve trim? Either way, the handle appears upside down.

Here is a link that might be useful: Citterio Pressure balance valve trim handle

No, that's right side up. I have a similar Hansgrohe valve - mine is thermostatic although (annoyingly) the temperature settings aren't labelled on the escutcheon plate. The large control at the bottom controls temperature - move left for colder, right for hotter. The smaller top lever on mine is a volume control and diverter in one. Upward is off; left and right send water to the tub spout and shower respectively, with the water volume increasing until the control is sideways 90 degrees from top. It rotates 360 degrees in either direction; the bottom half is for combining both tub and shower outlets in any proportion (useful if you have a handshower attached to the tub spout as I plan to do, so you can use the regular showerhead and the handheld simultaneously). Behind the trim plate is Hangrohe's excellent universal box that allows easy access to the valve from the front which makes repairs, modifications, or style changes easy.

I never knew about those drop ear adapters, and thought the choice of tub spout plumbing had to be decided based on which spout you planned to install. I'd seen inexpensive tub spouts that have a second outlet on them for attaching a handshower, with a diverter control on the spout:
{{gwi:2132687}}
and the ones I've seen require a long threaded pipe like the one the original poster had installed, so that's what I specified. But if I ever wanted to change it to, say, this Kohler Souris waterfall spout
{{gwi:2132688}}
I'd need to take a hacksaw to the pipe because the Kohler spout uses the set screw attachment method and can't have a long pipe extending from the wall. It would be nice to be able to change between tub spouts easily if I so choose.

Speaking of which, would it be easy (or at least possible) to change my existing long threaded pipe to a drop ear adapter after the installation has been completed, without removing the 12"x12" wall tiles or anything else?

Remove the valve escutcheon, cut the pipe to the faucet, sweat the ear drop onto a pre-measured pipe, fish it in and sweat that onto the stub left at the valve with a coupling, replace the escutcheon, and you should be fixed without any tile repairs.

Lee,
I was referring to the picture posted by thelex. I have the same one Publickman has.
Good luck!

thx, Trebruchet.

homepro01, oh, think you're right.

"Remove the valve escutcheon, cut the pipe to the faucet, sweat the ear drop onto a pre-measured pipe, fish it in and sweat that onto the stub left at the valve with a coupling, replace the escutcheon, and you should be fixed without any tile repairs."

Trebuchet, that's tough to do with an iBox. With the valve's escutcheon removed, all you can access is the inside of the iBox, and the connections are outside the box, behind the tile.

I had thought of modifying the back of the actual tub spout. I don't recall exactly how the hansgrohe is fabricated. But the back sides of some tub spouts can be taken apart and the connection modified.

Then there's the idea of cutting a larger hole around the tub pipe and covering it with an escutcheon plate. Perhaps a square one to match the valve's escutcheon.

I think the escutcheon on the actual tub spout is about 2-1/4" in diameter. I even though of using a coring bit to cut a 1-7/8" diameter hole around the copper tub spout and doing the work through that hole. But sweating pipe through a small access hole inside of an enclosed framing bay? Not on my insurance!

Without opening up the wall we need McGuyver. Well, the non-desctructive version of McGuyver.

Or we need the GC to open the wall up, make repairs, and move on.

Thelex,

What did you end up doing?

-john

Johnn,

Did you find a solution? Looks like I have a similar situation. Were you able to install you HG tub spout?

Just had the exact same thing happen to me with a threaded hansgroghe metris tub spout. Had it onsite since demo began and even mentioned to gc that I wanted to make sure it would work with the straight pipe the plumber put in and was assured it would.

When plumber came to finish was told would need to go though a back wall and cut tile to make it work so even having it onsite and questioning doesn’t make a difference .

Not sure what to get now.

@debgras61 what did you end up doing? Iam in the same situation. Thanks

I ended up returning it and getting one that slipped on instead

was just frustrating that he assured me would work