Installing a hygienic shower for concealed installation

Recommendation points

• Hygienic shower and its equipment
• General installation principles
• Pre-assembly
• Organization of a place for a hidden installation
• Installation of rough plumbing, brickwork and finishing

A modern bathroom is unthinkable without a hygienic shower, the best option of which is a watering can with a concealed mixer. will tell you how to buy suitable plumbing fixtures and give instructions on preparing the installation site, laying communications, connections and installation rules.

Hygienic shower and its equipment

Unlike the plumbing fixtures that come with bidets and some toilet models, a separate mixer has many advantages. It has a high maintainability, can be installed taking into account preferences in terms of ergonomics, and most importantly, this option is cheaper than integrated devices.

The principle of operation of a concealed hygienic shower is the same as that of a conventional bath mixer, the only difference is the absence of a gander. The kit includes:

1. The mixer itself. As a rule, this is a cartridge-type device or with a built-in thermostat. The functional part is hidden in the thickness of the wall, of the visible elements – only a handle, a socket for connection and a hose with a watering can.
2. Power socket. In some models it is installed separately, in some the mixer block has a tap for connecting a hose.
3. Hose and watering can. Conventional flexible lead and handle with miniature diffuser. The watering can has a button, which increases the usability, but does not affect the installation order.
4. Decorative glass and washers. Allow to refine the places of junction of plumbing fixtures to the finishing surface.

General installation principles

The mixer is installed rigidly in the thickness of the wall in such a position that, when assembled, its decorative washer fits snugly to the finish surface. False walls are optional, the hidden part of the plumbing can be hidden in a niche about 70–80 mm deep. Thus, gypsum and aerated concrete partitions are suitable for concealed installation of the mixer..

A very important condition is a strong and mechanically resistant installation system. The mixer cannot simply be walled up into the wall, because over time, due to thermal expansion, the strength of the fit will weaken. In addition, accurate positioning must be ensured before finishing, so that the visible elements are located on an axis parallel to the tile seams..

The best option is to use a dedicated mounting rail. It is convenient to bend a U-shaped bar with ears from it, the height of which will provide the required indentation from the surface of the rough wall. Thanks to the frequent perforation, you can freely choose the location of the fasteners and carefully adjust the installation. A more budgetary option is a bar planed to the desired thickness, while the wood should be painted on all sides to avoid rotting and shrinkage.

The connection system deserves special attention. Since after installation, all rough plumbing remains maintenance-free, the quality of the package should not be in doubt. It is best to use an anaerobic sealant for these purposes. The same applies to the supply pipes: threaded connections are not suitable for these purposes, it is better to give preference to push-in press fittings, copper or plastic soldering.

Pre-assembly

It does not make sense to assemble and pack the connections after fixing the mixer, it is better to do this in advance in a convenient place. First you need to prepare the mounting base: bend the tire or drive the timber to the required thickness. To determine it, you need to know:

1. Distance from the base of the clamp to the axis of the clamped element.
2. Distance from the end of the decorative washer of the mixer assembly to the axis of the side inlets.

By adding these two values, we get the distance from the mounting rail to the finishing plane. The thickness of the adhesive tile must also be considered. When everything is ready, you need to fix a pair of clamps for fixing the mixer and special fasteners for the outlet on the mounting panel.

Before installing the plumbing on the mounting panel, the joints are assembled and poured. It is necessary to screw “nut-union” couplings into the mixer taps, for which fastening will be performed, having previously lubricated the threads with an anaerobic sealant. Transition fittings are screwed to the couplings for the required type of connections for connecting pipes. As a rule, the taps are directed downward or towards the distribution unit. Pipe sections of the required length should be immediately attached to the bends so as not to be involved in investment at the installation site.

If the socket is located separately, it must be connected to the mixer outlet with a short piece of pipe. Since flush-mounted elements are located close to each other, it is better to give preference to connections on press fittings or copper soldering, if possible, you can make an insert from a steel pipe. It is not recommended to use polypropylene pipes for soldering or metal-plastic pipes with threaded connections for this unit.

Organization of a place for a hidden installation

When all hidden plumbing is assembled and fixed on the mounting panel, it is installed and fastened to the wall. Several attachment points should be immediately marked in case the fasteners in one of them turn out to be loose or additional adjustment is required.

If installation is carried out in a monolithic partition, a niche and grooves must be cut out in advance for the mixer and inlet pipes. In this case, the inset depth should be chosen so that the formed plane remains parallel to the finishing plane and has a predetermined indent from it, corresponding to the dimensions of the mounting panel.

The first fitting and marking should be done using a laser level or a stretched cord. Since the centers of the outlet and the mixer are usually located on the same axis, their position is very important to control when fixing. After placing the mounting panel, fix it at 3-4 points on the left and right sides.

Installation of rough plumbing, brickwork and finishing

When the mixer is installed and securely fixed, the connection must be made. Pipes are laid in pre-cut grooves to the water supply collector and there they are connected to the tapped points. For a hygienic shower, a nominal pipe diameter corresponding to a diameter of 16 mm is sufficient. To avoid cracking of the embedment, hot water pipes and connection of the outlet, put on a soft heat-insulating jacket.

To ensure long-term operation of the mixer and the watering can, a sieve filter with a mesh size of about 0.2 mm must be installed at the inlet of the manifold unit. You also need to pay attention to the recommended parameters of the water supply network specified in the instructions. For example, in multi-storey buildings, as a rule, it is required to install a protective reducer to equalize water pressure and protect against water hammer..

The installation should be repaired only after the hygienic shower has been completely assembled and tested in operation. To protect against the ingress of mortar and dust on the base of the handle, put on a protective cap. If a cut-in is performed in a niche, the entire free space must be filled with a cement-sand mortar, having previously cleaned the cavities from dust and moistened the contact area with water. The filling must be aligned in one plane with the rough wall and allowed to dry completely before further work. If the installation is made in a false wall, the frame is assembled and the base from the plasterboard is hemmed.

The placement of the handle and the rosette must be planned in advance so that the decorative plates are completely located within one tile. Thus, it will be possible to avoid a loose adjoining of decorative overlays at the joints, which does not look very nice. Before laying in the tiles, it is sufficient to make holes with a tolerance of 2-3 mm with a diamond core drill. When the cladding is completed and the seams are worn out, all that remains is to put the decorative overlays, then mount the finishing plumbing: install the handle lever and connect the hose with a watering can.