Hello,

I am considering adding a showerhead to a tiled shower in a home we recently moved into. I am hoping people can comment on my thought. My goal is to keep it as simple as possible but also not create a bunch of unnecessary holes that I have to patch. A few questions in addition to the above.
1. If this works will i get good pressure utilizing the sink pipes as the source? Would i have to T off before the lines to the sink or could i leave all that alone and add the water connections after the shutoffs?
2. Do you think that I could have the pipes go behind the medicine cabinet as that would be ideal?
3. What is going to be the easiest way to cut the tile and minimize it breaking to add the valve? Can I do this from the shower side or do i have to do it from behind?

Above is the attic and the back wall of the shower is an outside wall so I can't put piping in either location.

Below are some pictures and further detail of what I am considering.

Thanks for the help.

I would like to have these go behind the cabinet if possible. Otherwise I would try and run them along the side like shown below


Showerhead location. I would also try and place the valve i think below the medicine Cabinet


I want good pressure. If i T off the water lines to the sink and run them behind the drawers and then up what do people think? If this would work would the T be best place before the shutoff? Not sure if the shutoff restricts flow.

 

Is this an add on shower that was not there before? Is this a first floor or second floor? Typically there would be a single feed line (one for hot and one for cold) tapping off the main feed line (typically 3/4" pipe). For best pressure/flow the pipes would straight to shower (a straight line as possible). Then the sink and toilet would tap off those lines.

I'm not a plumber, but I believe newer homes are feeding showers with 3/4 size. This is to provide better flow to those shower spa with multiple shower heads. If you have good pressure, then I suppose you could tap off the sink supply pipe.

If those medicine cabinets are built into the wall then there won't be any room for you pipes. How are you going to secure the shower pipe going up the wall. It's usually secure to a 2 x 4 stud or a cross brass.

I'll be interested to hear from some our plumbing experts.

BTW...I like your choice of tile for the shower.

 

Have you ever used a shower with multiple heads?
What is the water supply to your home?
How many gallons per minute is fed to your house?
How is the water in your house heated?
How quickly can you heat water?

1. What pressure you get depends on how your house is plumbed. If the entire bathroom is fed by 1/2" lines then that's going to be a limit but if 3/4" pipes feed the bathroom where it's dropped to 1/2" for each fixture then you might get good flow.

2. No, you will have to remove the medicine cabinet as it's occupying the stud cavity where the faucet body and piping would go.

3. You can drill and grind tile with carbide and diamond bits. Ceramic can be worked relatively easy while porcelain tile is more difficult. As for breakage... there are never any guarantees.

 

Thanks for the replies.

The home is 20 years old and all copper. I would assume it is coming off a 3/4" line and is on the second floor. I can see the 3/4" lines leaving from the main utility room in the basement. I am not certain on the incoming line but I would guess 1" and 1/4 or 1" and a half. The home has what looks like a 1" line for the underground sprinklers and the main line coming in is bigger than that. It is city water and not sure the gallons per minute.

Heating is done by a gas hot water tank. I think it is like 80 gallons. I had multiple heads at my last home but not this one sadly and why i would like another here if possible.

Can you run more than one head if each had its own 1/2" line off the 3/4" line? With out tearing into the walls and such is there a way to figure out if the shower runs off its own line and the sink i would like to tap into off its own?

How do you tell what type of tile is used?

Thanks for the compliment Norm201 but sadly I can't take credit for it as it came with the home but I do like it too.

 

I would definitely tee off before the shutoffs. The shutoffs are 3/8" while the pipes are 1/2" - which is about double the area/volume. I would add a pair of 1/2" ball valves to as a separate shutoff for the shower in that same cabinet.

Unfortunately it's hard to say what kind of pressure/volume you'd get. One very unscientific way would be to turn on a second shower in the house and that one too and see what happens. Or an outside hose faucet on full. If you don't see much pressure drop, you'll at least know the main/house can support it.

For cutting the tile, I'd use a rotary tool with a diamond or carbide bit. In a pinch, and angle grinder with a tile cutting blade could work, but would be more of a octagonal hole rather than round.

1. If this works will i get good pressure utilizing the sink pipes as the source? Would i have to T off before the lines to the sink or could i leave all that alone and add the water connections after the shutoffs?
2. Do you think that I could have the pipes go behind the medicine cabinet as that would be ideal?
3. What is going to be the easiest way to cut the tile and minimize it breaking to add the valve? Can I do this from the shower side or do i have to do it from behind?