Anybody know anything about plumbing?

[CottonEyedHorn]

We're replacing all the fixtures in our Master bath and I finally got around to the tub tonight. There's a nasty old Delta faucet on there right now. So, I get as far as this picture and I'm like WTF! All the pipes are soldered together. My new, non-Delta fixture is expecting a hot & cold water lead to screw onto. How does one do this? Or should I return my fixture to Home Depot, exchange it for a Delta one, and hope I can just screw it on with the same mountings?

 

[EEE]

you are going to have to solder no matter what brand fixture you put in there. but just to get a clearer idea of what you are up against, what are the two pipes on the left for, a tubspout? and the other two go to what? i've only ever messed with hot and cold supplies going through the wall to a diverter, so that picture is kind of confusing to me.

a picture of the new fixture would help a lot.

 

[accuratehorn]

Olden days-pipes soldered together. Modern days-plastic pipes glued together, some with threaded ends to screw attachments to.
You have to get either: plumbing adapters with metal pipe ends to solder to your existing network of metal pipes down there, or replace all the metal pipes with plastic pipes, which may be quicker, cheaper and easier for the non Harvard Plumbing School graduate.

 

[HilltopHorn]

You can get a fitting to do the conversion without any soldering. Your pipe appears to be 3/8", so what you will need will be a 3/8" compression to 3/8" male flare. Then get a short flex hose with female flare on one end, and whatever matches up to your new faucet leads on the other. Most likely 1/2" female iron pipe thread (FIPT).

You can cut the tubing with a hacksaw, but i would highly recommend a mini tubing cutter, will be much easier in the long run in that tight space. A regular tubing cutter would work, but might be too long when you run against the tub.

 

[HilltopHorn]

I forgot...get some emory cloth to remove the grunge from the pipe before you put the compression fitting on it. If you have some dribble of solder on it where you need to put the fitting on, you will either have to heat it off or sand it off, so try to find a fairly clean place down on the line to start with.

 

[CottonEyedHorn]

Thanks HilltopHorn. I've updated the photo so everyone knows what they're looking at, and circled the areas that I guess I will need to cut and fit with the new pieces. I'll post a photo of the faucet & it's leads tonight.

 

[BigWill]

Yep. All you need is a tubing cutter and the compression fittings. I would go ahead and get angle stops, which are valves that can shut the water off if needed. And it looks like 1/2" copper to me, but it's hard to tell.
The Link

 

[horn4life]

I assume your "return" line are actually the lines that are for the outflow into the tub. What you are calling "leads" are just up to the hot and cold valve assembies.

I would cut off the "lead" lines as close as possible to the fixtures just to give yourself maximum flexibility.

I hate to tell you this but basically you are screwed! You can put in the finest fixtures available on the open market and still you will have PINK TILE in your tub!!!!!!

Just kidding... sort of....

You might look VERY closely at the fixture you have and you MAY be able to replace the upper fixture portion without having to replace the underside connections. take off the handle assembly and see if you have any chance of removing the "cosmetic base" of the fixture. Hell use some channel locks or plumbers wrensh to try and see if it will break free.

WARNING turn off water before doing this. WARNIGN go ahead an buy new fixture FIRST! WARNING, install cutoff valves on both your lead lines in case you have a problem in the future.

WARNING.... you have pink tile in your bathroom...

 

[CottonEyedHorn]

hey guys, sorry for the delay. Here's what I'm trying to install:

 

[BigWill]

The good news: you new valve bodies come with compression fittings

The bad news: looks like your existing valves are off to the side of the spout, which isn't the same configuration of the new one, which looks like spout in the middle between the valves.

You are going to have to sweat some copper here. If you haven't done it before, I'd call for the calvary. Should be a minimum charge for a plumber, I'd think.