How to Install a Glacier Bay Shower
- 1). Turn off the water supply. Most shower faucets do not have individual cut-off valves. For this reason, you will need to turn the water off at the city water meter or well pump. Turn on the shower faucet and the outside water hydrants--this will relieve any pressure and drain the house water system.
- 2). Remove the old shower faucet. Take off the faucet handles and remove the old faucet stems. Cut the copper water supply lines, which are the hot and cold water pipes connected to right and left side of the faucet coming out of the floor, 6 inches below the faucet body, with your tubing cutters. Cut the shower raiser, which is the pipe leading up to the showerhead, 6 inches above the faucet. Remove the old faucet body.
- 3). Preassemble the faucet connections. Wrap thread tape six full turns around the threaded ends of the 1/2-inch male adaptors, covering all the threaded area. Screw the male adaptors into the threaded female openings of the faucet by hand. Tighten them securely with an adjustable wrench.
- 4). Prepare the pipe connections. Slide the long open end of all three couplings over the open water supply pipes, and up onto the open shower raiser pipe. Push them on by hand as far as they will go. Set the faucet in place and hold it level with one hand. With your other hand, measure the distance between the open ends of the male fittings and the open ends of the couplings with a measuring tape. Add 2 inches to each pipe measurement for the slack inside each fitting, and cut the three pieces of copper pipe to fit each measurement. Push each piece of copper pipe into the corresponding male adaptor 1 full inch.
- 5). Connect the pipes. Holding the shower faucet in position, place the Sharkbite release tool, an orange half moon-shaped plastic tool, over the old copper pipes. Using the tool, push the couplings onto the pieces of new cooper pipe you attached to the faucet. Be sure the new copper pipes are 1 inch into the couplings, as this will prevent them from leaking.
- 6). Finish the Glacier Bay shower faucet installation. Attach the escutcheons by sliding them over the stems. Place the handles onto the stems; attach the handle screws with a screwdriver. Insert the hot and cold screw cover buttons. Close the outside hydrants turn the water back on. Let the hot and cold sides of the shower faucet run for a few minutes, turn the shower off and inspect for water leaks around all the pipe connections.
