Best way to channel pipes into bathroom wall for a shower? | Showers and Wetrooms Advice | Plumbers Forums

  • Welcome to PlumbersTalk.net

    Welcome to Plumbers' Talk | The new domain for UKPF / Plumbers Forums. Login with your existing details they should all work fine. Please checkout the PT Updates Forum

Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws

American Visitor?

Hey friend, we're detecting that you're an American visitor and want to thank you for coming to PlumbersTalk.net - Here is a link to the American Plumbing Forum. Though if you post in any other forum from your computer / phone it'll be marked with a little american flag so that other users can help from your neck of the woods. We hope this helps. And thanks once again.

Best way to channel pipes into bathroom wall for a shower?

Post thread
Post reply

Discuss Best way to channel pipes into bathroom wall for a shower? in the Showers and Wetrooms Advice area at Plumbers Forums

M

malcky

Hi folks, would like to know what is the best way you would gouge/channel the wall to put pipes into for a shower mixer unit?

Looking for tools and methods you would do this, Im still at college and not covered this yet in detail but i did ask the tutor and he said would a grinder to slice up the wall at 1 inch spacing and then use hammer & chisel to knock the channel for each pipe.

Is this the way folks on here would use?

Thanks
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Well I know that the wall is concrete so SDS would work...unfortunately I dont have an SDS drill at this moment in time so will need alternative methods if possible.

Are you saying that the grinder lines up the wall is correct though?
 
Upvote 0
malcky said:
Well I know that the wall is concrete so SDS would work...unfortunately I dont have an SDS drill at this moment in time so will need alternative methods if possible.

Are you saying that the grinder lines up the wall is correct though?
Click to expand...

It can be, but it will make A LOT of dust. Like, dust everywhere, you'll send more time cleaning than plumbing. You can get a corded SDS with rotostop for under £100 and tbh, it should be one of your first purchases.
 
Upvote 0
I use a small grinder with a diamond tipped blade. Cut down 2 lines either side of the pipe and then the centre bit practically falls out with a chisel. Lots of dust and cover over any smoke detectors and open a window, but chase is cut in seconds.
 
Upvote 0
I have a Draper heavy duty drill that came with some sort of attachment that looks like it is meant for chasing walls, that is what it gets used for and it works brilliantly, it is the right size for 15mm and creates and nice neat groove in solid walls.

I used to use the grinder method, but as mentioned, it creates A LOT of dust!
 
Upvote 0
when you say concrete do you mean a block wall and not actual concrete?

the best method depends on the type of material the wall is, soft block can be chisel'd with a 20mm gouge chisel

3164Jf2D-6L._SL500_.jpg


like this.

harder material i may be better to grind 2 lines first but its very dusty.
 
Upvote 0
Grinder method is neat, but you won't see that for a week after doing it !!!!!!
Couple of points - try not to dig too deep. or you could end up with large holes to be filled - some of the blocks are not solid. Then remember to either use plastic pipes, or wrap the copper tube with tape to protect from the effects of plaster.
 
Upvote 0
Upvote 0
Think im going to get the Titan SDS: Titan TTB279SDS 5kg SDS+ Drill 240V | NoLinkingToThis as it looks like a beast of a machine that gets good reviews, comes with a 2 year warranty which is good for a £60 machine.....the extra's its coming with is a bargain too. This should cover all the heavy duty stuff I reckon....possibly overkill for chasing the wall as my initial post, but will be used for lots of other stuff in time.....hopefully.

Still need to get a grinder though....anyone use cordless ones or just best getting a corded one?
 
Upvote 0
Tell your tutor to boiler there head and get real. There are a dozen ways to chase a wall depending on how much money you have to spend on tools. No way is right or wrong. They all get the same result with differing degrees of effort, mess or hazard and using a grinder is the messiest and most hazardous to your health.
Best and easiest with least mess is a diamond wall chaser. A grinder with 2 blades and a hoover attachment. A quick clean job. You can buy a cheap one for just over 100 or a good one for 500.
A basic grinder will cut the channels but you will still need to use an sds or a hammer and chisel to remove the section of brick work. Basically you will shut the bathroom door and fire in with the grinder while wearing a dust mask. When you turn around you won't be able to see the bathroom window for dust. This is major messy and very bad for the lungs which you won't realise until you are older. I've done just about every stupid thing there is to do just to make a pound. This is something you will live to regret, believe me.
An sds drill with rotor stop will chisel it out pretty quick with not a lot of effort if you have the right chisel in it but you have more to fill in after which isn't a big deal.
As above a hammer and chisel will do the same job as will a scutch hammer.
There are more ways to skin a rabbit than pull its jacket over its head.

Personally i use an apprentice :smile:

Btw that drill is too heavy for everyday use and is not very good. Think about something better if you can afford it but if not that one will do a turn.
Also, cordless grinders are too expensive for what you may use it for and lack power for this type of thing. You can buy a cheap grinder for a tenner.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0
malcky said:
Think im going to get the Titan SDS: Titan TTB279SDS 5kg SDS+ Drill 240V | NoLinkingToThis as it looks like a beast of a machine that gets good reviews, comes with a 2 year warranty which is good for a £60 machine.....the extra's its coming with is a bargain too. This should cover all the heavy duty stuff I reckon....possibly overkill for chasing the wall as my initial post, but will be used for lots of other stuff in time.....hopefully.

Still need to get a grinder though....anyone use cordless ones or just best getting a corded one?
Click to expand...


The drill also has a clutch for core drill.. its a bit on the heavy side but wont let u down. Just think after you've done a few job with it you'll be able to afford a lighter one
 
Upvote 0
Erbauer ERB125Y 125mm Wall Chaser 230V | NoLinkingToThis may cost a bit but for ease of use, convenience and stick a vacuum on it to give dust free work the dogs bits, then charge the customer how long it would take to hand chisel it out to recoup the costs after all, they have to pay one or other to get the job done.
 
Upvote 0
New posts

Similar plumbing topics

S
  • Question
Shower screen reinsert problem
As an update, what I did was: Applied a blob...
Replies
4
Views
731
Sandy283
S
P
    • Like
  • Question
Need Help on Shower Drain
Have you got any photos to share of your...
Replies
9
Views
1K
Lou
Lou
H
  • Question
need a new shower but my hot/cold pipes are reversed!
HI Basher UPDATE ; I found a seal kit!! as...
Replies
12
Views
726
harrygee
H
T
  • Question
Delaying the fill on a loft cold water tank - electric and mixer showers running at once
But even, the worst case and we could only use...
Replies
3
Views
697
tryingmybest
T
D
  • Question
Electric Shower to Mains
Aqualisa digital showers are great. There is...
Replies
1
Views
535
fowlerboi
F
Back
Top