Ultimate Guide: Choosing the Right Shower Valve

Choosing the right shower valve can be confusing. Should you install a single valve or two valves?

Is it best to use copper or PEX? What are all the parts you’ll need?

And what’s the total cost? I answer all these questions and

more inside this video, so let’s get started. What is a shower valve and why does it matter?

A shower valve is what’s located behind the shower trim, which is what you see on the shower wall.

It controls the water flow and the water temperature in a shower.

The shower valve is installed at the beginning of a shower remodel.

Then the shower is waterproofed and the tile's butted against it.

The final step is to install the cartridge, trim and handles.

Ideally, the shower valve should be simple so that it’s easy to

service and less prone to problems down the road.

And this is one reason why I recommend Delta shower valves - more on this a

little later on. Before choosing a shower valve you need to assess your needs.

For example, do you just need a single shower head?

Or do you want a shower head and handheld shower wand?

I love shower wands because they’re nice for cleaning the shower, pets, or kids.

In addition, you should consider the type of water supply lines you’ll be using inside the shower.

For instance, will you be using copper, PEX B or PEX A?

This is an important question to answer and I recommend choosing the shower valve based on the

type of water supply line you'll be using. So again, figure out if you need a single

shower head or shower head and shower wand. And also determine the type of water supply

lines you'll be using. With all that said,

which valve is the best for a shower? Delta is the best valve for showers

because of multiple reasons. First, the price is reasonable.

The Delta MultiChoice is between $50 and $80. The cost depends on the type of

water supply lines being used. Which brings me to the second reason I like Delta.

You can choose the shower valve based on the water supply lines.

For example, Delta’s R10000-UN is for copper lines and is roughly $50.

You can solder copper lines into all four ports of this valve.

In addition, the Delta R10000-PFS-PX for PEX B is about $55.

This valve is nice because you can crimp PEX B directly to the valve.

I also use the Delta R10000-PFS-MF for PEX A and it costs $55.

Again, you can expand the PEX A and install it right into the valve ports.

If you just want a shower head, these three Delta MultiChoice valves are all you need.

But if you need a shower head and handheld shower wand there’s a bit more to consider.

There are two ways to get a handheld shower with a Delta valve.

The first way is with the Delta R22000. This shower valve combines the main

valve and diverter valve into one unit. The downside is having to tile around it.

And the fact that either you need to solder copper into it or use additional fittings for PEX.

The second option is the Delta R11000 diverter valve.

It’s smaller than the R22000 but has to be attached to the R10000.

The downsides are similar to the R22000 in that you need to solder it to copper or use

fittings with PEX A or PEX B. The upside is the size.

It’s smaller and this makes tiling around it a bit easier.

So remember, if you want a handheld shower wand you’ll need to get either the R22000 or the R10000

valve plus the R11000 diverter valve. With all this said, what is a

ballpark shower valve replacement cost? Shower valve replacement cost is tricky. But

I’ll do my best to make it as clear as possible. For example, I’m talking about replacing a shower

valve during a shower remodel. So the walls will likely be

wide open with lots of access. As you just learned, the Delta

MultiChoice is between $50 to $80. If you need a shower wand,

add another $100 for the Delta R11000. Keep in mind, the Delta R22000 combines

the R10000 and R11000 and is about $150. You’ll need at least one 1/2 inch 90-degree

Drop Ear for the shower head. And a second Drop Ear for the

shower wand if installing one. This is true for copper or PEX.

The cost for one Drop Ear is about $12. Now for the water supply lines.

If you’re using copper, get two 1/2-inch by 10-foot pipes. The cost for Type-L in that

length is $30. Thus two sticks are $60. If you’re using PEX B, the same length

of pipe (20-feet) is about $10, i.e. $5 for a 1/2-inch by 10-foot section.

If you’re using PEX A, is also about $10 for 20-feet.

I recommend using red PEX for the hot, blue for the cold, and white for the riser pipe.

Keep in mind, you’ll need fittings for copper and all the soldering tools. The total cost

for that could easily be about $100 or more. For PEX B you’ll need crimp rings, fittings

and a crimping tool. That cost is roughly $80 to $100 but can increase based on how many

fittings and crimp rings you need. PEX A requires an expansion tool,

expansion sleeves, and fittings. The total cost is close to $475 minimum,

mostly because any good expansion tool with an auto-rotating head costs $400 to $500.

Now if you’re a DIYer, I’d consider renting the PEX A expansion tool and that could cost $50 to

$75 for the day, which is way more cost effective than buying one.

Labor can cost $150 to $300 minimum because it depends on

the time and complexity of the installation. The ballpark total cost for copper with the

Delta R10000 is $400 to $500. The rough estimate for PEX B

with the Delta R10000 is $375 to $475 And finally the rough estimate for PEX A

with the Delta R10000 is $350 to $450 if the PEX A expansion tool is rented or your plumber has one.

The higher prices in this range factor in the addition of the handheld valve components.

Also, keep in mind that these prices DO NOT include the shower valve trim

kit. That can cost an additional $150 on up. The trim kits include the escutcheon for the

valve, the handles, shower arm, and shower head. And build.com has packages like this one for the

Delta Monitor that include the valves and trim. So always be

aware of this when buying your shower valve. With all this in mind, you might be asking,

which shower valve is the fastest to install? Hands down, it’s the Delta MultiChoice with PEX A.

Once you get the PEX A adapters installed it’s amazing how fast the installation takes.

I typically do the hot water line first, followed by the cold, and finish with

the riser to the drop ear. Now here’s one important tip,

You need to know the backer board and tile thickness BEFORE installing any shower valve.

That way, the shower valve can be set to the proper depth.

As such, I recommend having the backer board and tile on hand when installing the valve.

We covered a lot of tips for choosing the right shower valve.

If you’d like my written Guide with more details visit homerepairtutor.com

or you can tap on this QR code. Also, if you enjoyed this video

give it a thumbs up and feel free to ask me any questions in the comments.

Thanks for watching this video and I'll see you in the next one.