Choosing a Shower Valve and Cutting the Valve and Shower-Head Openings

Ella does not supply or recommend a shower valve for its shower kits. You choose the valve, the trim and the shower head from the plumbing brand you prefer, your plumber roughs in the valve, and the openings for the valve and the shower-head arm are cut into the wall panel at the height you want during installation. The panels do not come pre-cut for a valve, so the layout is decided on site with your installer.

Choosing a Valve

Because Ella does not make or specify the valve, you are free to source a standard residential shower valve from where you purchased the shower or from any plumbing supplier. Many local codes call for an anti-scald valve, so confirm the requirement with your plumber and local inspector before buying. Pick the valve, its matching trim kit and the shower head or hand shower as a set from the same manufacturer so the rough-in body and the trim fit together. For a seated bather, a hand shower within reach of the seat is worth considering. Ella walk-in tubs are different: they use Ella's own deck-mounted fast-fill faucets, which are not used on showers.

Where the Valve Goes

Ella does not set a required location for the valve. The height, and the wall it sits on, are your choice, so decide with your installer based on where the supply lines run, which hand the bather favors, and whether a caregiver needs to reach the controls from outside the enclosure. Placing the valve near the entry lets you turn the water on before stepping in. Placing it near the seat lets a seated bather adjust it without standing.

Cutting the Openings

1. Rough in the valve body and the shower-arm fitting behind the panel, at the heights you have chosen, before the wall panel is installed.
2. Dry-fit the panel and transfer the center of the valve and the center of the shower arm to the panel face.
3. Cut each opening to the size the valve manufacturer specifies so the trim plate fully covers the hole.
4. Install the panel, fit the trim and the shower arm, and seal around each opening so water cannot get behind the panel.

Height Guidance

There is no Ella-required height for the valve or the shower head. Common practice puts the valve where both a standing and a seated user can reach it, and the shower head high enough for the tallest user in the household. Measure from the finished shower floor, not the subfloor, and use the seat height on your Specification drawing to check reach from a seated position. A hand shower on a slide bar gives flexibility if several people with different needs will use the shower.

Related Guides

• Installing the 2-Piece and 5-Piece Fast-Fill Faucets and Hand Shower
• Replacing Your Walk-In Tub Faucet Set, Valves or Hand Mixer
• Water Supply Lines, Shut-Off Valves, and Pipe Size for a Fast Fill

Related Videos

Common Questions

Still Need Help?

Open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and have your model and serial number ready.