How to fit a shower

A shower is a great way to save money on your water bills and is the eco-friendly way to get clean! There are lots of different and stylish designs of shower to choose from. Once you've chosen your shower, here's how you fit it.

Level of difficulty

Level 3: Advanced

What you need

  • Shower unit
  • Plastic stop ends
  • Bucket
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Screws
  • Drill
  • Nuts and bolts
  • Spirit level

The steps to follow

Note:
If you plan to fit your shower near the bath, connect the shower into the same tap supply. If you want to fit it in a separate area, try to connect it to the nearest hot and cold water pipes. If you want to fit a new shower in a bathroom, you'll need to install the taps first.

For a simple way to install your shower follow this guide step-by-step:

  1. Turn off the stopcock and drain the water out from the hot and cold water supply pipes.
  2. Connect the hot and cold water supply to the shower. Check that they're fed into their respective sides and put plastic stop ends on these pipes to prevent any water leakage.
  3. Turn the stopcock on to check for any leaks.
  4. To install thermostatic shower installations, it's recommended that you flush the pipes prior to installing the shower valves. Turn the stopcock off, remove the stop ends, hold a bucket under the hot and cold pipes and turn the stopcock back on. Turn on the water to flush the pipes. When finished, turn the stopcock off.
  5. To measure the outlet pipes that will be encased in the shower valve, use the shower valve as a marking point and cut the pipes to the length.
  6. Mark the corresponding number of screw holes needed to fix the valve near the hot and cold pipes.
  7. Drill holes and align the valve and slide the pipes. Secure the valve by screwing the nuts to the wall.
  8. Again, check for leaks by turning the stopcock on.
  9. Determine the length of your riser rail and cut it down with a pipe cutter. You'll need to measure the depth of the recess where the pipe sits both on the valve and on the top bracket that holds the top of the rail.
  10. Fit the newly trimmed rail into the valve and the top bracket. Use a spirit level to check if it's level. Mark off the mounting holes on the top bracket and drill holes. Fill the holes and fit the rail and screw in the nuts on the top and bottom bracket.
  11. Screw the shower head on.
  12. Turn on the water and check for leaks.


Once your shower is installed, you can work on waterproofing your wall or installing a shower tray.

Note:
Do not try to fit an electric shower yourself. It's better to find a recommended electrician as dealing with water and electrics requires a professional.
To install a power shower, we recommend talking to a professional plumber first to determine whether you're able to do it easily and to weigh up the options available.
 

Please note that all our DIY guides and 'Expert answers' advice have been written strictly for reference only. Rated People do not accept any liability for any damage caused to an individual, property or anything else as a result of following our DIY guides and using our 'Expert answers' advice.