DIY Plumbing - How to Change a Mixer Shower (Thermostatic bar)

In this comprehensive DIY tutorial, join me as I tackle the challenge of swapping out a Triton Benito rear-fed thermostatic mixer shower. Discover the complexities of dealing with someone else's installation mistakes, including a misaligned bracket due to an oversized tile hole. Navigating the limitations, I explore alternative solutions such as a new shower wall plate, only to realize the necessity of opening up the wall to expose pipes. Faced with the reality of a makeshift fix, witness the ingenuity of fitting the bracket lower with a single short screw, resulting in a slightly lopsided but functional mixer bar. Despite the compromise, this step-by-step guide provides valuable insights for DIY enthusiasts, offering practical solutions for unexpected challenges in shower installations. Stay tuned for expert tips and a glimpse into the world of DIY troubleshooting, perfect for those looking to master the art of home improvement
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About me:
I'm Aiden and I'm documenting what was supposed to be my barn conversion, which has now ended up being a new build. I don't have a trade, I just have a go and I'll be doing lots of work myself. This is the boring bit in grand designs that you don't get to see. Subscribe and follow along to find out how our future home turns out.
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[@dwalsh3469]

I’ve never yet managed a plumbing job without an emergency trip to Wickes or Screwfix.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

It's an unwritten rule 😆

[@itwillbenicewhenitsfinished]

This was DIY heaven for me. Plenty of detail, and showed problems and how they were overcome. Learnt something new - didn’t know about those plate bars, thank you Aiden 🙏

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

It's so much easier from scratch though 😅

[@HenryOCarmichaelSmith]

mixer upside down

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

🙌

[@Gman4633]

I feel your pain but thank you for sharing the truth, every DIY job I take on is never as long as I think, usually double if not more. Love your honest and if only a finger click is all it took at that stage of the job 🥺 Cheers

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Haha it only took another minute to turn it the right way up 😂

[@andyrobinson6052]

Did this very job a fortnight ago and wish I'd watched this first. Never knew there was something called a shower wall plate... That would have made my life a lot easier!

[@timspoor]

Nice video! I never lived in a house where the thermostat was perfectly level. Really appreciate the way you show your work and the mistakes you make and how you fix or justify them 😂 Keep it up!

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Thanks mate 🙂

[@DocteGaby]

Really interesting video! I felt like I was there with you, with the uncertainty about the outcome typical of my own DIY adventures!

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

It's never straight forward as you think it should be hey. At least it didn't run in to the next day 😅

[@MrDanTolg]

Ha, this for me was a bit like looking back into my past, I had the exact same problem and went through the same steps of buying the same plate you bought. Except I had to end up ripping all the tiles off the wall and re-fitting pipes. I told my wife it would only take an hour or 2 😂

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Oh wow! 🙈 That sounds like a nightmare 😅

[@Sparks1Plumbers0]

M8. It's Friday and I need something to cheer me up... sweet. 😆 BTW... you handy work is no worse than some of them so called professional plumbers and a damn sight better than one particular real world chunky one.😂 Respect 👊

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Cheers dude 😎

[@CBBAH]

After following Aiden's work for a year or so I'd say his work is better than most so called proffssional plumbers, due to Aiden caring about doing a good job.

[@burdenstephen]

You had me at the end there, well done. Typical diy job that, 1 hour job writes off an entire day!

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Haha so true

[@stuglover1526]

Aiden you're a legend 😂

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Cheers dude 😁

[@SantaDeerhound]

I thought that's upside down straight away - shower hose going up looked weird! Nice job though. Next time I need any plumbing done I'm going to ask for them to fix a bloody great red lever stopcock where it's easy to find!

[@uzziel2005]

Nice. I'm gonna attempt this with my own shower that's very similar to that one, but the riser is a bit different. What are you gonna do with the exposed plugs from the previous one?

[@harrykillingworth3760]

Mate, I love your style. Super chilled, funny but also informative. It’s like if Noel fielding were a plumber…

[@keitho77]

There's no such thing as a "five minute job". Well done mate!

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Especially when it comes to plumbing 😅

[@caparn100]

I'm glad you did it right and put the PTFE tape around the olive and not the thread.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

well it's not a rad 😉

[@caparn100]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT Yes, you'd be surprised most people don't know to put the tape around the olive.

[@dwalsh3469]

@@caparn100 I’m one of the surprised people. Many years ago I used to investigate escapes of water for relatively large loss big leaks, often with large compression fittings. Not one manufacturer specified anything other than a torquing procedure to achieve a proper connection. (Almost impossible to implement in many locations). I don’t know what best practice is these days however.

[@caparn100]

@@dwalsh3469 I think he was reusing an old olive, it's very difficult to make a reused olive leak free with only compression.

[@dwalsh3469]

He cut the old olive off? A brave move. If that were me, emergency trip to Screwfix.

[@georgeanastasi7729]

Enjoyed this. Its exactly like every single DIY I ever do. Glad to see even people much more experienced than me suffer so it isn't just me.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

It's never straight forward is it 😅

[@soulrider678]

Went to replace my old bar shower (also fitted by previous owner) about 8 weeks ago and he put the tile fixings behind the tiles and cut the pipe to length before laying the tile. So i cant remove old fixings and don't have enough pipe exposed lol for now have replaced the seals to stop the leak and new shower is in storage until I rip out the bathroom.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

😆 oh what a f'in nightmare

[@Sean006]

First thought, you're using copper olives. Only the best! 👍 Second thought, how did he cut off the old olive? I know there is a tool but they are relatively expensive and apparently come in two sorts - puller & cutter. Ain't life effing complicated! Lots of useful information in video. Thanks

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

I didn't end up cutting the original olive off 😂 I decided to just leave it after concluding I had to bodge it anyway. I did bring my Dremel type tool with me so I would have put a small cutting disc on that to cut the olive off

[@kcleaver488]

Well done mate. Turning the water off reminded me when I did my kitchen tap without isolation valves. Had to turn off every nob as the hot water just kept coming. The immersion heater also had at least 6 pipes between the usual hot and cold plus 2 for being heated by the oil boiler, and another 2 for the prior owner's shitty solar hot water. Of course one of the gate valves the sealed shut and wouldn't reopen. 🤬

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Haha sounds like a nightmare 😅 thinking back maybe I should have let the hot run to empty the top 3rd of the immersion tank. So although I stopped it refilling I never stopped it trying to find it's level with the shower pipe

[@BoyceBailey]

you've done 3 showers, then 4 and now 5. perfect.

[@msmanager2775]

That is making me anxious 😬

[@DavePawson]

For a bodge - excellent. I v.much doubt a plumber would have gone that far!

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Thanks mate

[@CryoseGaming]

really good video, i have just moved into my first house where the previous owners bodged their shower so that the bracket was to far away from the wall, have been able to get a new one fitted properly using this video and some instructions for guidance 👍

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Awesome 🙌

[@Howie57]

Could have bunged the dripping by putting some bread in the pipe

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

That would have meant going to the shops again 😆

[@hunter-yy3ob]

Well done mate a lot of patience required there because that looked like a complete nightmare to do 👍🏻👍🏻

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Cheers mate

[@frenchgreguk]

Fucking legend.

[@theoneandonlykk777]

Yanis is full of BS

[@cedarstuff]

Having that shower head hook onto to the left of the bar, and not the right, will probably drive your sister-in-law mad. I like it.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

No way! If you're right handed surely that's the correct way?! So you can undo it with your right hand and move it up

[@msmanager2775]

It’s always in the right 😂 Aiden!

[@CBBAH]

As it is a temporary bodge it might have been quicker just to replace the tap and the shower head.

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Fair point

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

Fair point

[@fjdkfdfjdf33]

scary!

[@neiljohnfaulkner]

hiya mate. im just replacing my shower room, and i thought the left side should be hot water. (opposite to that one) . Does it matter?

[@neiljohnfaulkner]

Just saw the end of the video!

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

😆

[@paulwatson4650]

question i have a 3 handle shower but when turn on either water ; water comes through the shower head but not through the lower tub head what u think

[@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT]

I assume it's a broken valve maybe 🤷

[@paulwatson4650]

@@THE-AIDEN-PROJECT but when i turn cold or hot water on and turn on the center handle water spray from the shower and if i leave the shower on and turn of the center no water dosent come out of the bottom outlet at all i put in a new center dirrection valve same thing no water coming from the bottom

[@martinmedlycott3003]

😂🎉