We are planning for a soaking tub (Hydro Systems Lacey 6632), and over it a tiled shower with a fixed shower head at each end (separate temp controls if affordable), and a hand-held on a sliding bar at the end with the drain. Nothing fancier, just be able to take showers together with shower head at a convenient height for each, and the handheld on sliding bar.
Our plumber prefers Delta or Moen, also, for ease in repairs and getting replacement parts, but wants us to figure out what we want for functions and trim and provide it all, and then he will install. (I think he is used to doing simple projects, and he is young. This one may be more complicated than he is used to, with double showers with a hand-held over a soaking tub, or else he is used to people with complicated showers not being as concerned about the cost and not asking as many questions.) He put in 1" pipe from the basem*nt to the second floor and then it is 3/4" pipe to the separate fixtures.
We want as much of the plumbing as possible to happen on the drain end of the tub, since that is accessible for repairs while the other side is over a staircase.
We'd like the two fixed shower heads to have separate temp controls, if that isn't too expensive or too complicated. (My impression from Delta was that with their stuff, we couldn't get a tub AND three shower heads on the same circuit anyway.) I don't really care about the volume control for the tub or showers (on/off is fine).
I have long, thick hair and want to be sure I can get the conditioner out easily with any of the shower heads. We don't care a lot about the other types of spray, but the H20 Kinetic by Delta sounds pleasant if it gives enough force for rinsing, and it it didn't cost a lot more, or we'd be interested in a couple of options for lighter or pulsating flow.
I have heard we should get a "high flow valve" to be able to fill the tub fast enough to not have it cool off while it is still filling. (70 gal tub with no jets to keep the temp up.) Is that really a concern? If so, what companies have them? I am having trouble finding online relevant results searching with high flow tub valves.
I don't really care about "saving the temp setting" and having a separate volume control, but 1) I don't want it to be complicated for guests trying to take a shower and figuring out how to work it; 2) I would rather the shower handles look like each other, and function similarly (If 11:00 on the handle is warm for one, I'd like it to be at about the same place for the other, but that isn't essential.); 3) I'd like to be able to turn off the water to the handheld from the handheld (to save water while shaving legs) if that is affordable (or we'll have to make sure the seat is near the drain end, so I can reach the handle); and 4) we want parts that are durable and look good (not rusting, not breaking, not feeling like cheap plastic). We will find a traditional or transitional style of trim that is compatible with what function we want and with not looking too complicated. We are going with chrome, figuring it will allow more choices and be cheaper than some other choices that don't offer any advantage for durability.
The handheld can be from the thermostatic valve of either of the fixed showers, although I have been assuming it would be from the valve for the tub and the shower head over the tub spout. I think that will be less confusing, since the wall elbow and sliding bar will be on that end.
A Delta rep on the phone recommended the R10000UNWSHF valve to control the shower head and hand-held shower on the end with the tub, and said the tub had its own diverter, so that would somehow be on that valve even though the website states it is for SHOWER ONLY. She recommended the 1700T series, which provides more flow to the tub (but it doesn't go to the tub??), even though we don't care about setting the temp and having it stay there.
Then she recommended the R1100 diverter with 2 ports, three positions so that one port would be to the fixed head and one to the hand-held on that end, with the three positions of one or other or both. I seem to have stopped taking notes, but maybe later she said we'd actually use it as three ports, 6 positions because one port would be for the tub??
For the opposite end of the tub, She said we could buy the 1300 or 1400 series, since we didn't need the high flow, but then the handles don't match. I didn't get a part number for which valve we should get.
The Moen rep was talking about having an exact temp valve (S3371) and four separate handles (S3600): one for each shower head and for the tub. That was sounding really busy to me, and didn't give temp control to the other shower, and they didn't have anything about high flow, so I am not sure how long it will take to fill the tub. To have separate temp control for the other fixed shower head, she recommended a Moentrol (3570). She said you choose the valve you want first, and she recommended the Moentrol. When I selected Moentrol valve and Chrome, all three choices had 1/2" connections and were well over $300, and this was for the simple end!
Thanks for any recommendations!
