Ok. My shower was partially redone where we took out everything from the previous shower (home was built in 2004) put in new drywall tile etc. This was all done by my ex-husband who tiled in all the existing plumbing, thinking it was fine to do that and just get new trims. However, What is now sticking out of my shower wall, where the shower arm should go, is a non-threaded, copper pipe that is 3/8” in diameter. It looks like it has some scrapes on it, where there may have been some kind of shark-bite couple on it. He had put thin set all around that copper pipe, but I chiseled it all out, trying to see if there were any kind threads or original coupling I could get to. There is not. Now the copper pipe can move in and out (slightly) of what LOOKS like a copper washer or plate of some kind.

My plan was to use a female to male shark bite adapter and a female to female reducer, as this is the only combination I can find in chrome, because the copper pipe from the wall comes out too far for any of the shark bites I’ve found, so you’d be able to see all of those adapters/connections. I just don’t know (and he can’t remember) what was originally holding our shower arm in place in order to put it back together the way he found it. My plumber doesn’t want to mess with it because he can’t see what’s back there and doesn’t want to be liable for a leak.

Here is a picture of what is there:


Here is my horrible drawing of it:


And here is what it SHOULD be:




ANY advice would be helpful!! Thank you!!

OK, so I found some pictures I took of the shower during the process. I was specifically aiming to take a picture of the plumbing (a fact I REALLY regret now, lol) but I did catch some of the plumbing in the walls. The mixer for my shower isn’t directly under the shower head like most showers, it’s on another wall right inside the shower, and there are no clear hot/cold lines either, but it looks like they ran a hose from the mixer up to the shower head opening, through a 2 x 4 and screwed a brass plate into the 2 x 4. Here is what I have for those pictures:








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oh come on... your plumber can easily make an opening around the stub your ex left. he can look inside to see what is behind the wall. the hole gets covered by a chrome flange.

Posting images- [www.plbg.com]

3/8" copper stubbed out? Is that 3/8" inside or outside diameter?

I mean, it’s not a threaded pipe and it’s fairly thin, but I guess it’s the outside diameter? I didn’t measure it, I had bought a 3/8” shark bite and it was exactly the same size as the pipe, so I had to get a 1/2” x 1/2” shark bite to fit over it. I got one that is the shark bite on one side and the other side is a 1/2” female thread so I can screw a shower arm into it.

My concern is that it will leak and that in order to fit the adapter inside the wall, I’d have to cut off part of the copper pipe that I have now and that whoever originally installed this shower had some sort of other set up. I don’t know if when he ripped the original arm out of the wall it caused any kind of damage and if doing it this way will not cause leaks behind my wall. I just don’t understand what the setup is or why it was done like this?! It’s not a normal setup for a shower and no one seems to know what this pipe stub is connected to and why. Lol. I added pics to my original post. FYI

It looks like PEX piping was used with copper stub-out fitting. Are you sure that's not 1/2" nominal copper tubing?

That’s exactly what it looks like to me as well Steve

The back of the shower should be cut out and a lugell should be used

the mysterious part is...
the stub sticking out of the wall is used and moves in and out freely?

the copper stub is separated from the mounting plate

OR

the plate itself was never secured




OP,


secure the plate from the backside

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

It IS a 1/2 inch copper tube. We ended up getting a shark bite connector with a female threaded end to screw the shower arm into. After I chiseled out the rest of the mortar, I was able to cut the pipe back about an inch, but the tube cutter I got made it impossible to cut it any shorter, because the tile is in the way. Either way, I’m hoping it will work without leaking. It seems fine, the water pressure is strong, so I’m crossing my fingers. It only sticks out a bit and I got a cone to go around what I couldn’t fit into the recess.

Also, the reason the pipe moves in and out is because, I’m assuming, it’s not attached to anything at the top except for that brace/plate that has a hole in it. It doesn’t move that much, so it should be ok. Again, fingers crossed!

Thanks for your help!!



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