# 2 piece tub ...



## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Anyone deal with one of these before? Much fun today installing this tub. I love how a lot of these tub manufacturers assume there is always access space below the tub. 

Had to try swing joints on the pex to be able to have the faucet all hooked up and then set the tub in the skirt. Epic fail due to not enough space, pex kept binding and not swinging correctly, eventually kinked. I even used the proper curse words during one of my attempts. Going back tomorrow with coiled pex and am going to wrap it around the tub for the slack i need and the swing I need. Hoping for the best.


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## Dpeckplb (Sep 20, 2013)

So far I've only installed one and it was open below. They are a pita even at that.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Huge pita. Funny part of my day was when the HO came in while I was trying to get it in the first time. She freaked out a little, she didn't realize it was made in 2 pieces. I asked her if she reeealy wanted the skirt, and that I thought the rough fiberglass finish looked good too. She just laughed and wished me luck.


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## Gruvplumbing (Dec 26, 2013)

I've installed only one also. And it was not fun. It took all day. Looked good when it was done though.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Success! Had to end up looping the pex around the tub half way and then under and up. Had to cut a little of the fiberglass inner lip for that clearance.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

My last couple of tubs have me wondering, how many others install tubs solo? The only ones I get help on are the heavy ones or odd shaped for one person to grab. 

I am asking this because i have an idea and want to see if would even be worth messing with.


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## plumberN8 (Apr 19, 2015)

If I need help, I just get my brother, not much different from setting a deck mount at trim when the deck is done, tile beans will **** your tub and leave the trap filled with stale piss. did you bother to set in mortar?


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

plumberN8 said:


> If I need help, I just get my brother, not much different from setting a deck mount at trim when the deck is done, tile beans will **** your tub and leave the trap filled with stale piss. did you bother to set in mortar?


Installed per manufacturer's instructions. This tub is nothing like a deck mount. It is more like a claw foot tub. It is self supporting, not even touching the skirt. You don't put concrete under this one. The bracing underneath would get pushed into the concrete, and you would not be able to lift it out for service. Then you would be screwed.


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## plumberN8 (Apr 19, 2015)

I see, it looks good! Glad it wasn't my headache, who makes it, I assume it was a homenowner purchase? Too bad showrooms don't check with installers before stocking the warehouse with stuff that's a royal pain to install


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## Cajunhiker (Dec 14, 2009)

I did one too. Drain and overflow has to line up almost perfectly, and still takes a bit of wrangling to get one piece of tub to fit inside the other. 

The good part of it is the tub pieces are lite.


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## plumsolver (Apr 7, 2011)

I here you these things are all the rage now too everyone has to have a stand alone tub I have installed 12 and have two roughed in right now! Not one has been the same model yet and only two are makes I've ever even heard of before... I cursed when vessel sinks were getting popular now I can't believe how easy they are compared to installing a two piece stand alone tub in a slab floor with 8" between wall and faucet side of tub. Can't wait for next thing to come along...


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

You've done 12 of these 2 piece, not talking about regular free standing tubs? Claw foot or regular free standing I have no problem with. I would rather do those than deck mounted. The next 2 piece will go much smoother and quicker.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

plumberN8 said:


> I see, it looks good! Glad it wasn't my headache, who makes it, I assume it was a homenowner purchase? Too bad showrooms don't check with installers before stocking the warehouse with stuff that's a royal pain to install


The brand is Maax (not a typo). HO purchase from the net. Too bad manufacturers don't have in house plumbers that can slap the engineers upside their heads when they design something stupid.


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## plumberN8 (Apr 19, 2015)

chonkie said:


> The brand is Maax (not a typo). HO purchase from the net. Too bad manufacturers don't have in house plumbers that can slap the engineers upside their heads when they design something stupid.


Was there any upc stamp or approval in the paperwork, hopefully it was made in the states


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## plumberN8 (Apr 19, 2015)

Checkin out their website, seems to be legit and have a wide range of products, surprised I haven't seen more of them, bet we all will soon enough as everything is marketed to the owner and easy to look up on a computer, we have little say anymore in this area


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

plumberN8 said:


> bet we all will soon enough as everything is marketed to the owner and easy to look up on a computer, we have little say anymore in this area


Yup. I can't remember the last time we supplied the fixtures. Too bad the internet didn't just stick with what it was intended for ... p0rn.


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## KoleckeINC (Oct 22, 2011)

Back story, moen shower with a push button diverter. Two separate lines for spout/shower. Spout was replaced 25 yrs ago with a black pipe nipple. Homeowner tries to replace spout again-but it broke off and I couldn't get it extracted(broke my good extractor wah!) I talked them into putting the spout there so that the shower arm which is on an outside wall doesn't freeze. And I used a granite bit for an angle grinder to make a nice clean hole through the cement tile wall. I also took out the push button which was sweated into the valve. It ended up being 5/8 so I used the OUTSIDE of a coupling to sweat back into the body of the valve.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

KoleckeINC said:


> Back story, moen shower with a push button diverter. Two separate lines for spout/shower. Spout was replaced 25 yrs ago with a black pipe nipple. Homeowner tries to replace spout again-but it broke off and I couldn't get it extracted(broke my good extractor wah!) I talked them into putting the spout there so that the shower arm which is on an outside wall doesn't freeze. And I used a granite bit for an angle grinder to make a nice clean hole through the cement tile wall. I also took out the push button which was sweated into the valve. It ended up being 5/8 so I used the OUTSIDE of a coupling to sweat back into the body of the valve.


Happy it's not my home. That would drive me crazy. :laughing:

Did they have a problem with it freezing in the past?


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

chonkie said:


> The brand is Maax (not a typo). HO purchase from the net. Too bad manufacturers don't have in house plumbers that can slap the engineers upside their heads when they design something stupid.



I've installed at least 6 2 piece maax tubs. All pain in the ass. I've gotten pretty good at them now. I also have installed more then 12 in the past 6 months. I did four of them in the last 30 days, various different brands, and I'm doing two more in the next 2 to 3 weeks. I have had more trouble with these foreign freestanding faucets then these two piece tubs lately.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Michaelcookplum said:


> I've installed at least 6 2 piece maax tubs. All pain in the ass. I've gotten pretty good at them now. I also have installed more then 12 in the past 6 months. I did four of them in the last 30 days, various different brands, and I'm doing two more in the next 2 to 3 weeks. I have had more trouble with these foreign freestanding faucets then these two piece tubs lately.


I don't envy the amount of these you have done. How many of their styles have you installed? Are they all pretty much the same? After figuring out what I needed to do to the first one, the next one will be much easier, as long as it is the same one or damn close.


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## KoleckeINC (Oct 22, 2011)

just the spout and head were installed on the outside wall of this place. When the spout nipple broke we in good conscience could not plug it at the valve as the pipe to the shower head would not be able to drain. That could bring the possibility of freezing.


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

chonkie said:


> I don't envy the amount of these you have done. How many of their styles have you installed? Are they all pretty much the same? After figuring out what I needed to do to the first one, the next one will be much easier, as long as it is the same one or damn close.



Probably 3 different models, all very similar, just different shapes. I've gotten pretty good at them. The drain is easy, just prefab and get measurements. If the faucet is deck mount what I do is install 1/4 turn brasscraft shut off valves and connect to the faucet with 30" braided supply tubes. I've always had someone to help hold the tub up while I make the final connection to the faucet and turn valves on to check for leaks. Finally I set the top tub down and screw in shoe and overflow plate.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

That sounds like the plan for the next one. I'm going to have to check to see if they will consider being able to undo the drain/overflow and lift the tub as being accessible here. That's the only way they would allow the shutoffs and flex supplies.


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

chonkie said:


> That sounds like the plan for the next one. I'm going to have to check to see if they will consider being able to undo the drain/overflow and lift the tub as being accessible here. That's the only way they would allow the shutoffs and flex supplies.



There's an American standard POS that I've done a dozen times that has an access panel built into it on the backside. Maybe suggest that tub next time. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=ame...dHl9enMxwIVBso-Ch3avAQD#imgrc=Eb5QFpQMgvdWUM:


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