Rot In Peace – E3 Internal Moisture

The truth behind the wall.

I have been talking to a broad range of people in the last couple of weeks from architects, consultants, builders, plumbers and distributors regarding this requirement to leave an access hole in the wall lining for a shower mixer and it seems that the only people who are aware of this installation requirement are the actual shower mixer manufacturers themselves.

So why is it there in the first place?

Simply, so access to the fittings and body of the shower mixer can be achieved without disrupting seals and finished linings… Sounds very familar… In fact that is almost word-for-word the requirement from the Building Code of Australia (5.8 Penetrations) and AS3740 waterproofing of wet areas in residential buildings.

So why do we not have a similar requirement and/or a waterproofing standard?  Especially when over 50,000 shower mixers are sold every year in NZ, it simply does not make any sense at all. 

Another example of fine workmanship!

How convenient for the tapware manufacturer to include all of this information for the plumber. If indeed the plumber actually takes the time to read the installation instructions, they do not install the wall linings, so the cross over of information is sometimes dealt with by supplying said mixer with a plastic sleeve which is supposed to remain on until the plumber fits the faceplate….quite often you can find this plastic sleeve in the rubbish pile along with the installation instructions and the wall linings incorrectly fitted around the mixer, voiding all warranty as it has not been installed correctly.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, correct representation of what a shower mixer looks like needs to be demonstrated in all sketches and technical information that the building industry puts out as referred documentation.  That’s just common sense.  If they continue to supply poor representations of this sort of information we will always accept that what is in front of us as being true and correct, when indeed it is not and is very misleading.

Imagine if I got my kids to draw a picture of me and then used it as my passport photo.  It just wouldn’t be acceptable.  As are these examples as they do not truly represent any real type of shower mixer — not even anything generic and what is worse they completely overlook every tapware manufacturers’ requirement to leave an access hole.

You may recognise the artist.

Yet another example of creative drawing.

Above: Recently Published information by two leading authorities here in NZ.

Showing these examples with sealant blocking up around the spindle of the shower mixer is reckless at the best and causes confusion, perhaps they have taken this approach to satisfy in their minds anyway the requirement of E3.3.5 and E3.3.6 and if this is the case then no thought or regard has been given to the tapware manufacturers warranty requirements.

Sealing the penetrations in the wall lining is such a vital part of ensuring that moisture damage cannot occurr regardless of it being a tiled wall or an acyrlic lined wall and the sooner we have compliance documents available to demonstrate how this is to be achieved, the sooner it will become an industry standard procedure. This needs to have a beginning and specifying a proprietary flange system such as the Aquatite Wetwall Caddy will ensure that the penetrations for a shower mixer and rose are sealed and the warranty requirements from the tapware manufacturer are met.

I would be happy to discuss this with anyone who is interested.