Freestanding Tub Faucet Placement and Installation Guide

A bathtub is one of the attractive places in your bathroom, and people often notice it first. Thus, you would want to decorate your tub properly to help it achieve the most amazing look and remain fully functional.

People use different interior elements for this purpose, and a freestanding tub faucet is one of them. If you are thinking about the freestanding tub faucet placement, you have come on the right page. We will discuss the different aspects of placing your freestanding tub faucet in the bathroom and also talk about the installation process.

So, without much ado, let’s jump into it.

Factors to Consider For Freestanding Tub Faucet Placement

The type of faucet you can use with your bathtub will largely depend on the placement of the bathtub itself in the bathroom. The tub placement also determines the installation process quite directly. So, you need to find the perfect place to install your tub. Also, it should complement the bathroom décor and overall space.

Hence, it would help if you considered a few things closely while installing the bathtub. For instance:

• Alcove tub comes with tree walls in its surroundings. For these alcove tubs, the fourth side must be open and accessible.
• Also, the fourth side needs to be unobstructed so that you can easily get in and out of the bath without any issues.
• Therefore, the faucet needs to be placed on the surrounded deck. This way, the exit and entrance to the tub remain open and easily accessible.

But, this isn’t the same for freestanding tub. Since freestanding tubs have accessibility from any side, you can mount the faucet in any direction and location. But it doesn’t mean that you should hurry and mount the faucet just at any place you find empty.

Firstly, consider the decoration of the bathroom. Also, think about the main supply line in the bathroom from where your tub faucet will get the connection. In fact, the water connection plays the most crucial role in setting up the freestanding tub faucet in your bathroom.

It would be best to remember that you have to connect the faucet with the water supply line and plumbing. So, try to install the faucet conveniently from where the existing plumbing setup is easily accessible. You need to understand that mounting the faucet close to the inlet and drain line is easy.

It is not a practical ideal if you need to set a new plumbing line for the tub faucet. Firstly, it will be an expensive investment. Secondly, setting up a new plumbing line for the freestanding tub faucet is time-consuming.

Thus, we suggest you open the plumbing layout of your bathroom and then draw the layout of the freestanding tub and its faucet. This way, you can easily get an easy installation process for the tub and enjoy a beautiful bathroom interior.

Also, many modern-day homes allow the reshuffling of the existing plumbing system of your bathroom. If it happens, you can indeed move the drain and inlet lines. It will surely enhance your freedom to mount the freestanding tub and its faucet with better precision.

You may follow these tips to find the right tub faucet placement with ease:

• The tub controller should be easy for you to access. Or else, you won’t be able to control the tub water flow and drainage comfortably.
• When you mount the faucet, make sure it is 3” to 6” over the bathtub rim.
• The controls should be 33” over from the floor so that you can easily access them while you are inside the bathtub.

Now that you understand the placement criteria of the freestanding bathtub and its faucet, it’s time to look at the installation process.

Freestanding Tub Faucet Installation Guideline

In this installation guideline for the bathtub, we assume that the plumbing lines are located right underneath the floor. If the supply line is in a different location, the installation process may vary slightly. So, be aware of it while you install the freestanding bathtub faucet.

Also, note that we don’t recommend you install the freestanding bathtub faucet on concrete slabs as it might ruin the look of your bathroom interior.

Things you will need:

• Level
• Masking Tape
• Drill
• Shim Allen Wrench
• Adjustable Wrench

Once you are ready with everything, you can proceed to the tub faucet installation. The steps include:

Arrange Everything:

On your bathroom floor, lay flat all the assembling tools and faucets. It will help you access the faucet and the tools easily whenever necessary. So, your installation process will be faster and easier.

Attaching the Decorative Cap:

It would be best if you covered the faucet with the provided decorative cap or escutcheon. So, look at the faucet body and remove the hex nuts if there are any. Then, carefully slide in the decorative escutcheon to cover the faucet.

Next, you have to connect the mounting plate to the tub faucet. Screw in the hex nuts if there’s a place to mount any nuts. It makes the attachment secure and durable.

Attaching The Water Feed Tubes:

At the bottom of the bathtub faucet, there’s a place to connect the water feed tubes. These tubes supply the required water from the main plumbing line. You don’t need any wrench or screwdriver for the process, as you can quickly hand tighten the tubes with the faucet.

When the tubes start warping when you tighten the tubes, be careful not to over-tighten them. Or the thread may get damaged. While you attach the feeding tubes, look at their colour. The red refers to hot water and the blue for cold water. After connecting them with the faucet, wrap them with masking tape to prevent their inter-connection.

Note: Many faucet models these days come with pre-installed water feed tubes. For this model, you can skip this step.

Connect the Feeding Tubes with the Main Water Line

Now, find the 1-1/2″ hole in the floor created to install the feeding tubes. Once you find the hole, thread the feeding tubes through it. Access the space underneath the floor and attach the feeding tubes with the main supply line.

Now, you have to check if the connection is made secure or it leaks. For this, turn on the water and check for any leaks. If you find any leaks, use the adjustable wrench to tighten the connection between the main water line and feeding tubes.

Once there’s no leakage, you can proceed further to the tub faucet installation process.

Securing the Mounting Plate:

You have to align the faucet at the right height with the floor before you may secure the mounting plate with the floor. The steps include:

1. The faucet must sit upright on the floor and the actual mounting plate. So, you have to align the faucet accurately using the level. If the faucet needs adjustment, use a shim for it.
2. Use the drill to create holes in the floor. Now, using the mounting hardware, secure the plate with the floor. Some models will have decorative escutcheons. You have to slide to the right on the mounting plate if there’s any escutcheon.

Now check the mounting plate installation and proceed to the final step.

Attach The Sprout:

Many faucets come with a two-piece design these days. You need to attach the sprout for this design of the tub faucet. The O-ring or rubber gasket must be inside the faucet base. The O-ring ensures that both pieces of the faucet are leak-proof and fit closely.

You will also see another O-ring outside the sprout. After securing the sprout with the faucet base, you need to remove the exterior O-ring. It is only for safety purposes while shipping the faucet.

Finish Off the Job:

If there’s any handle or hose included with the faucet package, install them properly. Also, the packaging may include additional items such as O-ring and feeding tubes. These will be helpful if the faucet starts leaking due to some reason.  So, store the packaging safely.

Finally, tighten the screws on the sides of the faucet for a secure connection. You will need an Allen wrench for it. Once you have finished the installation process, turn on the faucet and check if everything is okay or not.

Also, check the hot and cold water line is working properly. If it is okay, you are all ready to take your first bath in the bathtub after a time-consuming installation process.

Final Words

The freestanding tub faucet placement and installation is a tricky job. So, you must be aware of it. You must consider your bathroom décor and place the faucet in an accessible place from the tub. Also, you should be able to install the freestanding tub faucet without shifting your existing plumbing system in the bathroom. Or, you will need to spend extensively to remodel the plumbing system.