Clawfoot Tub Faucet Tips

There are three basic designs in clawfoot tub faucetry: rim mounted, tub wall mounted, and free standing. The most common design in the U.S. is tub wall clawfoot tub faucets. Tub wall mounted clawfoot tub fillers are installed through predrilled holes in the interior wall of the clawfoot tub; typically on 3 3/8" centers but other dimensions are possible. For new antique reproduction clawfoot tubs, many people prefer tubs with faucet holes drilled in the rim. This style is popular because the faucet does not take up space inside the tub walls. Clawfoot tubs that have been drilled with holes in the rim require rim or deck mounted clawfoot tub fittings. Tubs that have not been drilled with faucet holes require faucets mounted on freestanding supplies or mounted to a flat wall. Many clawfoot tub faucets designed for tub wall applications will also work with freestanding supplies or in-wall installations, although special couplers may be required. Shop 4 Classics offers clawfoot tub faucets for all of these possibilities. The first step in selecting a clawfoot tub faucet for your tub will be to determine which of these designs fit your application.

All of our clawfoot tub faucets are faithful reproductions of antique originals. Most of our tub wall mount faucets have 3 3/8" centers to replicate the prominent design of vintage clawfoot tub faucets. The British telephone series include swing arm couplers for adjustable centers. In addition to the British telephone faucets, many other clawfoot tub fillers can be fitted with swing arm couplers to allow for variable centers. If the faucet holes drilled in the wall of your clawfoot tub are not 3 3/8" from center to center, you will require a faucet with adjustable centers.

Rim mounted clawfoot tub faucets are less standardized. Deck or rim mount clawfoot tub faucets are available with 6", 7", 8" and even 3 3/8" centers. Some deck mount clawfoo tub faucets can also be fitted with swing arm couplers for adjustable centers if the faucet does not match the spread of the faucet holes in the rim of your tub. In some cases, tub wall mount clawfoot tub faucets can be converted to deck mount applications with special deck mount couplers and swivel arm couplers. With all of these options, we are sure that we have a faucet to fit your clawfoot tub. Please email customerservice@shop4classics.com if you need assistance with swing arm couplers for adjustable centers.

Selecting a clawfoot tub faucet to meet plumbing codes can be more difficult than one might guess. The problem with plumbing codes is that there is no uniform code for the United States. Each political unit is free to define their own set of standards. Some areas are more restrictive than others. The following tips will help you select a clawfoot tub faucet that meets code for your area:

• Most clawfoot tub faucets that mount on the tub wall have spouts that extend below the rim of the tub. Anti-siphon ordinances may require the spout to be above the rim to prevent bath water from being drawn back into supply lines, possibly contaminating the water supply. Gooseneck clawfoot tub faucets are popular because the mouth of the spout extends above the rim of roll top clawfoot tubs, satisfying code in most areas. Another option is thermostatic clawfoot tub faucets that features a built in anti-siphon.
• Many of our clawfoot tub faucets include handshowers. Anti-siphon ordinances may require a vacuum breaker on the hand shower to prevent backflow. Shop 4 Classics sells a vacuum breaker for handheld showers which can be purchased if code in your area requires it. Many of our clawfoot tub faucets that include a handshower also include the vacuum breaker.
• Some locations may require a pressure balance system. Pressure balance valves are not an integral component of most clawfoot tub faucets. However, we offer supply lines that include a pressure balance valve that can be used with these faucets to meet pressure balance ordinances. See Claw Foot Tub Supply Line Tips for help with selecting supplies. The Sign of the Crab thermostatic clawfoot tub faucet features a built in pressure balance system. In-wall pressure balance kits are also available.
• Anti-scald codes in some areas may require a temperature set point on the faucet. The set point controls the maximum temperature of water from the faucet. Thermostatic clawfoot tub faucets have a thermostatic valve that measures the water on the outlet of the valve to provide constant temperature throughout operation. Thermostatic clawfoot tub faucets have an automatic temperature stop to satisfy increasingly popular anti-scald codes.
• Speak to a professional in your area for more information and help with code requirements.

The International Code Council (ICC) publishes a set of building and plumbing codes that most states in the US have adapted at least in part. For more information about the ICC, please visit www.iccsafe.org.

If your clawfoot tub faucet does not have a shower diverter (see "What is a shower diverter?"), it will not support a shower. The faucet will need to be replaced if the faucet lacks a shower diverter. However, if your faucet has a diverter that is currently unoccupied or capped with a riser nut, it probably will support a handheld shower. Although the shower diverter valve makes it likely that the clawfoot tub faucet will support a handshower, the parts required to complete the conversion will depend on the clawfoot tub faucet.

In the nineteenth century, faucet handles were generally made of metal. However, by the turn of the twentieth century, porcelain handles had come into vogue. Porcelain is easy to clean--which makes it a wonderful selection for homes with children. Some faucets are designed with handles on the side (side-mount handles) while others are designed with handles on the front of the faucet (front-mount handles). Lever handles work well with either type of faucet. Crosspoint handles provide good leverage on front-mount faucets but can be difficult to grasp when they are used with side-mount faucets. Side mount faucets are not available with cross handles, but in some cases, can be special ordered in this configuration.