I need to replace the bathtub faucet. I’m not too disapointed since I hate the stupid crystal ball dial that’s there now (ick). I’d like a nice handle-style faucet sort of like this.
Anyway, from what I understand, the kind I have is probably (haven’t opened it yet) a ball-joint type, and the kind I want is a disk-type faucet. Is the fitting inside the wall standard? If I remove a ball-type can I simply install a disk-type without changing the actual copper fittings?
Anything else I should be aware of before I start?
Generally, you can’t just replace the part outside the wall with parts from another faucet. The behind-the-wall parts must be replaced also.
The new & old faucets connect to the plumbing in a more-or-less standard fashion, at least assuming the old one is post-1960s or so. But even if the new & old faucets have the same size/shape of connectors, they won’t be in the same places. As a result you’ll need to cut & solder some piping inside the walls to get the pipe ends to mate to the new faucet.
If you were expecting this to take 10 minutes with a rusty kitchen-drawer screwdriver, sorry, not gonna happen that way.
If you can figure out which brand the old faucet is, you may be able to locate a replacement handle from that mfgr (or a generic) which will mate to the existing guts in the wall. But it’ll be a long shot, and the older the existing faucet, the more trouble you’ll have finding something that’ll fit. Good luck.
Unless you’re also planning on ripping out the wall, abandon all sensible hope of changing the faucet. At a bare minimum, you’d need to get one of those “retrofit” faucets that comes with a roughly foot-wide trim plate (It’ll be about twice as wide and a bit taller than what’s on your ideal replacement) as you will need to bust out the wall around the old faucet to cut it out then solder in an odd assortment of little bits of pipe and elbows as the connections never seem to be in the same place.
It’s possible for a fairly advanced do-it-yourselfer to do, but it’s a BIG - FAT - PAIN - IN - THE - TOOKUS.
If the faucet’s in good working order, and you just don’t like the crystal ball, check with plumbing supply shops about whether or not there’s a replacement lever that will fit
I’m afraid that this is one of those situations where if you have to ask, you don’t know enough to complete the task. I started a similar effort once, got the sheetrock ripped out and then promptly patched the hole in the wall. Best decision I ever made.
Your existing faucet appears to be Delta. Fortunately, the Delta system created something of a “standard” for bath valves, with trim plates usually measuring 7" OD. Thoe one shown in your referenced photo is obviously much smaller than 7", so you will need a means of increasing the diameter for mounting the trim plate and rough valve assembly.
Short answer is no, you can’t change the trim any easier than you can pull the dashboard out of a Ford and stick an Oldsmobile dash in it’s place. The old valve assembly must be removed which requires access via an access panel (if you’re fortunate, it’s in a closet or hallway) and if no access panel exists, you must cut a hole. Spring loaded access panel covers are available from big box and plumbing supply stores- they can be painted or papered, cost is ~$17.
If you have no experience in doing this type of work, please stop. If your home is plumbed with copper, it will require sweating of fittings using a torch in a shallow wall cavity, e.g. a good way to set your house on fire. Solvent welded plastic is a bit easier, but still not screwup-proof.
