Is a plumber necessary to install a new bath?

We're thinking of getting new bath, and originally thought that with some help from friends/relatives we could fit it ourselves, but apparently it's not as easy as it sounds, and for it to be as easy as possible you need the exact same size bath, with the same hole positions.

I was thinking that we'd cut the pipes shorter, and use plastic push fittings, and flexi pipes...

can it really be that difficult?

It would be easy if you bought a free standing one with legs and used push flexi fittings.
I imagine the difficulty with a fitted one is levelling and securing, but any DIY enthusiast should be able to tackle it with confidence.
What's the worst that can happen? Give it a go.
Even if it fell off the supports a reasonable length of flexi pipe should prevent any flooding.

Jon mate

Replacing your bath is a non-trivial process! - it's not just the bath, it's the tiles, pipes, and plumbing.

Some bathtubs are fitted before the bathroom itself is completed - and replacing the tub may involve removing door frames or even cutting a hole in a wall to get it out.

Have you thought about resurfacing what you already have?

Take a look here and do some Googling for "bathtub resurfacing".

we have decided to go with new bath side panels, and new taps, without changing the actual bath itself.

The worst that could happen?
we flood our bathroom, and then both flats below us - that would be pretty bad.

replacing taps should be fairly easy.

I fitted our kitchen myself, so it shouldn't be that difficult.

For bath taps, depending on the access you have it may be worthwhile investing in a special tool for turning the nuts. When I replaced our bath taps it was impossible to work in between the bath and the wall with a normal spanner/wrench. I bought a kind of mole-grip-on-a-stick device which solved the problem.

If your plumbing is relatively old there might not be local cut-offs for the taps - if you're working on the plumbing anyway then it is well worth adding these in for future convenience. You can get them integral with push-fit flexible connectors to join to the threads on the taps, and these are fairly foolproof. It also means that you don't have to finish the whole job in one go - once the old stuff is out and the cut-offs are fitted then you can turn the water back on and come back to do the rest another day.

Hey Jon, do you want me to come and lend a hand? It can't be any more difficult than handcrafting an artisan cider shed, can it?

why not? are you free this Saturday?

We have cider!

Much as I'd love to (genuinely. I'd be quite interested.), after a week on a Guinness drip at Cheltenham, and then having my parents to stay all week, I've got to spend Sat planting up Ivanhoe Acres and then I plan to spend Sunday doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

And then we're on hols next w/e.

JonR wrote:

why not? are you free this Saturday?
We have cider!

The combination of cider and undertaking a plumbing project sounds like a recipe for flooding - just as well young Hoe isn't available, IMO.

I'm rather hurt by your lack of faith in me, Jane. I'm a very practical person, under that clumsy and useless-looking exterior.