Look, I'm not a plumber. I'm the quality compliance manager at Peacemaker, and I review roughly 200+ unique items every year—bathtub faucets, outdoor shower kits, garage door opener remotes. In Q1 2024, we rejected maybe 4% of first deliveries because of finish mismatch. Maybe 3.8%—I'd have to check the system. The point is, I see the parts that don't ship, and I see the warranty claims for the ones that do.
This checklist is for a standard bathtub faucet installation. Two handles, one tub spout, a diverter on the faucet body, 6-inch center rough-in. It's also the same checklist I'd hand to a contractor before a bathroom remodel. If your setup doesn't match, this guide will still help you know when to stop and call a plumber.
Tools and parts you'll need
Before you start, line these up. Nothing worse than draining the water and realizing you don't have a basin wrench.
- New bathtub faucet trim kit (cartridge or stem type)
- Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers
- Adjustable wrench and basin wrench
- Plumber's tape
- Bucket, towel, flashlight
The 6-step bathtub faucet installation checklist
Here's the plan: shut off the water, remove the old trim, measure the rough-in, install the mounting plate, attach the new trim, test. Six steps. This checklist is about consistency. That's it.
1. Shut off the water and open a faucet
Close the angle stops under the sink if you have them. No stops? Close the main valve. Then open the bathtub faucet and one other faucet to relieve pressure. If water still drips after five minutes, the shut-off is failing. Stop here.
2. Remove the old trim and keep the screws
Pop off the handle caps with a flathead screwdriver. Remove the handle screws, then the escutcheon. Most escutcheons have hidden screws at the top and bottom—run your fingernail along the edge to find the seam. Keep the old screws. They're usually better than the new ones.
3. Measure the rough-in distance and valve depth
This is the step most people skip. Measure center-to-center between the two handle holes. Standard is 6 inches. If you get something else, stop and verify the kit will fit. Then measure how far the valve body sits behind the finished wall. If it's less than 1.5 inches, the trim won't sit flush. The cold steel Peacemaker 2 mounting plate is exactly that: cold steel, not stamped aluminum. It won't flex to hide a bad rough-in. Neither will you.
4. Install the mounting plate
Put the plate over the valve body and make sure it sits flat before you tighten anything. If it rocks, find out why. On a metal valve body, snug is enough; the included spec sheet has the exact number. On a plastic body, tighten until it doesn't move, then stop. Overtightening a plastic valve body will crack it. I've rejected parts that looked fine but had hairline cracks. Period.
5. Attach the trim and supply lines
Slide the trim over the plate and connect the supply lines to the valve stems. Use two wrenches: one to hold the stem, one to tighten the nut. Hand-tighten first, then a quarter turn. Teflon tape goes on tapered threads only; compression fittings don't need any. Here's the thing: most leaks come from crossed threads, not from lack of force.
6. Test with the drain closed
Close the drain. Turn the water back on slowly. Open the valve to full hot and cold. Switch the diverter to shower and confirm water comes out of the showerhead. Drop it back to tub and check the spout. Let it run for 10 minutes. If you see one drop, fix it now. That's not being paranoid; that's being done.
Real talk: a faucet doesn't fail because of the handle. It fails because the plate behind it flexed for three years and a seal finally gave up. That's why the mounting plate gets its own step.
The same checklist, applied to outdoor showers
An outdoor shower kit is not a bathtub faucet, but it follows the same logic: the valve body needs to be secure before you attach anything. In our outdoor shower kits, that means a steel backing bracket instead of a plastic flange. Two extra steps for freeze protection: install a vacuum breaker on the supply side and a bleed valve on the low point. If the label says 'eco-friendly,' ask for the test data. Per FTC Green Guides, environmental claims need to be substantiated. We do that before we print it (ftc.gov/green-guides).
If you're here for the garage door opener remote
You might have searched for 'garage door opener remote.' Fine. The inspection logic is the same: check the obvious things first. A remote that won't pair is usually a dead battery, a blocked antenna, or a learn button pressed twice by accident. Press the learn button on the motor, wait for the LED to blink, then hold the remote close and press the pair button. If the LED on the motor flashes, you're paired. The flashing scene is always the same when it fails: opener light blinks once, remote does nothing, owner assumes the motor is broken. It's the battery. It's usually the battery.
When this checklist doesn't apply
This works for about 80% of standard installations. Here's how to know you're in the other 20%: galvanized supply lines, a recessed valve that needs an extension kit, a fiberglass surround with no backing behind the valve, or visible corrosion on the valve body. If any of those show up, stop. I'd rather lose a sale than get a call about a ceiling leak. No, really—I've taken those calls.
Ordering parts: shipping math
If you're replacing small parts like a cartridge or a gasket, watch the shipping cost. According to USPS pricing effective January 2025, a First-Class Mail large envelope (1 oz) is $1.50 (usps.com/stamps). Not $15. If a seller charges $15 for a paper envelope, that's not shipping—that's a handling fee. Ask before you pay. (Which, honestly, feels overkill. Until you've paid it.)
Final check
Even after choosing the new faucet, I kept second-guessing. What if the finish didn't match? The two weeks until delivery were stressful. It matched. The surprise wasn't the faucet. It was how much the installation depends on the mounting plate no one sees. Check the depth. Check the plate. Check the threads. Done.
