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This one’s certainly new.
They make specific valves for this purpose, which can be enclosed in concrete and where the cartridge can be replaced from the front without needing to break the concrete, with faucet cartridges like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HD6PX74/
Interesting concept. I’m glad to be aware of that option. However, I have very low confidence of any fitting that attaches to PEX. So I would still want the joint of the fitting relatively unburied as well. One side of the valve is galvanized pipe. I suppose I could replace the PEX with steel as well and then join the PEX to the steel under the showerpan. I’ll have to keep that in mind.
@Damage I’m tempted to get a valve with a replaceable cartridge even though I hope to make the fitting accessible anyway— just because it seems like a smarter design.
What do you call that kind of valve?
I tried an image search for “water valve with replaceable cartridge” & most hits were taps & shower mixers. A local shop had one that looked kind of like this. The lower portion was simpler, but the handle is the same. My concern is that the handle is designed for a human hand and I would actually be running a steel rod to the handle so I can control it from an adjacent room. Most valves seem to have a removable handle so you can easily attach a tool to it.
I would like to find one that has a removable handle and a removable cartridge for full versatility.