In my home remodel, new dual-handle faucets have been installed in the bathroom vanities and tub. The handles all seem to turn in the opposite direction from the handles in my previous bathroom. (I didn't do the work.) Is there a standard for turning direction on lavatory handles, or are the directions reversible and simply set however the installer set them? Or do some handles come as clockwise turns and others as counter-clockwise? I've had them for nearly four months now and still can't get used to turning the handles the opposite way from the direction I turned them for years.
Normally faucet handles turn clockwise to turn on the cold water (on the right) and counterclockwise for the hot (on the left). I managed to get my kitchen faucet in backward, so they turned the wrong way, but I fixed it by pulling the cartridges and swapping them. I'm not sure how you would go about installing lavatory faucets the wrong way round.
Not a good idea. Too subject to errors causing accidents. How do I know? I did it by accident plumbing a basement wash tub. No matter how many times I used it, I always turned the wrong one. I finally bit the bullet and redid the piping.
Not a good idea. Too subject to errors causing accidents. How do I know? I did it by accident plumbing a basement wash tub. No matter how many times I used it, I always turned the wrong one. I finally bit the bullet and redid the piping.
Doesn't dual handle mean a separate knob/handle for each side? In that case, swapping the hot/cold lines wouldn't make a difference in the direction each handle turns.
I wouldn't think the installer would have control over the direction of spin, it is probably determined by the manufacturer of the hardware.
The shower in our 35 year old home has them both turning counter clockwise, but I think I've seen ones in other places that are not the same.
Under no circumstances do this. Hot is ALWAYS on the left (and plumbing codes require this).
The proper fix is actually easier. Just remove the cartridge on the cold and reverse it. Should take no more than 5 minutes.
You will need a #2 Phillips screwdriver and an adjustable wrench or channel lock pliers.
PROCEDURE:
1.Turn off the water under the basin.
2.Close or stopped drain (to prevent small parts from falling into drain).
3.Pry off the knob cap, then remove the knob with a Phillips screwdriver.
4.Under the knob there is a large nut which holds the cartridge in place. Remove the nut with an adjustable wrench or channel lock pliers (what I used).
5.Wiggle up the cartridge by rocking it back and forth.
6.Once out, turn the cartridge 180° and reinsert. Note that there are tabs projecting out each side of the cartridge, that fit into slots in the valve body.
7.Once back in, press down as far as it will go and turn the cap nut back down to tighten seat the cartridge in place. Snug the nut an extra 1/8 to 1/4 turn.
8.Place knob back on and secure with screw. press knob cap back into place, placing the "H" or "C" letter in the upright position.
9.Turn the water back on and check for leaks.
DadiOH: Sorry, but where I live hot is always on the left was well.
Enigma: Why does the plumbing code require that hot be on the left? I know hot is normally on the left, but I didn't know that there was a requirement that it be so. And, I know even less why there would be such a requirement.
As my father explained to me, most folks are right handed. The tendency is to pull the right faucet more, and they don't want people getting burned by more hot, if hot were on the right.
Currently, there are two main plumbing codes used throughout the states. They are the International Plumbing Code (IPC) and the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC).
In the IPC it reads: "607.4 Flow of hot water to fixtures. Fixture fittings, faucets and diverters shall be installed and adjusted so that the flow of hot water from the fittings corresponds to the left-hand side of the fixture fitting. Exception: Shower and tub/shower mixing valves conforming to ASSE 1016 or ASME Al12.18.1/CSA B125.1, where the flow of hot water corresponds to the markings on the device."
In the UPC is reads: "601.3 Faucets and diverters shall be connected to the water distribution system so that hot water corresponds to the left side of the fittings."
I guess the best way to explain "why" is to quote the International Plumbing Code Handbook:
One of the oldest expressions in Plumbing is: "Hot on the left, cold on the right." The code mandates that hot corresponds to the left side of the fixture fitting for safety reasons. It has become an accepted practice to equate the left side of the faucet with hot water. The intent is to protect an individual from potential scalding when turning on what is believed to be cold water and get scalded by hot water. Some manufacturers design a fixture fitting that can be reversed inside the faucet if a plumber inadvertently (or intentionally in the case of back-to-back faucets) pipes the water supplies in reverse. This type of installation would be acceptable. The exception provides for single-handle shower valves that comply with ASSE-1016 or CSA-B125 and that have identifiable hot designations on the control valve. These devices operate by rotating a single handle or knob away from the "off' position to initiate water flow. The handle is moved farther in the same direction to increase the temperature of flowing water. Because the rotating operation is limited to one direction, the user cannot mistakenly activate water flow at the maximum hot-water setting without first rotating the handle or knob through the cold-water setting. Also, ASSE-1016 requires control valves to have settings that indicate clearly the direction or means of adjustment to change temperature.
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