My shower handle is reversed!

Ted Lee · 05-09-2003, 06:55 PM

hi all -

i have one of those single-handle deals (pull out to turn on, left for hot, right for cold) for the shower in my bathroom.

problem is the "polarity" is reversed. if you turn it to the left it gets cold and vice-versa.

is this something i can fix? i haven't taken apart the assembly yet, cuz i thought i should ask first.

thx!

ted

Philip_G · 05-09-2003, 07:40 PM

that sucks, yo.
perhaps the plumbing behind it is also reversed

Craig Robertson · 05-09-2003, 07:53 PM

the pipes go to the wrong ports on the back of the fixture. you'll have to get behind it and re-route the plumbing if you want to fix it.

Eric_L · 05-09-2003, 09:39 PM

easy fix - shower standing on your head.

Tim Hoover · 05-09-2003, 10:00 PM

I never figured out how those types of handles work, anyway. Some have a little arrow or marker at the top, and you turn that left for hot or right for cold. Consequently, the handle faces right for hot and left for cold. On others, the handle itself is the marker, which means the handle faces left for hot or right for cold. In Ted's case, it sounds like the handle faces right for hot and left for cold. Confusing, isn't it

I have a coping suggestion: Ted, if you're right-handed, then become left-handed, or vice versa...

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Greg Rakaska · 05-09-2003, 11:46 PM

Hehehe.....

I ran into one of these in a Holiday Inn in Detroit. After a long day on the road, driving there from Indy, I was really looking forward to a hot shower.

I turned the durned thing on and waited a full 10 minutes for it to get warm/hot. It stayed ice cold. I finally called the front desk and they sent the "engineer" who finally figured out the problem.

Ted Lee · 05-10-2003, 02:49 PM

lol, i think standing on my head would work, but i'm not sure what my gfriend would think - she may think i'm "up to something" sneaky.

i'll have to take this apart and see. i checked out a home improvement book and (unfortunately) i think craig is probably right. i'll bet it's been this way from the very start.

Dillon Poole · 05-10-2003, 03:08 PM

As another has said, the plumbing is just reversed and its easy to fix. When I was in high school, my house had it reversed for every single faucet. We got used to turning things on "backwards" but when I moved out I got my arse kicked with either scorching hot water or ice cold water for the first few weeks...

Anders Englund · 05-10-2003, 08:09 PM

Ted, I say live withg it. It could be damn entertaining whne you have houseguests.

--Anders

Ron Etaylor · 05-10-2003, 10:09 PM

Ours got that way years ago. We re-learned the new way.
We'd probably get scalded if we changed it now.