Which way do faucet knobs turn to go ON? Is there a standard for these?
fassbinder
| Posted in General Discussion on
My only two handled facet is now clockwise to turn on the hot and counter clockwise to turn on the cold.
I’m replacing the cartridges to stop a drip. My replacements are labeled “R/H Hot or Cold”. Will the direction they turn be determined by these cartridges?
Thanks.
Replies
We have two-handled faucets throughout the house; it's logical when you look at the levers, since you pull the levers toward you to turn on:
Left=Hot, turn counter-clockwise=ON
Right=Cold, turn clockwise=ON
I don't know for sure about the cartridge question, but my assumption is yes, direction will be determined by the kind of cartridge used.
fass
A while ago I needed to replace Grohe cartridges and ordered one of each turn.
I installed them, put the KNOBS back on and was quite impressed with what a dumb carpenter could do given the ambition.
However, it didn't feel right. I went down and checked another two handled faucet-sure enough the turn direction was the same way on both knows.
I asked the wife, she agreed-the cold was now backwards from how it was.
Now, this might be a Euro idea, I cannot say. I reordered the pairs for other replacements and now we're back to the turnability of 23 yrs ago.
So, if a lever-direction is important. In two knob faucets, it's what you were used to.................or standard.
Install a single-handle faucet and don't worry about it.
I probably will convert it to a single handle at some time in the future. But now I just want to stop the dripping. I figure if I can put 2 new cartridges in @ $5 each and stop the dripping, I'm happy. Gives me plenty of time to shop around; nothing I looked at looked all that great.
I just went through a nightmare putting in a new faucet in the other bath sink and don't want to repeat that right now.
Every valve in the house seems to be frozen due to hard water and non usage.
I just replaced a Moen single handle shower faucet....but only after dripping vinegar on it overnight and shooting it with penetrating oil for two days. Even then I had to buy the cartridge puller. I was lucky I got the entire cartridge out with the puller and not just the inner stem.
No plumbers called yet so overall I'm happy.
Yeah, the Moen puller is worth having.
All faucets with hot and cold were originally two-handled, and they all were built so that you turned the levers toward yourself for both hot and cold. .
Then came single-handled fuacets with cartridge inserts, like Moen. Moen and others then followed up with two-handled models to fill the design preference for a traditional appearance, while stll using the cartridge concept for the sepatate hot and cold handles. They were, and still are, designed to turn on by turning the handles toward yourself.
When people and plumbers--OK. plumbers are people too--do replacements, they often replace the cold cartridge with a hot, so that both handles turn the same way.
There may also be some cheap import two-handle faucets that have both handles shutting off by turning clockwise.
That's progress--I guess. Along with the fact that kids don't know what "clockwise" means, and they can't write or read cursive, and have lost the meaning of words such as awesome, great, amazing, etc.
I don't sound like a grumpy old man, do I? Actually, I'm great, awesome and amazing.
Re: loss of expressivity
>>Actually, I'm great, awesome and amazing.
You forgot "outstanding."
I was born and brought up in Portland, OR. I remember once in high school when we got a new student from southern California, and for quite a while I was transfixed by her "Val Girl" sprach. --And that was before the days of "awesome."
REgarding the main subject:we had a pricey Moen single-handle faucet installed in our new kitchen (this is in Japan), but our hot water heater ran on a demand-type pump motor, and it was very sensitive to pressure. So when using the Moen, we could get hot water or cold, but little in-between. We'd open the handle on the hot side, and as we started moving the handle away from hot to lower the temp, the back pressure from the cold line would signal the hot-water pump that the valve was being closed, and shut down the pump, making the water temp jump to the cold side. Anyway, I changed it to a two-handled faucet set and no problems since. I still have the Moen single-handle faucet in storage--if anyone wants to come to Japan and pick it up.
The clocking of the isert is manufacturer dependant.
Some, have seperate cartridges for the hot and cold.
Most I've worked on, use the same cartridge rotated 180-degrees, so the 90-degree stops built in control the swing.
Typically, the hot or left faucet rotates counter clockwise to open, and the cold or right faucet opens clockwise.
In you own house, in a bathroom you frequently use, it doesn't matter as you get used to it. In a guest bath I would go with the convention, as the guests are used to it.
What I've found is that rotation depends on whether there's a knob or a lever. With knobs, you generally "unscrew" the knob to turn on the water. This is naturally CCW on the right side and CW on the left side.
But with levers you pull forward and towards the center to turn on, and push back and towards the outside to turn off -- CW on the right and CCW on the left.
As to what the labeling "R/H Hot or Cold" means, I haven't a clue.
The R/H means Right Hand.
I know enough Spanish to get that from the label.
I ordered a new faucet, going to return the cartridges. Figured if I was going to spend the time I might as well have something new and different to look at. Went with a Two handle lever design. Tired of the knobs. The single handle choices looked wrong in bronze.
I just hope that Pex stuff isn't fused to the old fitting like the other one I just replaced.
Yeah, I figured "R/H"
Yeah, I figured "R/H" probably meant "right hand", but does that mean it's a "right-handed screw" -- opening CCW -- or goes on the right side or what?
Two handle faucets
Hot and cold faucets that have round or cross bladed ( like a plus sign ) handles should open counter clockwise, and close clockwise. The exception occurs when the faucet handle is a single blade or wing. This type of faucet handle is used often on lavatories in hospital or handicap accessible bathrooms. The single blade hot faucet still opens counter clockwise, and closes clockwise. The single blade cold faucet should open clockwise ( towards the spout ), and close counter clockwise. The faucet stem orientation is determined by the style of handle.....................