I have stayed in hotels on a few occasions where the shower is controlled by two knobs (hot/cold), and one of them turns backwards (clockwise for "on", counter-clockwise for "off").
Now I've moved into a new house, and the shower there also has one knob backwards.
My question is: How is this even possible?? The valves I've seen in the hardware store come in one direction, and I've seen no way to mess them up, even if you install them upside down, turn them around, etc…
Apparently it is a relatively easy and common mistake, but I don't understand how it happens.
When I go to install shower valves myself, what should I do to avoid this mistake?
Best Answer
It's not "backwards" or a "mistake" at all - it's perfectly standard for dual (separate hot/cold control) faucets. In a sink deployment, you pull the outside (away from the faucet) of the handle forward to open, and push it back to close - that requires the hot and cold to close in "different directions" from a clock-wise perspective - which is perfectly natural from a "handedness" direction since the right hand works the cold faucet and the left works the hot one (in the standard arrangement.)
To avoid this standard arrangement, look for one of the minority of companies that thinks all valves should be righty-tighty and buy one of those (there are a few - they seem backward in this application to me.) Or skip the whole business and get a single-handle control.