Man, I totally get the frustration with the “backwards” shower valves. I had one in my last place where turning right was hot and left was cold, but you had to push down for water instead of up. Drove me nuts every morning until I finally just got used to it. I’ve heard some of it goes back to old plumbing codes or even how pipes were run behind the walls—sometimes it’s just whatever made sense to whoever installed it at the time. Honestly, I wish there was a universal standard, but seems like we’re stuck with the faucet lottery every time we upgrade or move.
Yeah, I’ve run into that too. One job had a shower where you had to turn the handle toward the wall for cold and away for hot—felt totally backwards. The plumber who installed it said it was just easier with the way the pipes ran, which honestly seems kinda lazy but whatever. It’s wild how much it depends on who did the work before you. I wish there was a standard too, but half the time you’re just guessing until you get blasted with cold water.
Honestly, I thought I was just losing my mind the first time I ran into this. When we moved in here, the kitchen faucet turned left for hot and right for cold, which was what I grew up with. But then the bathroom sink is the opposite—right is hot, left is cold. It’s confusing every single morning, especially before coffee.
I asked a friend who does some handyman work and he said there’s technically a “standard,” but it’s not always followed, especially in older houses or if someone DIY’d the plumbing. Sometimes it’s just whatever made sense to whoever was installing it at the time. Apparently, if they had to cross pipes or couldn’t fit things behind a wall, they’d just swap the handles instead of reworking everything. Not sure if that’s lazy or just practical when you’re dealing with old pipes and tight spaces.
The shower here actually has one of those single handles where you pull up and twist left or right for temp, but even that feels off compared to what I’m used to. I’ve definitely gotten a blast of cold water more than once... It’s like a game of roulette every morning.
I wish there was some kind of code that forced everyone to do it the same way, but I guess as long as water comes out, most folks don’t care. Still, it’d be nice if there was at least a sticker or something telling you which way is which—especially for guests who have no idea what they’re in for.
Anyway, I’ve started labeling them with those little color dot stickers (red and blue) under the handles. Not pretty, but it saves me from freezing my hands off when I’m half asleep.
Yeah, this is one of those things that drives me nuts too. There *is* a standard—hot on the left, cold on the right—but in reality, I see it ignored all the time, especially in older places or after a few rounds of “handyman specials.” Sometimes it’s just laziness, but honestly, sometimes it’s just not worth tearing out walls or rerouting pipes if the original setup was weird. I’ve even seen single-handle faucets where the hot and cold are reversed because someone hooked up the supply lines backwards and didn’t bother to fix it.
Those color dot stickers you’re using are actually a pretty solid solution. Not fancy, but at least you know what you’re getting before you freeze or scald yourself half-awake. There’s not really a code that forces people to fix it unless you’re doing a full remodel and pulling permits. Otherwise, it’s kind of the wild west out there.
If you ever do any upgrades, swapping the supply lines under the sink is sometimes a quick fix, but with old plumbing, you never know what you’ll find. Sometimes it’s better to just live with the stickers...
Those color dot stickers you’re using are actually a pretty solid solution. Not fancy, but at least you know what you’re getting before you freeze or scald yourself half-awake.
Honestly, I’ve had tenants thank me for those stickers more than once. It’s not glamorous, but it keeps people safe and avoids late-night calls about “broken” faucets. I agree—unless you’re already opening up the walls, it’s usually not worth the hassle to fix old plumbing quirks. Safety first, even if it means a few stickers here and there.