Why do faucet handles turn opposite ways?

I always wondered if there was a universal standard for which way hot and cold should turn, or if it’s just chaos out there.

Funny you mention the “wild west of plumbing”—that’s pretty much spot on. I’ve seen houses where the hot is on the right, which goes against every code I know. Sometimes it’s just whoever installed it didn’t pay attention, or maybe they used whatever parts were handy.

One thing to watch for: if you ever swap out a faucet yourself, double-check the supply lines before tightening everything down. Mixing them up can lead to exactly this kind of confusion (and sometimes even scalding risk). Ever had to fix a reversed faucet after moving in? It’s not hard, but shutting off the water first is a must... learned that one the messy way.

Curious—has anyone actually switched their handles back to “standard” just for peace of mind?