Shower Hot and Cold Backwards


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Old 07-15-09, 11:26 AM
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Shower Hot and Cold Backwards

Hi,
I recently purchased a condo and the water in the shower is hot when it points to cold and cold when it points to hot. I was told by the developer that it can not be fixed and it could be that the lines were switched when they did construction. Is this true, can it not be fixed? I was hoping there was an easy fix. His solution was to get a blank plate for my shower, which I do not want.

I have a shower gauge that is one piece with a handle that hangs straight down and when you turn to the right to turn the water on it is hot, instead of cold. I hope that makes sense.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Old 07-15-09, 11:34 AM
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One of our plumbers should be along, but I can tell you that there are some one-handle faucet types that can do that if not properly installed, but I believe it is fixable.
 
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Old 07-15-09, 11:43 AM
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Shower Water Backwards

Not knowing what type of shower valve you have I will give you a suggesstion that may apply. A lot of valves of that type can be reversed by taking the cartridge out and turning 180 degrees, don't forget to turn the water off first, luck.
 
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Old 07-15-09, 11:46 AM
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Does it help at all that I know that Danze is the shower manufacturer? I take it i need to ask the developer for the exact shower style number....right?

Thanks for the help.
 
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Old 07-15-09, 11:50 AM
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If this is a new place (new construction, not new to you) I think there are rules about how the plumbing is supposed to operate.
 
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Old 07-15-09, 11:51 AM
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I will say this:If this turns out to be something that turning a cartridge around etc won't fix it still may be fixable but may require going into walls to do it.All problems like this can be fixed it's how much you want to fix it versus what's involved and the costs.
 
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Old 07-15-09, 11:55 AM
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Originally Posted by spdavid
I will say this:If this turns out to be something that turning a cartridge around etc won't fix it still may be fixable but may require going into walls to do it.All problems like this can be fixed it's how much you want to fix it versus what's involved and the costs.
That is what I was thinking, if it requires going into the wall, the developer doesn't want to pay to the cost to fix it, even though I have a warranty on my place for the first 90 days. We have discussed multiple times but he wants to do the easiest solution to resolve it. He said that if the lines were switched nothing can be done to fix it. so frustrating. thanks for your post!
 
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Old 07-15-09, 12:05 PM
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Hi Sophie, my thoughts would include safety issues where someone not familiar with YOUR shower gets in there and turns the water to colder and gets hotter. Mention "liability" and see if he changes his tune.

Also, as mentioned, there should be a final plumbing inspection, talk to the city/inspector, it shouldn't pass.

Also, how would you explain this to the next person purchasing your building? They would probably want it fixed or a reduction in price, or just wonder what else was not done correctly and walk away.

Talk to the condo association, they may have some pull with this guy.

Stick to your guns or it will bug you the rest of your life.

GL
Bud
 

Last edited by Bud9051; 07-15-09 at 12:06 PM. Reason: correction
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Old 07-15-09, 12:28 PM
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If, in fact, someone plumbed it up backwards, it can be repaired by a qualified plumber. It would require cutting into the wall in the room next to the shower valve, but that's not usually a big deal.

Since you refer to the developer, this may be a new installation, as Shacko said, they may have inserted the cartridge upside down, which they can easily fix.

Make notes of dates and times you talked to the developer, just in case you need to do legal battle later.


Here is Danze's tech support number. Give them a call. Technical Support line toll free at 1-888-328-2383
 
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Old 07-18-09, 01:37 PM
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Hot + Cold Reversed

sophie4444: I did go onto the Danze site and most of their valves are reversable, don't let someone tell you it can't be fixed, luck.
 
 

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