Central Brass Stem Confusion

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J

Jmiafolla

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Apr 16, 2021
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Location
Medford, NJ
I recently went online and downloaded a Central Brass manual for my 3 handle faucet/shower specs. The paperwork said I needed a K351C stem for the hot side if I had the "Square" handles and not the lever handles. When I ordered the actual Central Brass part, it said on the packaging that I needed the H instead of the C. Can someone please clarify what I actually need? Below is an image from the web that corresponds the set I have.
1618585123759.png
 
Sounds right.

And I usually change both stems anyway.

After years of clients insisting that just the cold or the hot was the problem, then I change it, and big surprise they were guessing wrong.
 
I would trust the info on the packaging.

What do you mean by “the application for those handles”?
 
Jeff Handy said:
Sounds right.

And I usually change both stems anyway.

After years of clients insisting that just the cold or the hot was the problem, then I change it, and big surprise they were guessing wrong.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. I can see where your coming from but, my issue was water restriction and not leaking. It was pretty obvious that the Hot water side was not working. Plenty of water flow on the cold side. I already changed the stem out with the cold one I ordered and it works. I just want to make sure I don't have an issue down the road due to the wrong one being I stalled.
 
With non-lever handles, cold cartridge is what goes on both.
That way, both handles open uniformly and close, righty tighty.
With levers, they want to open in opposite directions, so there are two stems, one opening in one direction, the opposite for the other side.
 
breplum said:
With non-lever handles, cold cartridge is what goes on both.
That way, both handles open uniformly and close, righty tighty.
With levers, they want to open in opposite directions, so there are two stems, one opening in one direction, the opposite for the other side.
Click to expand...
Actually, it is the cold one that I did install already on the hot side and they go in opposite directions. So then by what you're saying I should install the hot one on the hot side like the package says so that the handles all turn uniformly since they are round handles. It is only confusing because the parts list info from Central Brass states the opposite saying using the k351c for both. I will go by what the packaging says and the the k351h.
 
Jm, if you are happy with the way it works, then, that is the best result, no matter what.
It gets wacky when traveling and one might encounter a pair of cross handles, normally, the two handles would both be righty-tighty, but I've encountered mis-matched set ups where the hot side had a valve that didn't open in the correct direction for my expectation.
 
breplum said:
With non-lever handles, cold cartridge is what goes on both.
That way, both handles open uniformly and close, righty tighty.
With levers, they want to open in opposite directions, so there are two stems, one opening in one direction, the opposite for the other side.
Click to expand...

Actually you’ve got that backwards.

Non-lever handles, both stems should be “ hot “ stems. Hot stems turn off to the right. @breplum
 
Twowax, in the Central Brass pdf, at the very last page, it says:
"If faucet has round handles (G-508), use two K-351-C Cold stem assemblies"
And, in the exploded parts diagrams for the basic two valve shower with 'round' handles, it only lists a "cold" stem type.
Thinking about the many Price Pfister shower valves I've played with, they had only one stem and I would call it a 'cold' stem closing with conventional clockwise turn.
 
breplum said:
Twowax, in the Central Brass pdf, at the very last page, it says:
"If faucet has round handles (G-508), use two K-351-C Cold stem assemblies"
And, in the exploded parts diagrams for the basic two valve shower with 'round' handles, it only lists a "cold" stem type.
Thinking about the many Price Pfister shower valves I've played with, they had only one stem and I would call it a 'cold' stem closing with conventional clockwise turn.
Click to expand...
YUP. Righty tighty lefty loosey
 
Typically round handles use hot stems.

a hot stem turns off clockwise traditionally.

So with typical faucets you would use two hot stems for round or cross handles.

Not sure about how central brass is doing it. The post I quoted of yours didn’t mention central brass but rather was taken by me as general statement.

And generally round handles/cross use two hot stems as they turn off clockwise and that is to the right.

Cold stems traditionally turn off counterclockwise. Round handles are supposed to be off to the right......
 
Last edited:
Jmiafolla said:
Actually, it is the cold one that I did install already on the hot side and they go in opposite directions. So then by what you're saying I should install the hot one on the hot side like the package says so that the handles all turn uniformly since they are round handles. It is only confusing because the parts list info from Central Brass states the opposite saying using the k351c for both. I will go by what the packaging says and the the k351h.
Click to expand...
This is why the cold stem that he installed on the hot side is operating backwards now.

Read the FIRST sentence of the post I quoted above from the OP.

The PDF document doesn’t load on iPhone.,

I looked up the PDF and it does infact say that to use two cold stems.
That’s not typical of any other manufacture.
I’m in the process of contacting them.
 
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I just got off the phone with tech support at Central Brass and they verified that PDF file is incorrect.

The canopy handles ( round ) use two HOT stems.

Call and check for yourself. @breplumb
 
breplum said:
Twowax, in the Central Brass pdf, at the very last page, it says:
"If faucet has round handles (G-508), use two K-351-C Cold stem assemblies"
And, in the exploded parts diagrams for the basic two valve shower with 'round' handles, it only lists a "cold" stem type.
Thinking about the many Price Pfister shower valves I've played with, they had only one stem and I would call it a 'cold' stem closing with conventional clockwise turn.
Click to expand...
It was a misprint. Just verified it from central.
 
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