Have you ever been to a hotel, friend’s house, or Airbnb and not been able to figure out how to work the plumbing in the bathroom?

Don’t feel bad, this is not as uncommon as you might think. It is actually very common. In this blog series, we will go over some travel tips for different types of plumbing that may throw you for a loop while you’re traveling.

Series 1: Shower Faucets

Most of us are accustomed to a couple of different styles of faucets and when we are confronted with a new style it can throw us.

So what can you do to avoid having to call a friend or the front desk to figure out how to operate the shower?

In most situations, shower faucets are going to operate in one of four ways.

  1. Pull-on, push off.

    This is just like it sounds. You grab the handle and pull it. For this style the water turns on, then usually you turn the handle right or left for hot and cold. When you are done you push the handle till it stops and the water turns off.

  2. Turn to turn on.

    Again, not too complicated. Turn the handle, often counterclockwise. This turns on the water. The further you turn it the hotter it gets. When you are done, turn it back to the starting point and the water turns off. Note: Sometimes the original plumbing installer makes a mistake and switches the hot and cold pipes. The faucet still works, but hot and cold are backward. Just keep turning the faucet handle till you find the right temperature.

  3. Temperature-controlled valves with two handles or knobs.

    These are usually the ones that get people. Usually, there are two levers or knobs. One turns both knobs together, and one turns just the one.
    In this case, one handle is for temperature, the other is for volume, or on/off. For this style, once you turn it on, if you find the temperature you like just leave it there. Then when you shower next just turn it on and don’t touch the second knob or lever. It will automatically adjust to the same temperature you left it at.

  4. Two-handle styles. (Or more)

    This is often a luxury bathroom. Each handle does something different. One does the on/off, another usually does the temperature adjustment, and then if there are more they usually divert water from the showerhead to the handheld, or to the body sprays, or the rain head.
    In this case, find out the on/off by turning it (usually centered and lower), set the temperature, and then turn the other handles and see what functions turn on or off. If there is a handle in a shower it is ok to turn it, that’s what it is designed for.

We hope these bits of wisdom help you during your travels, whenever, and wherever you go!

Interested? Curious to know more? Let us know! You can continue to read more of our blogs by clicking the links below.

Hope you enjoy it!

As always, if you are looking for a plumber to help you out with a maintenance call or plumbing emergency, feel free to give us a call or text, check out our website, or email us. We’d be happy to schedule a free estimate for you and provide you with all the professional help you need!

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