My posting above is with reference to a deck-mounted faucet. When referring to bath or shower valves mounted on a wall, levers are usually set up so that lifting the lever on both the hot and cold sides turns on the flow, and pushing down on the lever turns off the flow. Cross handles mounted on a wall usually operate just as they would if deck-mounted.

I agree with what wa8b said.

I think your plumber did it right.

I ordered three wall mounted faucets with cross handles and they sent me valves that were for lever handles, which meant that the operated differently - which would drive me nuts.

I had to bug them to send me the right valves, but they did and now the handles operate the same, as they should, imo.

wa8b, thanks. I think you're right that it should match twisting a jar or screw open. That will make perfect intuitive sense. I'll have him adjust the hot so that it matches the cold. It is really aggravating the way it is currently done.

thetews, the plumber set mine up so they operate differently now (cold turns on to the right, hot turns on to the left) and it is awful! He did not do it the way I want it, but he's a great guy and he'll fix it. I hope we have the right valves!

Anita

I have to say that I think they should mirror each other. I can't imagine it the other way... but never thought of it... I have 3 cross handle faucets to install in the coming months in the master bath... hmmm...

at the end of the day, it is always to be the way you want it done, and a good plumber can make that happen. however; it is proper for handles and stems to turn opposite (mirror one another). hot is to turn counter clockwise and cold is to turn clockwise.
as for preference- there are sound logicall reasons to have it either way. the only time there seems to be an issue is when the handles are NOT levers. levers are easy to explain by there nature. round and cross levers create debate. since the industry and plumbers like things to be the same or consistant, almost all faucets and especially high end faucets will turn opposite one another regardless of the handle type. but again- a good plumber will make your round or cross handles turn in any direction, left or right- hot and cold. there are many combinations.

What plumdog wrote.

The hot and cold mirror one another. Levers and cross-handles can use the same valve stem. I've always installed them to be a counter-clockwise hot valve and a clockwise cold valve.

No one has ever asked for different.

Lefty-loosey, Righty-tighty for both hot and cold cross-handle faucets. I've never been in a shower with double levers. Single lever handles go clockwise towards cold and close, counter-clockwise towards hot and full on.

I prefer them to operate mirrored as well, probably because that's how I've always found them--even in an older home where there were entirely separate faucets for hot and cold.

I have a shower that the PO did them both the same on and it is extremely annoying to use.

So I am also having one of the same problems. However my fixtures are like handles. The cold goes up and the hot goes down. It looks ridiculous. I just want to make sure before I say something that it’s not suppose to be like that. I agree that they should go the same way when they are knobs, but now that they are handles, it just looks okward. Please help me, is it suppose to be that way?

If I close my eyes and imagine walking up to a sink with both hot and cold handles to turn the water on, my hands turn in opposite directions. If the handles are levers, they turn in different directions. Why would one that was a knob work differently?

Ours are like that and it drives me nuts. I kept on turning the hot water the ”wrong” way, trying to turn it off. Finally replaced them when we remodeled.

Thank u for ur input Lily I appreciate it