Kingston Brass Faucet Handles, Index Buttons and Handle Flanges: Hot Side, Cold Side and What Fits

A porcelain cap has cracked, the finish has worn off a lever, or the flange ring at the base of a handle went missing during a repair. On a two- or three-handle Kingston Brass faucet each of these is a separate part, and its page on kingstonbrass.com tells you what to check before you order: the side, the broach, or the handles it was made for.

Hot side, cold side or either side

Each of these three Kingston handle pages states the side, and the answers differ:

On the first two the side is also in the title: Porcelain Cross Handle (Cold Side) and Zinc Alloy Lever Handle (Hot Side). The KBH1601AL title names no side, and its page says it can be used for either. If you replace a pair of side-specific handles, order both the cold and the hot number.

Don't have the handle number yet? Our Kingston Brass model number guide shows how a faucet's installation instructions lead to its handle, using the KB1601AL faucet and its KBH1601AL lever.

The broach has to match the stem

The last column of the table matters as much as the side. The KBH1601AL and the Restoration KBH626RXLPNH are both lever handles, yet Kingston lists 3/8" x 16 PT for the first and a D-Type broach for the second. The style of a handle does not tell you which stem it fits. Compare the broach with the stem of the cartridge in your faucet; our Kingston Brass cartridge guide shows how Kingston describes stems, either as D type or as a spline with a point count.

Index buttons: blank, cold and hot

Index buttons are the small caps that mark a handle hot or cold, or stay blank. Kingston's article on changing faucet handles names decorative caps, including ones marked hot and cold, as a common place for the handle screw to hide.

The porcelain button comes in three versions: KSHI7611BPL is the blank one, KSHI7611BPLC the cold button and KSHI7611BPLH the hot button. All three pages give the same size, 13/16 x 13/16 x 1/4 inch, and the same list: "compatible with KSH116xAX, KSH296xZX, KSH446xBX, KSH761xBAL/BPL/TAL, KSH998xGL series, etc." Each page adds "For use on Kingston Brass faucets-check model for compatibility". The list ends in etc., so it is not complete, and Kingston still asks you to check your model. Kingston's KSHI7611BPL spec sheet (PDF) draws the button as a porcelain cover 13/16 inch across and 1/4 inch high.

The x in these series names takes the place of one digit. In Kingston's titles for the KSH296 cross handles that digit is the finish: KSH2962ZXC is a cold side cross handle in Polished Brass, KSH2968ZXC the same handle in Brushed Nickel.

Other handles take other buttons. CCHICX8H, a Hot Handle Index Button in Brushed Nickel, is made of brass and porcelain with an H index and measures 3/4 x 7/16 x 1/2 inch. Its page lists the CCCXxH, CCCXxCSH, CCCPKXxH and CCCPKXxCSH handle series. Kingston also lists cold buttons in this family, such as CCHICX7C, a Cold Handle Index Button in Brushed Brass. Check the button page against your handle number before you order.

Will a different handle style fit?

Kingston's answer, in its article How To Change Your Bathroom Faucet Handles, is that it depends. A different type of handle can fit in some cases, and to find out you check the handle size and the stem design with the manufacturer. Kingston's guide to handle types sorts them into lever, blade, cross, knob and wheel handles, but as the two levers above show, the type alone does not decide the fit.

Other brands are a separate question. In its fitment and compatibility statement Kingston says it cannot guarantee that its handles and other items are compatible with other brands, and that its products are intended for use with compatible Kingston Brass products only.

Handle flanges and diverter handle flanges

The three flange pages below call each part a decorative handle flange and give two sizes:

Two things follow from these rows. If your faucet has a diverter handle, its flange can be a part of its own: the KBHF318D Diverter Handle Flange shares the outer diameter of the KBHF318 but not its inner diameter. And the same 1-1/8"-20 inner diameter can come with a different outside: the KCHF361 is 2-3/8 inches across in zinc alloy and the KBHF318 1-15/16 inches in brass. All three pages carry the same note: for use on Kingston Brass faucets, check the model for compatibility.

How the old handle comes off

Kingston's handle article says it is always best to check the faucet's parts diagram before you replace a handle, because faucet designs vary with the style and age of the faucet. Then it has you turn off the water supply. Most decorative caps, the article says, have a small slot on the edge: pry the cap off there with a flathead screwdriver, slowly, so it does not crack. In many cases a Phillips head screw under the cap holds the handle. Single-handle faucets, the article adds, commonly have a setscrew at the base of the handle instead, removed with an Allen key. For your own faucet, follow its instructions and local plumbing codes.

Matching the finish

In these two numbers the finish is a digit: the 8 in CCHICX8H is Brushed Nickel, the 1 in KBH1601AL Polished Chrome. Our Kingston Brass finish code guide lists the other digits and the finish letters. For some finishes the right number still does not promise an identical look. Kingston's FAQ says each production lot of its antiqued finishes (Antique Brass, Antique Copper, Naples Bronze and Brushed Black Stainless Steel) varies slightly in brightness and tone, and that Oil Rubbed Bronze is a living finish that changes over time. For both groups Kingston says it cannot guarantee an exact match between items, so a new handle may look slightly different from the old one beside it.

Browse faucet handles and handle parts or all Kingston Brass products on our store.

Send us the faucet model number, or a photo of the old handle and its button, before you order. Our customer support team is available Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM Central Time, at 1-888-800-7789 or [email protected].