Nice function, reduced flow

Well built and designed brass valve body. The plastic valve works smoothly. As is common these days, the valve is a single function from off to full hot--it does not allow volume control, just temperature. The 3 star rating is due to the fact that this valve has reduced pressure and flow compared to the older valve it replaced. I was not expecting a decreased shower performance but that is the experience.

[Rewarded Review] Quality valve, instructions a little lacking

I like the quality of the valve, this is not a part you want to be replacing prematurely. The valve trim is what everyone sees, but what truly matters is what gets covered up behind the wall. I've installed a few valves over the years and felt the instructions could have been a little clearer when installing with only 1/2 inch sheetrock and needing to remove part of the spacer. Other than that it was an easy installation.

Disappointed

We installed the Kohler Purist series hardware for our bathroom remodel about a year ago. I'm disappointed in the quality. I will be leaving a review for each item that has an issue, but in general we have issues with shower head/valve, tub filler hand wand, and sink faucets. This valve is the culprit for our shower head leaking. I expected more for buying "quality" hardware for our remodel. Also, it should be noted that we hired a professional / licensed plumber to install all the hardware.

KOHLER needs a pro to write instructions for them

Listen up people. The service stops are on when you install them. Which means no water will pass until you turn them facing inwards towards the handle. 5-6 hours and removing half of a wall until I found a video explaining it. You will not find anything about these stops or what you need to do with them in the instructions they provide you with the item. I just saved you a bunch of hair pulling and doubr in your skills and sanity

Product continues to improve/evolve.

Very easy to install. One observation. The 2 holes on the housing used to secure the valve in place are fairly small. We used stainless steel screws to hold the valve in place. Larger holes may be helpful and whether needed or not, give installer a little more confidence that the valve will not move.

poor value

I have always liked Kohler products, however the valve is not the best value. the plumber and construction company had to make several trips to adjust the unit. first was for pressure which was non existent . The adjust screw just turned and turned like a striped screw. Finally all at once it was like a pipe burst and pressure increased, however when the plumber turned it further it shut down. He then turned it back and it returned. This should have a positive turn like any other value and not be a hit or miss situation.

Warm water only?

As another reviewer expressed, you can only get warm water out of this. For showers might be ok but not great. We had our bath upgraded and had this installed to use especially with our deep tub for more than warm tubs! Our old shower gets hot water faster than the new tub. It takes forever to get it warm enough and not a drop of HOT water comes out. Terrible. Please advise.

Diverter not working properly

This was installed by a professional yesterday in combination with Kohler shower head model K-22179-CP. The first time the water was turned on, it came out of both the tub spout and the shower head. I bought both pieces because the description says they work together, so why is the diverter not sending one to one place at a time? I would expect something brand new out of the box to work as expected. This did not, and that is unacceptable.

It works ok, but installation directions and parts are not correct

The plumber installed this new valve with the shower in our newly remodeled bathroom. We turned the shower on, and almost no water came out. The pressure was not there at all. After the contractor called Kohler and talked to them, we confirmed that we had the right parts. The issue turned out to be with the installation instructions and the parts. The installation instructions indicated that the two stops had to be placed with tabs pointing horizontally for open and closed water. That's what the plumber followed. However, it turned out that both stops had to be adjusted almost vertically to allow for the water to flow at full pressure. Not what the instructions were indicating. It cost us $400 extra for the plumber to come out and fix the issue.

Defective Parts!

I rarely write reviews, but this time, I feel the need! After our contractor updated our shower, it stopped working in less than a week! Our contractor discovered that the part was defective, so he worked directly with Kohler to expedite shipping a replacement, fortunately at no cost. Well, after a few days, THAT one stopped working! So, our contractor had to find a completely new shower system. Evidently, Quality Control/Assurance has become essentially non-existent! Our condo is a vacation rental, so we had dissatisfied guests for a while, thereby causing us to compensate them on their next stay. If possible, we will avoid Kohler products in the future. :-(

Low pressure problems

Just installed and the water pressure has dropped 40% with this system. Waited an hour on hold and still have not gotten through. We decided to go with a Kohler products throughout this bathroom remodel because we didn't want to just go to the big orange box store. Spent thousands of dollars for a beautiful walk in shower and now we can't even use it. It looks great. But very disappointing. Hopefully we can find a way around this problem.

Pressure limiting on off switch

I use one of these valve with the K-728 2 or 3 way switch and K-TS396-4 Devonshire and the other without the K728 valve. With so much limitiation built into shower heads these in wall valves should not limit pressure, but they do.

The design of this cartridge does not allow you to get hot water (about 120F) as Kohler claims. I...

The design of this cartridge does not allow you to get hot water (about 120F) as Kohler claims. I thought I had a defective cartridge and Kohler sent me a new one. My Thermapen registers about 102F and my bathroom sinks and other water supplies in the same bathroom get to about 118-120F-- a very big difference. So, if you get this assembly, you are going to be taking warm showers, not, hot showers, if that is what you like. The orange temperature limiter ring is useless because the cartridge starts and stops within its own limited range anyway. Like I said, the highest/hottest setting will get you around 102F, which during the winter is totally inadequate. I called Kohler many times (about 5x) and spoke most recently with a very nice rep that actually admitted that, by design, the cartridge has an "anti-scalding" protection built-in. What this means is that they just limit the hot temperature well below 120F (although they claim 120F is attainable-- it is not!). So, now I am stuck with a newly renovated bathroom, with this valve body and cartridge and would have to otherwise crack open my beautiful new shower to replace the whole body and cartridge assembly because there are no alternative cartridges that are comparable with this valve body. This cartridge needs to be re-worked or another alternative should be offered. Us "adults" know how to shower and don't need this idiotic temperature protection that ultimately makes it an ineffectual product.

Stay Away - A lot of plastic!

I am so upset because I spent almost $300 on this valve and trim and the knob wobbles! This is a result of poor design. The brass valve stem is supported by a plastic cartridge which creates a weak support once you install the sleeve and handle. The sleeve and handle come out about 4.5 inches from the wall. Because it juts out so far, the wobble is made worse. I think if the valve was all brass, this wouldn't be a problem...or if the sleeve and handle were shorter, it would have less weight on the plastic cartridge and the wobble wouldn't be so pronounced.

[Rewarded Review] How to decide which Kohler valve body and which trim kit? Many choices! KOHLER Rite-Temp Pressu...

How to decide which Kohler valve body and which trim kit? Many choices!

+3 more

[Rewarded Review] This style of valve is essential for a shower, to avoid sudden changes in water temperature. I wa...

This style of valve is essential for a shower, to avoid sudden changes in water temperature. I was under the impression that they are a requirement under the plumbing code, but could not find any reference to back this up.

[Rewarded Review] Kohler has always been one of my favorite companies for bath and kitchen fixtures. In the past, ...

Kohler has always been one of my favorite companies for bath and kitchen fixtures. In the past, I've purchased complete shower/tub kits where the valve was included in the kit. So, it came as a surprise that this new Rite-Temp shower/tub set does not come with the valve.

[Rewarded Review] As a plumber I’ve installed practically every shower valve on the market. And while there are a l...

As a plumber I’ve installed practically every shower valve on the market. And while there are a lot of options for shower valves I find that most people choose their shower valve based on how the handle and trim looks and nothing else. This is a huge mistake. It is critical to choose a brand of valve that has a long history of quality and is easily serviced. Kohler has been around “forever “ and they build a quality product. This valve has service stops which means repairs can be made without shutting down the whole house (or building such as a condo or apartment). The parts are super easy to remove and replace in minutes which saves you money. And the flow rates are very good meaning it puts out plenty of water. I use and recommend this system to my customers and they are all pleased with the performance.

[Rewarded Review] If you are planning a bathroom remodel, you will need one of these. I have used this valve kit i...

If you are planning a bathroom remodel, you will need one of these. I have used this valve kit in two of my bathrooms so far. One with tub/shower and one with just shower. Both are tiled walls. This pressure balancing valve kit is priced well at the Depot. Installation was simple with common tools if you have some plumbing experience. If not, I suggest hiring a professional. I have 1/2” copper supply lines so the valve was sweat-in for my application. Instructions are easy to follow but pay close attention to the mounting depth section to make sure the depth is correct for your finished wall. The valve does have a hot water limit adjustment which is easy to set. The valve kit is used with many finish trim sets. I trust Kohler products and like that they warranty the cartridges for life. One has been in use for about 6 months and the new one was just installed. No problems at all.

[Rewarded Review] Defective product

We remodeled both of our bathroom and chose Kohler products including the Choreograph Shower and Tub wall, faucets, drains, and trim. Our licensed professional plumber installed the Kohler K-8304-KS Pressure Valve prior to the contractor putting up the shower walls. Thankfully, there was a delay before the contractor could install the walls because the valve began to leak a fine mist of spray. We did not notice at first, but the mist gradually increased. We had to call the plumber to come and uninstall the valve, which was an additional expense. If the contractor had installed the walls before the valve started leaking we would have had much more serious damage that would have been hidden from sight.