Symmons Shower Cartridge Replacement: Temptrol, Safetymix and Showeroff

How to get a Symmons shower spindle out, tell the Temptrol TA-10 from the Safetymix C-5, and match the Showeroff PS-1 and NS-1 to the valve.

Updated October 30, 2026

In stock and ready to ship direct to your jobsite or shop.

TA-10Temptrol shower series valvesIn stockC-5Safetymix valvesIn stockNS-1Showeroff series valves from 1983 to dateIn stock

See all Symmons cartridges we stockNot sure which one you have?

Get to the cartridge

These are Symmons’ own Temptrol steps, from its TA-10 replacement guide and its 262BODY, 262XBODY and 261XBODY install guide.

1. Shut off the water to the valve.
2. Open the valve to hot before anything comes apart. Symmons’ replacement guide says to turn the handle counter-clockwise until it stops. Symmons’ website FAQ says about half a turn. The guide is more specific.
3. Take off the trim. Remove the plug button, the handle screw and the handle. Remove the two escutcheon screws, then the dial and the escutcheon. Unscrew the dome cover counter-clockwise.
4. Stop and look before you pull the cap. The cap and the spindle come out together, so decide now which valve line you are in, using the table and the checks below.

A Safetymix is trimmed differently. Symmons’ instructions have you loosen the set screw, then take off the lever handle, the dome cover and the escutcheon in that order. Its parts list shows no dial. Open it to about the warm position, then unscrew the cap and leave the packing nut in place so it does not distort.

What it is: Symmons shower valve spindles and cartridges

Here is how Symmons lists each part on its own site, as of October 30, 2026.

Temptrol. Symmons describes it as a solid brass, bronze and stainless steel valve with an adjustable piston. The trims Symmons’ steps cover have a dial behind the handle. Its install guide covers the bodies 262BODY, 262XBODY and 261XBODY and names the TA-10 as the flow control spindle in each. Symmons’ 2019 item number chart renumbered the older 46 series to the 26 series, so a body numbered 46-2-BODY is the older name for what is now the 262BODY.

Safetymix. Symmons calls it its original pressure-balancing valve. The C-5 is listed as the flow control spindle.

Showeroff. Symmons describes it as a piston-actuated metering shower valve. The PS-1 and NS-1 are both current, so the NS-1 does not replace the PS-1. If you cannot date the valve, or yours is none of these, send a photo.

Pull it the right way

• Temptrol: wrench on the cap assembly, counter-clockwise. The cap and spindle come out together. Then unscrew the spindle from the cap, also counter-clockwise. If the cap will not break loose, see the stuck cartridge guide.
• The spindle should be seated against the cap. On a Temptrol Symmons says that confirms the valve was fully open to hot. If not, it warns of damage to the cap and spindle and a spindle that is extremely difficult to remove. It gives the same damage warning for a Safetymix.
• Shake it. The piston lives in the perforated end and should click as it slides its full travel. If it sticks, tap the handle end or the stem end against a solid object, soak it in household white vinegar and tap again. If that fails, replace the spindle. On a Safetymix, Symmons adds: do not tamper with the perforated cylinder or try to take the piston out.
• Leaks with the valve shut off? Symmons points to washers first. On a Temptrol that is the TA-9 kit: hold the spindle by its handle, remove the hot washer screw and unscrew the cold washer retainer counter-clockwise with channel-lock pliers. On a Safetymix it is the KIT-B washer and gasket kit. If it still leaks, Symmons points to the seats, on a Temptrol the TA-4 kit with the T35C removal tool kit. Replace both seats even if only one looks worn, and tighten them to 15 foot-pounds.

Confirm it once it is out

• All brass with a perforated barrel. A blue plastic cartridge is neither a TA-10 nor a C-5.
• TA-10 or C-5. Both have a perforated barrel, a stainless ring and a splined tip. In Symmons’ own catalog photos the TA-10 has SYMMONS stamped along the shaft and a short thread under the flange. The C-5 has a much longer thread and no stamp. Treat them as tells when visible. A worn spindle may show neither, and a missing stamp proves nothing. Length alone will not settle it. Match the spindle to the valve it came out of.
• Temptrol or Powers. The Powers Hydroguard 410 is another pressure-balancing shower valve, and the trim alone does not separate the two, since a Powers cover plate carries a printed graphic insert. Pull the cartridge. An all-brass spindle with a perforated barrel and SYMMONS stamped on the shaft is a Temptrol. A Celcon balancing cartridge with a diaphragm and poppets is a Powers, not a Symmons.
• Which TA-10? The TA-10-3HL is low flow, the retired TA-10-NYC allowed a higher flow, and the TA-10-RP is the TA-10 in retail packaging. All are listed for the same Temptrol valves, so a wrong flow version will fit. What differs is the flow. We found no source that shows how to tell them apart by sight, so check the job spec or the original packaging for a suffix. If the old spindle was a Maxi Flow, do not default to the standard TA-10 without checking what the job calls for. Symmons recommends the TA-10-3HL for the retired non-chatter spindle and does not say whether that changes the flow.
• Diverter or control spindle? A tub and shower Temptrol can carry a diverter or volume control cartridge as well. Symmons’ Temptrol parts breakdown for the S262XBODY and S262BODY lists the diverter cartridge kit RTS124, the non-shared diverter kit RTS145 and the volume control kit RTS126 apart from the TA-10. Separate Symmons diverter valves take their own cartridges: the 2DIVBODYSRT takes the RTS-2DIV and the 3DIVBODYSRT takes the RTS-3DIV. A diverter fitted where the TA-10 belongs is the classic wrong part. The temperature handle mounts on the flow control spindle, so note which spindle sat under which handle as you pull them. See diverter or cartridge.

Where to get the replacement

These are the Symmons replacements we stock, each listed with the Symmons number it replaces. A card for a part we do not stock yet sends you to the photo form. They are aftermarket parts, not made by or affiliated with Symmons. Card lengths are listing figures, and length alone never settles a match.

Temptrol valves

Replaces SymmonsTA-10Temptrol shower series valvesBrass, perforated barrel, SYMMONS stamped on the shaft, short thread under the flangeLength 4.27 inView the part

TA-10-3HL

Replaces SymmonsTA-10-3HLTemptrol shower series valves, low flowNot stocked yet. Send a photo and we will check

TA-9

Replaces SymmonsTA-9Temptrol shower series valves, washer and gasket repair kitWashers for a valve that drips when shut offNot stocked yet. Send a photo and we will check

Safetymix valves

Replaces SymmonsC-5Safetymix valvesBrass, perforated barrel, a much longer thread than the TA-10, no stamp in the Symmons photoLength 4.99 inView the part

Showeroff valves

Replaces SymmonsNS-1Showeroff series valves from 1983 to dateLength 5.12 inView the part

PS-1

Replaces SymmonsPS-1Showeroff series valves from 1960 to 1983Symmons supplies it with an adaptor plateNot stocked yet. Send a photo and we will check

Still not sure which one you have?

The tells above settle the common cases. For a spindle worn past its stamp, a valve with no readable marking or an unknown Showeroff date, photograph it at the fixture and send us the photo. A specialist confirms the exact replacement and posts an itemized written quote. Nothing is charged until you approve it.

Putting the new one in

On a Temptrol, Symmons’ steps run in reverse. Thread the new TA-10 into the cap assembly clockwise, all the way, so the spindle is drawn close to the cap. Put the cap and spindle back in the valve and tighten the cap clockwise with a wrench. Symmons warns that screwing the cap in before the spindle is drawn close will damage the cap and spindle. Close the valve with the handle, restore the water and check for leaks. Symmons gives the same drawn-close instruction for a Safetymix.

Both supplies must be on, because Symmons says the valve will not pass water otherwise. If the valve gives hot water when first opened and turns colder toward hot, Symmons says the hot supply is piped to the cold inlet. Where the piping is not accessible, its fix is the T-108 reverse seat kit with tool, and older installations may also need the TA-4 seat kit.

The temperature limit stop is a scald control. Symmons’ install guide sets it after installation, by the installer, to state and local code. Put the handle on the spindle, open the valve to the maximum temperature you want and turn the limit stop screw clockwise until it seats. Symmons warns that failing to set it properly may result in serious scalding. After any service, run the valve to full hot and confirm it still matches what the code and the job require.