American Standard Edgemere Valve Only Trim With Double Ceramic Pressure Balance Cartridge With Lever Handle - AMS-TU018500

No. TU018500 is valve-only trim: the escutcheon, metal lever handle, and the double ceramic pressure balance cartridge. You still need a separate rough-in valve, and American Standard specifies it for use with their Flash shower rough-in valves. If you are building a shower from scratch, order the Flash rough-in at the same time or you will have trim with nothing to mount it to.

Pressure balance. The Edgemere trim carries a double ceramic cartridge that combines a ceramic disc mixing valve with a ceramic balancing spool, so it holds output temperature steady when hot or cold supply pressure changes, such as a toilet flushing elsewhere on the line. It does not set a numeric temperature the way a thermostatic mixing valve does; you set temperature with the single lever. If a project spec calls for thermostatic control with a separate volume control, this is not that device.

The cartridge has an adjustable hot limit safety stop that caps how much hot water can mix with cold, which is how you dial down scald risk in guest rooms or apartments. It is adjusted at the cartridge, so set it during trim-out before the handle and escutcheon go on. The Comfort Zone design also widens the usable range of the handle sweep so residents can fine-tune within the safe band rather than hunting between two extremes.

Yes. The cartridge has back-to-back capability, so hot and cold can be reversed quickly without repiping the wall. That is the usual fix for a back-to-back bathroom layout or a supply that came in flipped, and it saves opening finished tile.

Yes. Valve-only trim means a single lever controlling one outlet, with no integral diverter. Use it for a shower-only stall, or as a dedicated control for a separate body spray or handshower riser. If you need to switch between a tub spout and showerhead, you want a tub and shower trim or a separate diverter, not this one.

Four finishes, each with its own number: Chrome is TU018500.002, Brushed Nickel is TU018500.295, Matte Black is TU018500.243, and Legacy Bronze is TU018500.278. Property managers standardizing a building should note the suffix, since ordering by base number alone leaves the finish unspecified.

The whole mixing valve and balancing spool are in one piece, so a service call is a single cartridge swap rather than rebuilding two assemblies. The sealing elements are ceramic, and American Standard states ceramic is unaffected by mineral deposits and harsh water conditions, which is why it holds drip-free operation and smooth handle feel in hard-water buildings.

No, both are in the kit. The wall escutcheon and a metal lever handle ship with the trim, along with the one-piece cartridge. The only separate purchase is the rough-in valve behind the wall.