Shower and Faucet Stem Identification Chart: Match Yours by Length and Broach

You pulled the stem out of a two-handle tub and shower valve, and there is no brand and no model number anywhere on the fixture. Now you have to buy the one stem that fits. The faucet stem identification chart below works the way the parts catalogs do: by maker, length, broach shape, and whether the stem is hot, cold or a diverter. Spline count alone is not enough, and a matching broach alone is not enough either. Use the maker’s own part number first if you have it, and use this page when you do not.

How the Catalogs Key a Stem

Catalog matching is physical, not model-number-first. The catalogs identify a stem by length, broach or spline pattern, the maker or application, the fixture type, its role, and working-end details such as the seat, washer, bonnet, threads and O-rings. The role matters: a hot, cold, hot/cold or diverter stem is a different part.

Danco builds that into its product codes. In Danco’s 3S-10H/C stem for Delta faucets, the ID length is 3 and the broach is S (Danco 3S-10H/C). In Danco’s 9H-8H/C stem for Price Pfister faucets, the ID length is 9 and the broach is H (Danco 9H-8H/C). In American Standard’s 3S-17H/C the pair is 3 and S, and in Gerber’s 11B-1H/C it is 11 and B (Danco 3S-17H/C, SupplyHouse: Danco 15354B).

According to Danco’s Plumbing 101 page, the first number is the size on the store gauge, the first letter is the spline shape, count and size, the second number is a sequence number, and the final letter marks Hot, Cold, Hot/Cold or Diverter (Danco: Plumbing 101).

The order of trust is simple. Use the manufacturer or OEM number first. If the model is unknown, use the gauge, the broach chart and the catalog photo. BrassCraft describes the same two routes, by manufacturer when known or by length when unknown (BrassCraft: Stems & Cartridges). Retailer pages help with price and availability, but the manufacturer and catalog pages are stronger evidence of fit.

Measure Length the Catalog’s Way

Length is the first filter, and the catalogs do not all measure the same way. According to Danco’s 2016 faucet stems catalog, you place the bottom of the stem on the bottom of the gauge and the stem on the lip of the gauge, and you do not include the washer or washer screw (Danco: 2016 Faucet Stems catalog).

Factory Direct Supply gives a different rule: measure from the top of the stem to the bottom of the washer, without the bibb screw (Factory Direct Supply: stems by length). The two sources disagree about the washer. So do not use one universal ruler method. Use the gauge or table of the catalog you are buying from, and if you use a plain ruler, write down whether the washer was included.

BrassCraft’s gauge maps its length codes to actual dimensions: 12 is 5-9/16 in., 11 is 5 in., 10 is 4-9/16 in., 9 is 4-1/16 in., 8 is 3-9/16 in., 7 is 3-1/16 in., 6 is 2-1/2 in., 5 is 2-5/16 in., 4 is 2 in., 3 is 1-3/4 in. and 2 is 1-1/2 in. (BrassCraft: Stems/Cartridges by Length).

Count the Broach

The broach is the handle-to-stem interface, and Danco says the stem should fit snugly inside the handle broach. Danco’s Plumbing 101 page says the first letter of its stem code refers to the shape, count and size of the splines on the stem, so note all three, not just the count (Danco: Plumbing 101).

A count of points is a start, not an answer. The same maker can have different stems with the same point count, and different makers can share a point count or a broach family. According to Kissler’s 2024 catalog, several 16-point broaches exist, so the style letter matters as well as the count. Kissler’s example is stem 23-1828, associated with a 16pt B-18 broach style (Kissler: 2024 catalog).

Pfister shows how this goes wrong. Pfister 910-0300 is a ceramic disc reversible cartridge for multi-handle tub and shower valves, and 910-3850 is a diverter stem for the same valves (Pfister: 910-0300, Pfister: 910-3850). They are separate parts for separate jobs in the same valve, so one is not a substitute for the other.

Faucet Stem Identification Chart: Real Stems for Tub and Shower Valves

Each row below is a real stem from a catalog or maker page. The first five rows are backed by more than one source. The rows marked “Danco page” come from that one product page, so confirm them against the catalog in your hand. The chart is a way to narrow the field, not a promise of fit.

Maker	Role	Maker or OEM number	Length	Broach	Catalog number	Source
Gerber	Tub/shower hot/cold	GER-98-673 (Home Depot listing)	5.49 in.; ID length 11	B	Danco 11B-1H/C, model 15354B	Home Depot, SupplyHouse
Pfister	Multi-handle tub/shower hot/cold cartridge	910-0300	Danco ID length 9; OEM length not confirmed	H	Danco 9H-8H/C	Danco, Pfister
Pfister	Multi-handle tub/shower diverter	910-3850 (current Pfister page); 910-385 (Pfister spec sheet, Lowe’s Pro Supply)	5-11/16 in. (Pfister spec sheet)	12-point (Lowe’s Pro Supply)	OEM only; chart any Danco equivalent separately	Pfister, Pfister spec sheet, Lowe’s Pro Supply
American Standard	Cadet/Colony two-handle cartridge	A954120-0070A (954120-0070A)	Danco 2.29 in.; ID length 3	S	Danco 3S-17H/C, model 10467	Danco, American Standard
Delta	Two-handle stem, RP25513 family	RP25513	Danco 1.89 in.	S	Danco 3S-16H/C, model 10474B	Danco, Delta
Delta	Delta kitchen and bathroom faucets (Danco page)	None listed	Danco 1.94 in.; ID length 3	S	Danco 3S-10H/C, model 16219B	Danco
Gerber	Diverter (Danco page)	E4800 Series	5.61 in.; ID length 11	B	Danco 11B-4D, model 15352B	Danco
American Standard	Older tub/shower hot/cold, before the 4100 Series (Danco page)	Hot barrel 15027E, cold barrel 15028E	5.48 in.; ID length 11	K	Danco 11K-3H/C	Danco
Kohler	Tub/shower hot/cold (Danco page)	For K7030, K7100, K7240	6.00 in.	N	Danco 12N-3H/C, model 15174B	Danco
Central Brass	Hot/cold, bath model 968 series (Danco page)	None listed	5.07 in.; ID length 10	C	Danco 10C-15H/C, model 17310B	Danco
Central Brass	Diverter, models 5868 and 6868 (Danco page)	None listed	5.94 in.; ID length 12	C	Danco 12C-10D, model 17162B	Danco

Four things in the chart are worth reading twice. Gerber’s 11B-1H/C and 11B-4D share a broach and near-identical length code but differ by role. The two Central Brass stems share a C broach but differ by almost 0.9 in. and by role. The two Delta rows are both Danco 3S stems. Delta’s RP25513 page calls 3S-16H/C a competitor’s version of that stem (Delta: RP25513 questions and answers). The chart lists no Delta part number for 3S-10H/C, so do not read it as the replacement for RP25513 just because it shares the 3S code. And Pfister’s diverter shows up under two numbers: Pfister’s spec sheet uses 910-385 (Pfister: 910-385 spec sheet), while Pfister’s current parts page uses 910-3850 (Pfister: 910-3850).

One Pfister system shows how many parts a single valve can involve. According to Pfister’s parts diagram for trim kit 001-8CPC, the system includes a 910-0220 diverter stem, a 910-0300 cartridge, 970-5000 stem seats and a 970-9800 stop (Pfister: 001-8CP parts diagram). So “the Pfister stem” can mean several different parts.

Common Broach Families by Maker

Treat this table as common families, not “the broach for that maker.” A maker can have several. The entries come from Danco and retailer product pages.

Maker	Broach families in the sources	Warning
Pfister	H, per Danco’s 9H-8H/C page (Danco 9H-8H/C)	Pfister lists 910-0300 as a cartridge and 910-3850 as a diverter stem, so they are different parts (Pfister: 910-0300, Pfister: 910-3850)
Gerber	B	Danco 11B-1H/C and 11B-4D differ by role
American Standard	S (Danco 3S-17H/C), K (Danco 11K-3H/C, before the 4100 Series)	More than one family exists
Delta	S (Danco 3S-16H/C and 3S-10H/C)	Delta’s RP25513 page names 3S-16H/C as a competitor version of RP25513
Kohler	N, C and Z	Check the application, not just the maker
Phoenix and Streamway	J	Mobile-home and RV parts, covered below

BrassCraft lists S and Z as special broach families (BrassCraft stem table, hosted by SupplyHouse). That is one source’s table. Check it against a Danco or BrassCraft page for your own maker.

Sink Stems, Seats and Special Cases

A sink stem is not a shower stem, even when the broach matches. Sink stems differ by body length, cartridge profile, seat and spring design, hot/cold rotation and cap details. According to Danco, its 6N-10H hot stem for Kohler faucets has a product length of around 2.50 in. and uses the N broach (Danco: 6N-10H). Compare it with the 12N-3H/C Kohler tub/shower stem in the chart above, which shares the N broach but is a much longer part. American Standard’s A954120-0070A is a dual-control cartridge for many two-handle kitchen faucets, and Danco’s 3S-17H/C is designed to fit it in sink and some tub/shower applications.

Delta has changed families over time. Delta’s two-handle cartridge guide separates RP1740, RP24096, RP25513, RP60400 and others (Delta: two-handle cartridge guide). Delta’s own RP25513 page says the stem works for hot and cold, but handle rotation depends on the stem orientation and the removable quarter-turn stop. If your faucet is a Delta single-handle, see our Delta cartridge identification page instead.

Seats and springs. Professional opinions vary by faucet design. In answers on its RP25513 page, Delta says the RP25513 stem does not include the RP4993 seats and springs (Delta: RP25513), and its RP4993 page explains replacing them to stop dripping from the tub spout or shower head (Delta: RP4993). So replace or inspect a seat only when your faucet design uses replaceable seats, springs or compression washers.

Mobile homes and RVs. Treat Phoenix and Streamway-style parts as their own category. Danco has a Mobile Home/RV bathroom category, and Lowe’s sells the Road & Home RVP070 as an RV and mobile-home stem compatible with Phoenix, Moen and standard J broach handle faucets, with reference #2J-8HC (Danco: Mobile Home/RV bathroom, Lowe’s: Road & Home RVP070).

Extensions. If the valve sits too deep in the wall, extensions are matched by broach and maker. According to Kissler’s catalog, extenders include E1-2 for Price Pfister and Harcraft, E2-3 for Gerber and Sayco (Kissler: Stems catalog). Pfister’s spec sheet for its single-control tub and shower extension kit 910-563 says it provides an additional 7/8 in. for deep-roughed valves (Pfister: 910-563 spec sheet).

If You Still Cannot Tell

When the stem is unmarked, obsolete, altered by an extension or adapter, or missing from the catalog, the honest endpoint is often a plumbing supply counter or a specialty parts house. Danco describes an in-store stem book and gauge workflow (Danco: Plumbing 101). Kissler says it distributes OEM parts for Sloan, American Standard, Gerber, Delta, Kohler and Price Pfister, supplies non-OEM parts for current and obsolete makers, and can reproduce many stems on machine-shop lathes (Kissler).

Bring the stem itself, not a photo. Danco says its Leaky Faucet Guide can help from a picture, but put the catalog dimensions above a photo-only match. Aftermarket parts may fit and still not carry warranty coverage: Delta recommends genuine Delta parts and says other parts can void the product warranty (Delta: RP25513).

If no stem can be found, replacing the valve is the other route. That is a larger job in the wall, so call a plumber before cutting into it.

What to Do Next

Write down the maker, the role (hot, cold or diverter), the length by your catalog’s rule and the broach, then check them against the maker’s page. For the wider picture, see our faucet repair hub. If the stem came out of an outdoor faucet, it is a different job: those long stems are matched by maker, model family and measured length, and our frost-free outdoor faucet stem page covers them.

Sources

• Danco: Plumbing 101
• Danco: 2016 Faucet Stems Catalog (PDF)
• Danco: 3S-10H/C Stem for Delta
• Danco: 3S-16H/C Stem for Delta
• Danco: 3S-17H/C Stem for American Standard
• Danco: 9H-8H/C Stem for Price Pfister
• Danco: 11B-4D Diverter Stem for Gerber
• Danco: 11K-3H/C Stem for American Standard
• Danco: 12N-3H/C Stem for Kohler
• Danco: 10C-15H/C Stem for Central Brass
• Danco: 12C-10D Diverter Stem for Central Brass
• Danco: 6N-10H Stem for Kohler
• Danco: Mobile Home/RV Bathroom
• BrassCraft: Stems & Cartridges
• BrassCraft: Stems/Cartridges by Length (PDF)
• BrassCraft: Stem Table, hosted by SupplyHouse (PDF)
• Kissler: 2024 Full Catalog (PDF)
• Kissler: 2024 Stems Catalog (PDF)
• Kissler: Home
• Delta: RP25513
• Delta: RP25513 Questions and Answers
• Delta: RP4993
• Delta: Two-Handle Cartridge Guide (PDF)
• Pfister: 910-0300 Ceramic Disc Cartridge
• Pfister: 910-3850 Diverter Stem
• Pfister: 910-385 Diverter Stem Spec Sheet (PDF)
• Pfister: 910-563 Extension Kit Spec Sheet (PDF)
• Pfister: 001-8CP 3-Handle Trim Kit Parts Diagram
• American Standard: A954120-0070A Colony Cartridge
• Home Depot: Danco 15354B
• SupplyHouse: Danco 15354B
• Lowe’s Pro Supply: Pfister 910-385
• Lowe’s: Road & Home RVP070
• Factory Direct Supply: Stems by Length

Educational content only. Not a substitute for licensed professional advice. Local plumbing codes vary by jurisdiction. Use of any guidance from this guide is at your own risk.

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