Danco 10004 Trim Kit, for Use with Delta Tub and Shower Faucets, Plastic, Brushed Nickel

I don't usually write a review on every item I buy from Amazon, but this product deserves my opinion.At the beginning, I was very hesitant of this product since the plate is made out of plastic; however, no one will be able to tell the difference once it's installed. It just looks GREATA couple of warnings before installation:This product will fit several Delta configurations; however, do your research to be sure it will fit yours (mine was an older Delta 1600 Series).1) Turn your water off to the whole house.2) Once the old plate is removed, do not try to remove the Bonnet Nut which holds valve in place. The reason is because these older "Delta Bonnet Nuts" are VERY hard to remove due to calcium build-up. If you try to remove it, you'll have the risk of bending the 4 tubes in the back and you'll be out of luck and having to call a plumber.In my case, I did try to remove it (I was lucky) since I wanted to replace everything (valve, springs, rubber seals). If you're replacing these parts, the replacement (based on the 1600 Series) are:BrassCraft SWD0230Delta Faucet RP6081 SleeveDelta Faucet RP1991 Stem.3) The screws that came with the kit were too short (for my shower), so I got 2 screws from HomeDepot (3" Stainless)4) If you don't know how to caulk, get someone who can help you. It's worth doing a good job in the long runOverall, it looks amazing

Easy to self install. Handles turn easily and isn’t made of cheap material.

Product comes with different plates and two different handles to choose from, making it pretty much a universal fit.I ordered this kit to replace an old delta 600 series in chrome that looked worse for wear. I also hate the crystal ball handles so I wanted give my shower and updated look. This kit comes with both a lever and a crystal ball style handle (if you like that).I like the nickel finish and the easy setup and install instructions. There’s a QR code you can use that gives you an easy follow along video with instructions. My only complaints are:1. The entire escutcheon plate is plastic made to look like metal. Just be aware of that, the rest of the fixture (not including the crystal ball) is metal.2. The lack of extra screws/hardware. The set screw for my lever was a small Allen head screw that was completely stripped out. It took me forever to try and make it work until I finally gave up. I went to Lowe’s and bought a pack of the same size screws with a Phillips head and had it in place in less than a minute. Just know that if you lose a small screw or you have a crappy one, that’s all you get.

First off, removing the bonnet nut on these old Delta units can lead to breaking the entire unit -- which means leaving your house water shut off until you can get a whole new valve installed. If your unit is older than ~20 years, the nut may be "welded" on with limescale and muck. Be VERY careful removing it and I recommend watching some videos about that issue (search: "How to remove old Delta bonnet nut"). Those things are, to quote one plumber, "easier to break than they are to fix." I ended up giving up on removing the old bonnet nut and just installed the handle and the trim, because it just wasn't worth risking breaking the whole valve.Second, this Danco system contains a fatal (yet stupid) design flaw. At least with the kit I received, the screw that holds the "diamond shaped" adapter was 3/16th of an inch too short and thus wouldn't thread into the existing fixture! You tighten it all the way and the adapter just falls off, because the screw never reaches its target. I have no idea how this could be overlooked when they designed this, but it's ridiculous and inexcusable. Luckily, I had an old rusty screw in my toolbox that just happened to work, so I used that. If it weren't for that screw, I'd have given this 4 stars (the "brushed nickel" is matte paint, so no 5 star option here), but to me, that's just a stupid oversight by the manufacturer.

This is a big improvement looks-wise on the old crystal ball style Delta 600 shower handle. Once installed, it looks great. It would have been a short install, but we had to learn 2 things the hard way. First thing-behind the ball, there are "seats and springs" these should be replaced at the same time as the trim if they are old. You can get them at Lowes. Second (and most important) thing- you will likely need to use the old Delta tightening ring instead of the one provided. The ring provided will not tighten enough to create the seal needed to prevent leaks. It looks like a thin plastic white ring with 4 small grooves on one edge. The grooves face out. Do not be afraid to tighten that ring until you cannot turn it anymore. We used needle nose pliers to do this.

I thought I would save money using this as a decent replacement. The picture appeared to show the main cover plate as "brushed nickel", but it's really chrome colored plastic. Even if it was plastic as noted, I thought the "finish" would appear to be brushed. It's not, it's shiny chrome. Spend the extra money for the real thing. I read the reviews that warned of this but didn't listen. I wish I had. Also, there is no foam gasket or anything to prevent water from getting behind the cover plate. I'm now going to replace the entire thing with a real Delta unit. Bummer - about 2-3 hours wasted just getting it to work, since correct screws were not included, and then not at all happy with the outcome.