Bib tap Usually brass finished but also available chromium-plated. Has horizontal inlet. Brass Faucet mixer taps with a threaded outlet for a hose connector are often used as garden taps. Inlet has BSP male thread. The tap is often connected to a wall plate elbow fitting for mechanical security.
Sink tap Often chromium finish. Has vertical inlet. A back-nut is used to bolt the tap to the deck of a sink so the plumbing connections need provide no mechanical strength. A sink tap should be tall enough to allow buckets to be filled so, before you buy check that the spout height (distance from top of sink to bottom of spout) plus sink depth will be enough. Inlet has 1/2 in BSP male thread -usual pipe fitting is a tap connector.
Sink mixer Mixers have separate hot and cold inlets, but a single outlet. Spout outlets can be pushed to either side - to feed two sink bowls or to make it easier to get things in and out of the sink. Usual spout length is 7in - but 9in spouts are better for double-bowl sinks. Most kitchen sinks are fed with cold water direct from the mains and hot water via the cold water cistern. Water by-laws do not allow the stored hot water to mix with the mains cold water inside a fitting, so sink mixers are usually divided-flow or dual-flow types. Non-divided flow mixers can be used only when the hot and cold supplies both come direct from the mains (ie where the hot water is heated by means of an instantaneous-type water heater) or both come from the cold water cistern (which is unlikely for a kitchen). Tap holes in sinks, and inlets on sink mixers, are usually a standard distance of 178mm apart. Inlets are 1/2 in BSP male threads -other sizes indicate the mixer is probably a continental type, which may not be suitable.
Supatap This is a type of tap designed so that it can be rewashered without turning off the water. Several designs were available, but Supataps are most commonly found in kitchens as individual hot and cold taps. Now discontinued, but spares should still be available - you need to know the type of tap you have.
Bath and basin tap Separate taps for hot and cold water. Many different patterns are available with different handle designs. The type of handle often determines the price of the tap - ordinary cross-head is usually the cheapest. Check before buying that the handle is easy to grasp. If you want to be able to wash your hands under running water, make sure that the spout is long enough to project well over the edge of the bowl when it is installed. Taps have a vertical inlet with a BSP male thread 1/2 in for basin taps; I'm for bath taps. Other sizes indicate continental-type taps.
Bath and basin mixer Does not usually have divided-flow or dual-flow spout, and so must be connected to hot and cold supplies cither both coming directly from the mains or, more usually, both coming from the cold water cistern. A bath/ shower and a diverter for switching the flexible pipe is attached to go to the shower, and a diverter for switching the flow of water from the spout to the shower or vice versa (diverters may switch the flow back to the bath automatically when taps are turned off). The tap holes in baths and bath mixer inlets are usually a standard distance of 7 in apart you may be able to buy a mixer with adjustable inlets for non-standard distances. A basin mixer is sometimes called a 4in mixer because the inlets are a standard 4in apart. Taps have vertical inlets with male BSP threads - 1/2 in for basin mixer; 3/4 in for bath mixer. Other sizes indicate continental-type mixers.
Three-hole basin mixer The hot and cold taps and the tap spout each fit separate holes in the basin. The connections between the spout and the valves are often flexible to accommodate different hole distances. A three-hole mixer with rigid connections usually has the taps 8in apart with the spout centred between them. A mixer which has taps 8in apart may sometimes be called an 8in mixer but the connections are not necessarily rigid. Does not usually have a divided-flow or dual-flow spout. Mixer usually comes with pop-up waste. Taps have vertical inlets with 1/2 in BSP threads.
One-hole mixer Available mainly for basins and bidets. Fits into a standard single tap hole. Spout usually fixed and is not the divided-flow or dual-flow type. Inlets are usually plain-ended 10mm copper, and adaptor fittings are needed to attach them to the usual 15mm pipe supplies. The pressure of water from cistern-fed supplies may not be high enough to give an adequate flow rate. (These are often continental-type taps intended for use on direct high-pressure plumbing systems.)
Bidet set Through-rim provide bidets, with spray, use a superior tap arrangement. The warm and chilly tap valves as well as the mixer plan suit into separate holes from the bidet surround. The mixer plan consists of a diverter to instant consuming water toward the rim from the bidet or, by applying a versatile tube, toward the spray mind from the bottom from the bidet. The mixer ordinarily has versatile connections as well as a pop-up waste. A through-rim provide bidet has obtained to satisfy particular regulations. An over-rim bidet could be fitted with individual taps or perhaps a mixer lap.
Plastic taps Cheaper than common chromium-plated brass taps; makers also declare which they are cooler toward the touch. Some makers arrive within of a assortment of colours to meet sanitaryware. With most brands, only a limited assortment of sorts is available. plastic material taps need additional treatment when fitting. No jointing paste must develop to be employed and no soldering must develop to be carried out near to them - even vapours from soldering fluxes can harm the plastic. The threads can strip very easily - be cautious when screwing metal nuts on to them.
Lever taps Instead of the tap handle, which has obtained to develop to be turned a assortment of instances from completely on to completely off, the lever has obtained to develop to be turned by applying only a quarter of the circle to turn the tap from entire on to entire off. Sink mixers arrive with one lever operating clockwise as well as one other anti-clockwise. to acquire this arrangement with separate taps, a pair has obtained to develop to be ordered. Not often employed in homes but could possibly be useful within of a kitchen, or for use by elderly people. Some authorities might not permit their use, contemplating which they may give go up to consuming water hammer.
Ceramic disc taps This newest type of tap also demands only a quarter of the turn to available it, which could be levers on kitchen area mixers, for example or a great offer more conventional handles on other sorts of tap. in contrast to an normal tap in which a washer is lifted away a scat, a ceramic disc tap features by turning one round disc to make certain that its slots collection up (or don't collection up) using the slots within of a 2nd repaired disc. The discs are claimed to not need rewashering, however the holding mechanism on some laps can go wrong.
Tap conversion kits Tap conversion kits make aged taps - with normal cross-head handles glimpse a great offer more like new kinds with shrouded handles. If your aged taps are leaking contemplating that of the put on washer, a tap conversion package deal will remedy this but replacing the washer will be a great offer much less high priced and would include no a great offer more work. one of the most common sort replaces the complete spindle assembly.