Your quest to find the perfect taps for your bathroom suite can be a tough task at the best of times. With so many different things to consider before you make a purchase, the last thing you need is to be confronted with a string of jargon that doesn’t make sense.
Our jargon buster will help you understand some of the most common terms and phrases used in the world of taps, to help you understand what options are available to you.
Bath shower mixer
A bath shower mixer combines the bath tap mixer with a built in shower head, making it a convenient, space saving solution. There are a variety of different styles on the market – some come with a flexible shower handset, whereas other models are wall-mounted.
Ceramic disc technology
Ceramic disc technology has replaced traditional rubber washers inserted inside taps, and are designed to stop the flow of water immediately. Whereas rubber washers used to work initially, the rubber material tends to crack, which leads to dripping. The ceramic style disc puts an end to this problem, as they are more efficient and built to last.
Dual flow tap
A dual flow tap takes advantage of a mono style mixer, but feeds the hot water through a separate pipe, meaning the hot and cold water do not mix together until leaving the tap. As the hot water is kept inside its own pipe away from the cold, the spout should never become overly hot, minimising the risk of back flow.
Flip-top waste
Many taps come with a flip-top waste mechanism, which means that the in-built plug revolves on an axel as opposed to the pop-up version which is activated by a lever.
Freestanding bath taps
Designed to be both practical and functional, freestanding taps are tall and elegant, and go well with freestanding baths that are not attached to a wall. They are built to tower over the bath, and then the bath filler tap allows a fast flow of water into the tub.
Mixer tap/Monobloc
A mixer tap (or monobloc) is a tap where the hot and cold water supply runs from one single faucet, usually controlled by one lever that turns right or left to reach the desired temperature. Water pressure can usually be controlled by moving the lever up and down. Mixer taps can be utilised in households that have a high pressure water outlet.
Pillar tap
A pillar tap is a traditional, two faucet tap that requires separate hot and cold tap levers. Pillar taps can operate in any UK household no matter how the water is supplied as they operate from low pressure.
Pop-up waste
If you buy a tap that comes with ‘pop-up waste’, it simply means that it is installed with the right components so that you can empty your bath or basin simply by flipping a lever.
Single flow tap
Considered to be more of a European style of tap, the single flow has overtaken the popularity in the UK for the dual flow version. Unlike its dual flow counterpart, the single flow mixes water together within the tap pipe and spout, which will be released at the desired temperature. Single flow taps tend to have a faster flow rate as there is more room inside the pipe to release the water quicker.
Thermostatic tap
A thermostatic tap is designed to allow the user complete control over the temperature of the water released. They are ideal for those with mobility issues as they greatly reduce the risk of scalding hot water being accidentally released.
Wall mounted taps
A wall mounted bath tap is one that comes out of the wall, as opposed to being plumbed through the ceramic bath or basin. They will usually come with a chrome back plate for wall-space concealment.
Waterfall tap
A waterfall style tap is one that comes with an open spout, allowing the fast flowing, thick stream of water to fill the basin or bath swiftly. They are designed to make a feature of the flowing water, and are perfect for those looking to create a spa-like atmosphere in their bathroom suite.
