This article explains the key questions to consider when shopping for new faucets for your bathroom. The information is intended for UK consumers.

Question 1: What is the faucet made of?

Faucets can be made from a variety of materials of varying quality and cost.

A general rule of thumb is that the larger the faucet, the better the quality of the materials used.

the plastic

Plastic mats are very cheap and of very low quality. They are very lightweight and are offered in a variety of colors. Plastic faucets cannot be recommended for the bathroom due to poor performance and short expected lifespan.

ABS/Mazac standard brass

Standard brass is regularly used to make mid-priced, mid-quality faucet bodies.

Many faucet components (such as handles) can be made from ABS (plastic) or an alternative material sometimes called Mazac (pot metal). They are cheaper than using brass and although the quality is usually very good, brass offers a better finish and lasts longer.

Standard brass faucets are suitable for bathroom use, with or without ABS or Mazac components.

DZR brass

While standard brass has gained widespread acceptance in many facets of the water distribution industry, in certain circumstances, when exposed to particular combinations of pH and chloride concentrations, they can experience a serious form of corrosion known as zinc loss. .

The answer to this is a zinc loss resistant alloy, commonly known as DZR brass.

This is the Rolls Royce material for faucets and the highest quality product will be made from DZR brass without any ABS or Mazac components.

Question 2: Will the faucets work with your system pressure?

First the good news, if you have a combi boiler or ventless hot water system then you don’t need to worry about pressure, both high pressure and low pressure faucets will work just fine with your system.

However, if you have a traditional gravity-fed system, with a cold water storage tank in the attic and a hot water cylinder, then you’ll want to be extra cautious.

First of all, you want to calculate how much water pressure you have:

Calculate the distance, in meters, from the bottom of the cold water storage tank, to the tap outlet and multiply it by 0.1 to give you the pressure in bar:

for example, 1.1 meters x 0.1 = 0.11 bar

2.5 meters x 0.1 = 0.25 bar

If you want a bath/shower mixer with a shower handle, you need to determine the distance from the foot of the cold water storage tank to the height at which the handle will be used, not the height of the faucet, or the handle when it remains on the stand.

You should also keep in mind that long pipes quickly eat up any pressure within a system, so if your taps are a long way from the cold storage tank, you’ll want to lower your calculated pressure to account for this.

Once you have a good idea of ​​the water pressure, you should check that the faucets you want to buy work at that pressure.

As a general rule many designer taps come from Europe where the water systems have higher pressure than in the UK and these taps will not work if the pressure is too low.

Designer faucets made specifically to work on low pressure systems are usually more expensive and the retailer will highlight the fact that the faucets are suitable for low pressure systems. If it doesn’t specifically say the faucets will work on low pressure, assume the worst and don’t buy without asking the retailer to check the pressure requirements.

Question 3: What is the working mechanism of the faucet?

Ceramic disc and spindle refer to the two alternative ways that a faucet’s internal mechanism can work.

Ceramic disc technology is often used on more expensive faucets as they perform better and last longer. When the lever is turned, two ceramic discs separate, opening the valve and allowing water to flow.

The traditional spindle design is commonly used in cheaper, inferior quality tap designs. The faucet has a spindle through the core, with the valve seat attached via a thread. A standard faucet washer attaches to the end of the valve seat. As the knob is turned, the shaft rotates and the screw thread moves the valve seat up and down to adjust the flow of water.

ceramic disc faucets

Benefits

No dripping, never change another faucet washer again!

Long Life should never need to be replaced under regular use

Simple to operate, only a quarter turn is required to go from full to off

Variety of styles that work with modern lever designs and round handles

draw backs

Lower flow rates – Not suitable for very low pressure systems

spindle taps

Advantage

Superior flow rates suitable for most systems, high or low pressure

draw backs

Difficult to operate: the handle needs to be turned many times from off to full on

Increased maintenance – washers will need to be replaced frequently

Less style choice – cannot be used with modern lever designs

There are two key things to consider.

1. Unless you have a very low pressure system or are looking for the lowest price possible, then ceramic disc faucets are best to go for.

2. When comparing faucet prices, always make sure that both faucets use the same mechanism. They may look the same, but if one is a ceramic disc and one uses a spindle, the cheapest faucet may be the worst value!

Question 4: How will the faucets be connected to your system?

Mono Basin & Bidet mixers are attached to the water supply using connectors, sometimes referred to as faucet tails. These come in two types, flexible and rigid and the buyer does not normally get any choice within a range of faucets.

Both types attach directly to normal 15mm copper tubing. The faucet manufacturer usually decides what type of connectors each range of faucet they make will have.

The type that is best for you depends on where the faucets are installed and who does the installation.

Flexible Connectors

Best for DIYers – No plumbing skills required, the flexible hose will simply form into whatever shape is needed and the connection is easily made by tightening the compression nut with a wrench.

Best for small spaces with difficult access. The flexible hose allows connections in places that would be almost impossible to access with rigid pipes.

rigid connectors

Ideal for professional installers – rigid connectors become part of the strong piece of copper tubing that connects the supply to the faucet. Connections are made with capillary fittings, lead-free solder and torch. The end product looks cleaner, lasts longer, and is much less prone to leaks.

Best for more open spaces with easy access. Even the most professional installer will want a space large enough to bend and lay the copper tubing from the supply. If the space is too compact, flexible connectors may be the only viable option.

Question 5: Does the Grifo comply with the necessary Statutes and/or Rules?

british standards

The first thing that confuses many people is that the British standards for taps are not a guarantee of quality. They simply state certain things that a faucet that meets the standard must do. There is also no requirement for a third party to test any product to verify that it actually meets the standard, so a claim that a product is BS5412 compliant is only as reliable as the company making the claim.

British standards mean the minimum that a tap must meet to perform a particular application.

The key British standards that apply to taps are:

BS5412

The specification for low resistance single taps and combination tap assemblies.

BS1010

The Specification for Draw Faucets and Shutoff Valves for Water Services.

There is no British standard for ceramic disc mats. So the fact that someone says the tap is BS5412 or BS1010 compliant lets you know it is an inferior design spindle tap.

water regulations

All products connected to the UK drinking water supply must comply with the UK water statutes. There are independent testing and certification schemes to establish compliance, however these are not required in the UK.

The cost of third party certification is high and many leading brand faucet manufacturers choose not to pay for certification. All taps that have KIWA or WRAS approval have been tested for compliance and must be of good quality, but all taps installed in the UK are required by law to comply with the Water Statutes.