TAPS:
There are four main finishes for taps and showers:
Chrome, the hardest wearing finish, usually last over Two decades.
Antique Gold, used more on traditional style suites, generally is a soft finish which will last approximately 3 years with day to day use but in a rarely used second bathroom could be as durable as Ten years.
Nickel (either brushed or polished) may be the softest finish and would normally be for decorative house bathrooms which are rarely used.
Powder coated, not as common in taps but still used on showers, is how the merchandise is coated having a layer of coloured plastic.
There are many types of tap configuration for baths, basins and bidets. Each type features its own advantages and disadvantages. This next section outlines the different kinds of tap arrangements that are generally available.
Bath Taps:
There are several types of tap arrangement try on some a bath. They are as follows: A pair of taps, a shower filler deck mounted, a bath filler pillar mounted, a three-hole bath filler,
a deck mounted bath shower mixer, a pillar mounted bath shower mixer, a four-hole bath shower mixer, a five-hole bath shower mixer, wall mounted filler and an overflow filler.
Pair of bath taps:
The most common type of taps for baths, one tap for hot water and something for cold. The cold tap is generally on the right and the hot around the left.
Bath filler deck mounted and bath filler pillar mounted.
This type of tap has the hot and cold-water taps combined onto one mixer block.
The deck-mounted type is normally contemporary in fashion whereas the pillar-mounted type (this is when the mixer is held above the bath rim on two pillars) is generally traditional in style.
The advantage of a mixer over a pair of taps is the capability to mix the water towards the desired temperature whilst the tub is filling.
Three hole bath filler:
This is where the spout is separate to the bath tap valves. In this case you’ve got a hot and cold valve and also the spout is mounted either in the centre between your two valves or mounted in the corner.
Bath shower mixers:
This is the just like the bath fillers but has a shower hose and handset attached. These kinds of taps are not designed for use as showers for standing under and washing your entire body.
The reason for this really is that there is the real risk that is another person in the house switches on a tap or perhaps a washing machine takes over then the temperature on the shower can change radically.
These kinds of showers are designed for washing hair or rinsing the bath.
Four and five-hole bath shower mixers:
These are the same as the three hole mixers but the four-hole mixers have a handset that sits around the bath using the hose underneath the bath rim. The shower is started up using a diverter button mounted on the bath spout.
The five hole mixer works in the same manner but has a separate diverter mounted on the bath, this is not on the tub spout.
Wall mounted filler:
Popular around the continent, this is where the mixer is mounted on the wall above the bath and not on the bath rim.
Overflow bath filler:
This really is like the three-hole bath filler but whereas the three hole has a spout the overflow filler has got the hot and cold valves on the rim from the bath and the filler may be the overflow fitting that also doubles up because the appear waste.
Basin Taps:
As with baths there are several types of tap arrangement that may be suited to a basin. These are a set of taps, a mono-bloc mixer and a three tap-hole mixer.
A pair of taps:
This is where you’ve got a separate cold and hot tap on the basin with the cold tap usually on the right and the hot on the left. This is the most typical configuration for taps on a basin.
This type of basin normally has a plug and chain waste.
Basin mono-bloc mixer:
This is where the hot and cold taps are installed on a single tap bloc in the middle of the basin. This kind of tap normally has a pop-up waste supplied as part of the tap.
Three tap-hole mixer:
Just like the bath arrangement you’ve got a spout in the centre along with a separate cold and hot valve on each side. This type of arrangement has a pop up waste.
On a three tap-hole basin you can also fit a pair of basin taps and in the central hole fit a series stay basin waste – this is when the plug chain is attached to a disc which fits over the middle hole.
SHOWERS:
There are many kinds of showers available in the united kingdom and also the type you select offers quite a bit related to the kind of warm water and cold water supply that the client has in their home. And so i will first tackle the kinds of domestic water systems most often available.
Gravity Feed, Vented, or Low Pressure systems
This type of water system normally has an immediate mains water cold feed. The water is supplied by means of a hot water cylinder (copper) sited in an airing cupboard along with a cold water cistern (tank) sited either over the cylinder or perhaps in the loft. To utilize a mixer shower with this type of system the cold water tank needs to be sited at least three feet (0.1 bar) over the shower head/handset. That’s unless you make use of a pump, then you need the tank to become one foot (0.03bar) over the shower head/handset.
Combi-boiler, Multi-point systems
This kind of water system includes a mains feed cold water supply. The water is provided by an instantaneous gas boiler. The boiler either does both the warm water and heating ( combi-boiler), or it will just the hot water only (multi-point). With this type of system the cold water is supplied at full mains pressure seventy five feet (2.5bar approximately) whilst the hot water is governed down through the boiler to a minimum of forty-five feet (1.5bar approximately). Using this type of system you can’t use a pump to power the shower because this would contravene water by-laws. However because the hot and cold water is supplied under pressure you’ve got a power shower anyway.
Pressurised water system, unvented
This type of water system has a mains cold water supply. The hot water supply comes from a warm water cylinder that is given by full mains pressure of 175 feet (2.5bar approximately). As with the combi-boiler system you cannot use pump but you do not require to as the mains water pressure makes mtss is a power shower.
SHOWER DOORS (Cubicles, enclosures and surrounds):
Shower doors and enclosures come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Just like pottery the price and quality of the units depend on the materials used in the construction and the design. Normally the thicker the glass the more expensive the shower cubicle.
More affordable enclosures generally use glass within the thickness range of 3mm to 5mm. This thickness of glass will always possess a metal framework surrounding it to aid the load of the glass. The mid to upper market enclosures have glass in the thickness range of 6mm to 8mm.
This type of cubicle generally has very little framework surrounding it or even none at all. The build quality of ancillary parts for example hinges and seals is also important, as these would be the parts that wear the quickest with day to day use and will lead to leaks.
With sliding doors the rollers for that doors ought to be of ball bearing types. The reason for this really is that with a ball bearing roller there is little change or no wear on the wheels. This means that with constant use they don’t become elliptical and also the glide of the door is always smooth.
The thickness of the frame and also the wall profiles is also a contributing factor to the cost. Usually the thicker the frame and the profiles the greater the cost. The profiles would be the U-shaped channels that attach the cubicle to the wall.
Types of shower door:
There are seven main kinds of shower door: Pivot, Hinged, Saloon, Bi-fold, In-fold, Double slider and Triple slider.
The Pivot and Hinged doors:
These operate in the same way, for the reason that they open outwards as a single piece of glass. With the pivot door the hinges are at the very best and bottom of the door.
The advantage of this really is it helps make the door well balanced and set very little strain on the framework. The hinged door has the hinges on the side of the door.
This does mean however that when the doorway is open, the opening on the hinged door is wider than that of the pivot door. These kinds of door are usually more affordable than every other because of the simple design.
There can be a problem with the water running off the door onto the floor once the door is opened following a shower.
The Saloon door:
This is less frequent and has two hinged doors which join in the middle. They have a tendency to spread out inwards but are not as a rule extremely popular.
Bi-fold and In-fold doors:
Both of these doors both open inwards and so overcome the problem of water getting onto the floor by dripping water off the door. The bi-fold door is hinged in the centre and as the name suggests folds exactly in the centre.
The in-fold door swings in as a single door using a canter lever arrangement at the very top and bottom from the door. You should know when a person faints or collapses in this kind of cubicle it’s not possible to spread out the doorway.
Double and Triple sliding doors:
These doors work in exactly the same way for the reason that the doors slide on rollers backwards and forwards to open or close. The main difference between the two may be the number of doors accustomed to gain access. The double sliding door has less framework and as such includes a more minimalist appearance, whereas the triple sliding door results in a wider opening once the doors are pulled back.
Shower shapes:
There’s a myriad number or shower door shapes. The most common would be the square, rectangle, pentangle (penta- or five-sided) and the quadrant (quad of quarter round). The most common kind of shower tray size is 760mm x 760mm. This isn’t the tiniest square tray size but is the smallest that’s still usable by most people to shower.
You’ll be able to obtain square trays of both 700mm x 700mm and 600mm x 600mm. The 600mm tray dimensions are normally used on caravans and boats. The best square tray size if it can be fitted is the 900mm x 900mm.
Rectangular shower trays are available in a variety of sizes from 700mm x 800mm to 1700mm x750mm. The most common dimensions are 1200mm x 760mm, whereas the optimum size is 1200mm x 900mm. Tray sizes larger than this normally incorporate the ability to dry oneself in the cubicle.
A pentangle cubicle is equivalent to a square one but has got the comer cut off. This results in the saving of floor space in the bathroom ensuite. A quadrant cubicle includes a rounded front edge designed to save space just like the pentangle.
SHOWER TRAYS:
There are four main kinds of materials to create shower trays. These are steel, acrylic, stone resin and acrylic capped resin.
Shower shapes:
Steel is less frequent in domestic use and is generally used in commercial applications such as retirement homes and hotels
Acrylic trays was previously very common but received a bad reputation because of the poor quality of trays previously. Using poor frameworks and minimal reinforcement resulted in the trays moved much more use and frequently leaked. Modern acrylic trays are usually created to a very high standard and therefore are fully reinforced. All acrylic trays take presctiption adjustable legs and they are ideal in applications where a solid floor such a concrete is on site. Caused by this higher built quality is that acrylic trays are not a relatively inexpensive option.
Stone resin trays are by far the most common trays available. The low price of producing the moulds for the trays makes then the most versatile in size. They are available in both legged and un-legged format (the most common being without legs). The two most common issues with resin trays connect with the quality of installation. The very first is that if the un-legged tray isn’t bedded in properly it may cause the base of the tray to hack when in use. The second is that the colour of the tray is used as a thin spray finish. Caused by this really is that if you scratch the tray when installing it, it is very difficult to repair.
Acrylic capped resin trays have become more popular. They combine the rigidity of the stone resin tray, but have the added advantage of being capped in acrylic. This creates a surface that is more resistant to impact and may be polished if scratched. They’re however more costly to create and as such are not obtainable in exactly the same number of sizes as the stone resin.
SHOWER TYPES:
There are four main types of shower, electric, manual mixer, thermostatic mixer and pumped which can be either thermostatic or manual.
Electric:
This type of shower includes a small kettle type chamber there by which the cold water passes and it is heated electrically. The quantity of water that can be heated is limited to approximately 1 1 / 2 gallons one minute, even though spray needs out of the head at approximately 1.5 bar (45 feet head).
To have an all over spray in the shower handset the holes in the end from the handset are drilled quite small. The result of this is that the droplets of water spray produced are small , don’t contain the temperature. Which means that whilst water temperature on your head is hot by the time the water runs to your knees it has gone cold. Another difficulty with the small hole dimensions are the handsets are prone to scale build up in hard water areas which leads to the spray pattern diminishing.
To be able to maximize the amount of water produced modern electric showers use on average 8.5KW to 9KW of power. This will make them three times more costly to make use of than the electric immersion heater within the cylinder. My own opinion is that they would be best utilized in applications where there is no stored hot water or where a combi-boiler is used for that first shower mixer and also the client needs a second shower in the home. Most electric showers are manual mixers and have a tendency to alter water temperature when other appliances for example taps and toilets are used.
Manual Mixers:
A manual mixer uses the hot and cold water supply to achieve a shower. This is done by blending the amount of cold and hot using a lever valve, which either uses an internal ceramic mixer cartridge or uses two separate controls to achieve the desired temperature by turning simultaneously. This straightforward mechanism helps make the manual valve very cost effective. However this type of mixer is vulnerable to wild variations in temperature when other appliances such as taps, washing machines, dish washers and toilets are utilized. Not a type of mixer to be recommended for families with young children or older people.
Thermostatic Mixers:
A thermostatic mixer works in a similar way to the manual mixer but has an extra device fitted within the valve casing which regulates the water temperature to within plus or minus one degree centigrade. The result of this really is when another appliance is switched on the thermostat automatically adjusts the flow of water to maintain the desired temperature. If it’s not able to maintain that temperature then it will temporarily turn the shower off until it’s safe to permit it to function.
This kind of mixer is fantastic for families with small children and older people.
Pumped Showers:
This is when an electrical pump is equipped to the shower to improve water pressure. This kind of system are only able to be fitted to a gravity feed warm water system. There’s two types of pumps generally used:
1. Inlet Pump (Twin Impellor)
This type of pump is definitely the most common is fitted to the hot and cold water supplies before they’re going through the shower valve. Comparatively cheap to buy they provide pressure towards the shower of up to 3bar (100ft head) at a flow rate as high as 3 gallons a minute. The most popular pressure is 1.5bar (45 foot head).
2. Outlet Pump (Single Impellor)
This type of pump is fitted following the valve and pumps the mixed cold and hot water. The benefit of this really is that it can safely deliver a greater flow rate and higher pressure. The reason for this is that after you pump water into the valve at pressure it can create an imbalance of pressures at the valve. This is because of the fact the valve requires more hot water than cold to offer the correct temperature. The opening pump pulls the water with the valve and sets up no such imbalance.
TYPES OF MIXER VALVES:
There are three main kinds of mixer valve:
1. Fully exposed, where both body of the valve and also the hot and cold water pipes into it are on the surface and on full view.
2. Semi-recessed, where the body from the valve is on the surface and exposed and the pipe work is hidden within the wall.
3. Fully Recessed, where both main body from the valve and also the piping are concealed in the wall.
Kinds of SHOWER HEADS:
You will find three kinds of shower head:
1. Fixed head, in which the polished brass shower head is bound on the wall above head height using a shower arm. This kind of head cannot normally be moved lower, but may be fitted having a ball swivel that permits you to turn it to the left or right.
2. Handset, normally provided with a baby shower rail (sliding rail) that allows you to definitely adjust the height from the shower rose and take away it if necessary to wash a young child or wall.
3. Body-jet, normally fitted using the fixed head type of shower they are jets mounted on the wall below head height. They are ideal for people who do not wish to wash there hair or face.
SHOWER SPRAYS:
There are three main kinds of shower spray:
1. Standard spray present with all kinds of shower water comes via number of small holes distributed evenly across the shower head.
2. Pulse spray (massage spray) this can only be utilized on showers which have power as the water pressure can be used to spin a disc located within the polished brass shower head to pulse water spray and so create a massage action. The higher pressure the stronger the massage.
3. Champagne spray (aerated) are only able to be utilized on power showers with a minimum of 1.5bar (45 feet head). Water pressure is used to produce air bubbles within the water and so create a soft foamy spray. This spray pattern is ideal for children as it introduces them to power showers in a manner that is fun. Also well suited for ladies as the foam prevents water from splashing up in to the face as well as expresses more water into wet hair for the elimination of shampoo.