Chrome taps have been around for nearly 100 years and are very popular in today’s modern world for a number of reasons. The popularity of chrome has spread to other uses, such as appliance handles like those found in refrigerators, lighting fixtures, expensive toys etc.

One of the hardest metals in the world, chrome is not useful as a solid, pure substance. Instead, a thin layer or plating of chrome is applied to other solid objects which are usually made of steel, aluminium, brass, copper, plastic or stainless steel. Chrome plating is number one in the metal plating industry.

Chrome bathroom and kitchen taps have become popular because they are, depending on their quality, scratch resistant, corrosion resistant, easy to clean and maintain and less difficult to assemble.

Not only is chrome the most durable finish, but it is also an excellent design choice. Their glossy nature makes the bathroom or kitchen appear cleaner and adds a sense of class to the atmosphere, yet at the same time, chrome taps are a simple and common choice. Chrome plating can create several different styles and designs.

Chrome taps can fit in with any design. They can blend in with earthy browns or amber tones, create layers of colour in dark blue or black colour schemes and they can simply add brightness to a room and give it a shiny, modern look. The simple touch of chrome taps can instantly make a kitchen or bathroom look more attractive.

The best way to clean chrome taps is to simply use soap. One needs to be aware that applying chemicals or abrasive materials might do more harm than good as these chemicals may expunge the chrome plating.

Forgetting about your worries while soaking in a bathtub is something many people love to do, especially on a cold winter’s day. It’s the getting out part that can be tough though. Making the adjustment from hot bath to cold air can be very uncomfortable. Something else many people love to do is to feel the warmth of a dry towel fresh out the dryer against their skin. What do these two things have to do with each other? A heated towel rail can be of use in both situations.

Heated towel rails can make the process of getting out of the bath or shower a much more pleasant experience. Those thinking of renovating their bathroom, might like the idea of having a heated towel rail in their bathroom as it is a simple change, yet one that makes a big difference and offers great luxury and comfort.

Wrapping your body with a dry, warm towel can make you feel loved and cared for instantly. It is an innovative and convenient invention that has replaced the need for radiators in the bathroom.

Heated towel rails are also cost effective. Central heating bills can be a real pain during those chilly winters and may not be enough to keep your bathroom warm. Heated bathroom features, however, like heated toilet seats and heated towel rails, can make a big difference at a more affordable price, while at the same time improving your bathroom’s overall look.

There are two types of heated towel rails – electric and radiator towel rails. They are both convenient and can be controlled to conserve energy and heat through the use of timers.

If you’re installing a radiator towel rail, you can turn it into a DIY job as long as you’re careful with the plumbing connections. Before starting any DIY, remember to protect the floors and hard surfaces. Try to find a towel rail the same size as your radiator as this will make the job a lot easier. If this is not the case, you may have to add or reduce your pipework. First, you need to drain down your central heating system. To do this, you will have to shut off the boiler, switch off the fuel supply and leave to cool down for a few hours. When the water in the heating system is cold, you can cut off the water supply at the expansion tank. You then fit one end of a garden hose over the drain cock and the other end over an external drain gully.

You then decide on the position of your towel rail. They are usually hung on the wall with the supply pipes coming through the wall to meet the valve. If the pipework is in the floor or feeding your old radiator, you can extend it up the wall to meet the valves or shape it using bends and elbows above floor level to meet the valves. Alternatively, you can take up a section of the floor to move the pipework into a position so it looks neater.

Once you know where you want to fit the rail, mark this exact position as well as the position of the valves. It is easier to use compression fittings if you decide to chase the pipes into the wall, and you need to sleeve them in bigger pipes before filling the chase so there is no contact between mortar, plastic and pipes. Remember to put tape or a stop end over the end of the pipe so nothing gets in until you are ready to connect up. Don’t forget to check the heated towel rail’s fitting instructions so that the rail is firmly in position. Make the required connections and then re-set your central heating system.

Electric towel radiators look the same as radiator towel rails but they are filled with various fluids that are heated via an electric thermostatic heating element that is user friendly and efficient, accurately controlling the temperature of the rail. This job requires a professional however.

Try adding a heated towel rail to your bathroom and enjoy experiencing luxury, convenience, and warmth while not fearing your next electric bill.

Taps not only come in a wide range of materials these days, but have many different styles as well. This makes it easier for homeowners to find taps that will suit their home’s décor. Choosing the right taps for your kitchen or bathroom can complete a beautiful interior design.

Traditionally, people have used separate hot and cold taps. Nowadays, it is more common to use mixer taps, where hot and cold water mix together before reaching the outlet so that water emerges at a more pleasant temperature. Mixer taps are often controlled by a single handle which moves up and down and side to side, controlling the amount of water flow and its temperature. In bathrooms, mixer taps often incorporate a pressure balancing feature so that the water’s temperature is not affected by the use of other utilities, e.g. the washing machine.

Nowadays, there is a wide range of taps available which vary in size, shape, style, material, finish and price range. Taps have become more elegant and are able to match a consumer’s style, whether it is modern, contemporary or traditional. You can find taps with styles that are classic, Victorian or rustic, among many others.

To decide what taps you want, first decide on its use, as this will affect the kind you will buy. Do you want a shower over the bath or you want to wash vegetables in the kitchen sink? Next think about who will be using them. If it’s the whole family, buy taps that are hard wearing, such as chrome taps with large heads that are easy to turn on and off. Then think about how the taps will suit your bathroom or kitchen design. For eco-friendly homeowners, you can buy smaller taps that will reduce the flow of water. You can find taps that are better for the environment which will also reduce utility bills.

Taps and the kitchen

Taps are just as important as any other accessory in the kitchen. The kitchen sink is one of its focal points and can help to highlight a kitchen’s design. Improving a kitchen’s taps can give it a whole new feel. The ideal tap should complement the style of the kitchen while providing functionality and being easy to use.

Kitchen taps come in many different materials. Stainless steel is commonly used as it is durable, easy to clean, easy to install and has a value for money. Acrylic sinks come in many different patterns and colours.

Sinks can have a number of holes for adding taps, sprayers, soap dispensers, water purifier taps and other features. They can have a single handle which allows for quick and easy water control using just one lever or dual handles which have separate controls for hot and cold water. These are still being sold but are not as sought after as taps with a single handle. High-rise taps are popular as water emerges from high above the sink, ensuring there is plenty of room to get pans and large pots beneath them. Also popular are taps with pull-out spray heads. These are handy for washing vegetables and cleaning the sink. Older spray models have been criticised for being too heavy and “drooping” out of their sockets over time but newer models have largely solved this problem. Pull-out spray heads can also be found mounted to one side although this usually means a reduced spray volume. Simply adding another hole in the sink allows for its installation.

When buying kitchen taps, think about how far you want them to reach, how high you want the spout to be (there are many styles of spouts, from low-end spouts which are nearly horizontal to arched spouts that can rise high above the countertop), what kind of style will suit your kitchen, what kind of finish you want and any convenience features you might like to add. The number of holes you will need will depend on the kind of taps you buy. Monobloc taps need only one hole while standard taps need two separate holes.

Taps and the bathroom

Like the kitchen, there is a large variety of taps that can be used in the bathroom. Hundreds of different styles come in various types of material.

A bathroom’s fittings and accessories can greatly improve its functionality. Choosing the right style of taps can complete a well-decorated bathroom. To decide on bathroom taps, consider functionality, the size of your bathroom and the theme of your décor.

Again, stainless steel is a popular material as it doesn’t corrode or tarnish and blends well with most bathroom décor. Brass is also popular but is susceptible to rust if it isn’t sealed properly and can tarnish over time. Other popular materials include chrome, nickel-plated and other plated-metals. You can also find taps in different materials or variations in material.

There are different styles of taps, such as the bath deck filler which uses a mixer for hot and cold water on a “deck” and has a single spout framed by two handles that control the hot and cold water function. Monobloc basin taps also use a mixer for hot and cold water and a single spout framed by two handles but they are attached to the base of the spout itself. A three-hole basin mixer uses a mixer but separates the spout and two handles. Two separate handles control the hot and cold water function through a single spout. A three-hole bath filler has similar characteristics but is mounted onto the bathtub.

Taps can either be wall mounted or mounted from the floor on standpipes. For wall mounted basin taps or wall mounted bath taps, you can have taps that fit into one hole, which forms a minimalist, elegant look, or taps can be fitted into two holes, which is suitable for large, wall-mounted basins. In traditional style roll top baths, taps that are mounted from the floor on standpipes generally need a cranked leg tap which has an additional piece fitted at the bottom of each leg with an extra wiggle in it that pushes the tap upwards and forwards, giving that extra reach to get it over the edge of the bath.

These different styles of taps are then further categorised into various design styles. You can have contemporary, modern or traditional taps. You can have taps with long spouts or with short spouts. The choices are never-ending.

When we turn on the kitchen tap or run a bath we may not be thinking how the water is coming out, unless it is dripping or not coming out at all! But, water pressure is something that we should all be familiar with.

Most households receive water from a municipal water system where the water is usually extracted from groundwater sources and then treated for human consumption. Then it is pumped to water towers and from there gravity takes over to provide the pressure that forces the water through pipes and into our homes.

The pressure of water in each home will vary according to their elevation to the water source, as well as with the system that is delivering the water in. A plumbing company website says, “A cubic foot of water weighs 62.4 lb. and exerts .4333 lbs of pressure per square inch on the bottom of its container at a depth of one foot. Therefore, the discharge pressure of a water storage tower 100 ft. tall will be 43.33 psi. If your house is in a valley 50 ft. below the bottom of the tower, the theoretical water pressure at your house will be approximately 65 psi, reduced by the friction in the pipes.”
Click here for a handy pressure conversion tool: http://www.sensorsone.co.uk/pressure-units-conversion.html

Typical residential water systems are designed to function under a pressure of 40-70 psi. If the water pressure exceeds 100 psi a pressure regulator may need to be installed in the line to reduce the pressure to an acceptable range. This protects the equipment in your home from damage caused by excess force exerted by the water. The opposite can occur too, if pressure is below 40 psi a pressure-booster could be needed to bring it up to acceptable levels. Note also that hard water can reduce pressure.

It is also important to note that water flow is not the same thing as water pressure. Water flow is the result of your water pressure on the amount of water available for delivery (volume). Low water flow could be a result of an obstruction on the water line. An old pipe can contain mineral build-up or corrosion that reduces the pipe’s internal diameter. So if a water pressure gauge is reading at an acceptable level but the pressure seems off, it may be a flow problem.

If you are unsure of the water pressure at your home you can easily test it with a simple water pressure gauge available from your local plumbing merchant, or you can ask your plumber/DIY friend to check it for you…

Composite Quartz surfacing, which is also commonly called engineered stone or quartz composite, has the look and feel of natural stone, but technically is a solid-surfacing material. Unlike conventional solid surfacing materials, which are made of polyester and/or acrylic, quartz surfacing is composed of 90 percent quartz and 10 percent acrylic or epoxy binder. Since natural quartz is an extremely hard mineral (only diamond, sapphire and topaz are harder), quartz surfacing provides a very durable, nonporous surface highly resistant to stains, scratches and heat. It is this composite material that is moulded into some of the sinks that we sell online.

Dual flow taps used to make up the majority of monobloc tap sales but the current trend is towards single flow style taps.
It is recommended that non return valves are fitted to single flow taps.
All the mixers sold by Grand Taps are the single flow style.

- In single flow taps the hot and cold water mix within the tap body and
spout, by the time the water has left the spout the water should be well
mixed to the desired temperature.
Single flow taps will generally have a better flow rate than an identical
dual flow tap, as the outlet diameter is greater.

- In dual flow taps the hot water is fed through a separate pipe within the
spout, the cold water passes around the outside of this pipe.
Although the water only mixes once it has left the tap this gives the
benefit the spout should never become uncomfortably hot.
As both hot and cold are kept separate the chance of backflow is
minimised.

single flow mixer tap

dual flow mixer tap

Lime scale is a chalky white mineral deposit (alkaline) that is a result of hard water. It often occurs on taps and in tubs and appliances, such as kettles and coffeemakers and can leave silver and chrome with a gray dullness. White vinegar contains acetic acid and when diluted with water is a great place to start for cleaning these pesky stains. Over time, these mineral build-ups can damage sinks, toilets, and tubs and make soap scum harder to remove. It is always a good idea to dry taps and tubs after use to avoid limescale buildup.