Buying new taps

[scrapbook]

Apologies for what might be a basic question but...

is there anything I need to take into account when buying new taps?

Are they all a universal fit into the pipe works?

Some taps I am looking at have a ceramic disc technology...would this be better or worse then brass??

 

[Burnerman]

Please....don't buy chinese rubbish or other stuff you can get from the likes of Aldi...it will fail sooner or later and you'll not get parts for them.
You get what you pay for so go for a trusted make - Pegler, Grohe etc if you can.
Ceramic tap inserts are fine, if not quite as reliable as the rewasherable inserts - check that you can source replacements from the likes of Lunns etc.
John

 

[TicklyT]

Make sure whatever taps you choose are suitable for the water system you have.

Traditional open vented gravity systems (cold tank in loft, hot cylinder in airing cupboard etc. etc.) operate at much lower water pressures than combi boilers and unvented cylinders.

Taps with a minimum working pressure of 1 Bar are fine for pressurised systems, but hopeless if fitted to an open vented system.

Open vented systems typically deliver about 0.2 to 0.5 Bar pressure.

For an open vented system, measure the height difference between the tap position and the cold storage tank in Metres, and divide by 10 to approximate the water pressure available.

 

[scrapbook]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I have bought a shower mixer that is designed for minimum pressure of 0.1bar.

The taps i am currently looking at are Bristan, which i assume arent chinese rubbish?

 

[Whitespirit66]

The taps i am currently looking at are Bristan, which i assume arent chinese rubbish?

No, Bristan are good quality taps. I have fitted loads of them, and are a slightly cheaper alternative to something like Grohe, but neverthelesss well made. I have only had one problem with one of their taps after fitting, and they sent one of their engineers out to replace a part. So good customer service too. You will also be able to get parts in the future, as many unbranded taps are difficult to obtain parts for, and end up being binned.

I can only echo Burnerman's advice. Cheap taps are false economy. Be aware that lots of the unbranded taps in B&Q are also Chinese rubbish.