basin taps reccomendation

[Albumen]

I'm about to buy a pair of basin taps. I fancy lever taps.

1. Any pros or cons to those in term of reliability/leaking etc?

2. What are the reccomendation as regards good tap manufacturers generally?

The Screwfix Swirl range look like the sort of thing I'm after. And they do a bath/basin set for £50.

Many thanks. Mike

 

[TicklyT]

The first thing is to select taps suitable for the water pressure you have available, then select the style you prefer.

If you have a gravity hot water system, the hot water pressure may be as low as 0.1 Bar.
Obviously, if you then select a tap designed for water pressures above 1 Bar then it's performance will be disappointing.

Most styles of tap are available to suit most water pressures normally encountered.

 

[Albumen]

Thanks again for replying TicklyT. The cold is direct mains fed and the hot is from a combi boiler, so I suppose that makes them both high pressure?

Just wondered if there was any sort of caveat to do with lever taps. And any reliable brands, as in 'I always buy Bloggs Imperial Brassware' type advice.

Cheers, Mike

 

[Technotim]

Swirl are not a manufacturer as far as I know they are screw fix own brand which is B&Q, there are plenty of good quality brands out there that will work well on your system as you have high pressure and they are no more expensive.

When screwfix stop doing these taps you will not get parts.

They are cheap though but then you try and find the swirl manufacturer website.

I would go for Bristan, Crosswater, even Roper Rhodes and Ultra there are loads of good manufacturers out there you will always get spares even when a supplier stops doing them.

sorry If I sound anti screwfix I am not when it comes to screws drills ect...

 

[ChrisR]

If you look at a traditional Brit manufacturer like Lefroy Brook & see their prices, you'll see that at £50 a set you're at the bottom end of the market.
A whole set would come in from China for under £5.
Having said that, the likes of Bristan are extremely good value for money.
A lot of very expensive taps are awful!