What to look for in a tap?! (image included)

[miljee]

Wanting to replace like for like as our 2 basin taps taps are 19 years old.

I am being careful and at least recognising I must get the right size; the current ones have survived a Megaflo upgrade- but this model costs anything from £8 to £60!

What differentiates them?

Many thanks.

 

[Elkato531]

If you pay £8 for a basin mixer, you'll get what you deserve. The upper price will be for a recognised brand with a good build quality. Being a branded item means that spares should be easily obtainable and the warranty should be honoured if anything goes wrong. If you go the middle route and get a mid price range item from somewhere like Screwfix, you should be ok.

 

[i_am_fubar]

I've never had a mixer fail as such. But I've seen wildly different build qualities. Apart from the cheapest units which are made from welded stainless and dent easily, most are an acceptable chrome plated brass. The difference is often on the inside. A high quality tap will usually have precision machined water passages with consideration to flow and cavitation, cheaper ones don't and they sound like water running through a half closed isolator.

The mid range ones from screwfix and the like are cheap because they are mass produced, not necessarily because they are of poor quality, but it does mean you will often find other people with the same tap and you loose your 'unique' look. Warrenties will be reasonable and the supplier will uphold the sales of goods act for 'fit for purpose'.

High end taps (£200+), you are more often than not paying for a name. Though that name does come with a host of very fancy designs and bragging rights of 'check out my tap, it was super expensive' even if it looks neigh on identical to the £40 from B&Q.

In my mind, unless design cosmetics are critical, go for a 'trade' tap. They are manufactured in the 100's of thousands and you get a quality part for not much.

 

[miljee]

Thanks, I will be looking at the £40 ones, then.

 

[simond]

Try asking Screwfix what spares they hold for that tap, before buying it*.

Then you will know what to expect.


*I think I know the answer to this one

 

[JohnD]

Bristan make some very good taps, and sell spares at modest prices.

 

[David937]

+1 to the above. I broke the handle off one of their bath taps when cleaning, I managed to get the part I needed for under £2 including next day delivery directly from Bristan.

 

[simond]

Bristan are amongst the best for aftersales, so +2

 

[JohnD]

and IME extremely easy to strip and service if you use their conventional designs. I am not keen on the ceramic/joystick style of tap.