If you need new taps in your kitchen or bathroom, why not try a mixer tap?
What Is a Mixer Tap?
A mixer tap is exactly what it says it is: a tap that mixes water. It has one spout, out of which comes hot water, cold water, or a mix of both. It might have one control or two, but the key feature is mixing water in a single spout.
How Do Mixer Taps Work?
Inside the tap are small holes called valves, or butterflies (as per their shape). When you turn the tap on, these holes will open. If you want hot water, the hot water tap will be partially or fully open, depending on the desired temperature and pressure. The cold handle will be off, so the cold valve will be closed. But if you want both together, you can open both taps and mix the water.
Since the whole tap system is more susceptible to small changes in the opening of valves, it can achieve a more precise temperature. The UK’s history of using separate taps for hot and cold water has long been criticised as providing only boiling or freezing water with nothing in between. Mixer taps take care of that problem, allowing for comfortably-usable water temperatures.
Mixing the water in the tap means you can run a bath, use the shower, or clean the dishes without wasting water on running first one tap and then the other to try for the right temperature in the sink or tub. You can even have a bath-to-shower mixer tap on your bath that lets you switch from bath to shower.
Types of Mixer Taps
There are various types of mixer tap. For example, a mono mixer tap features one spout, one tap hole for the pipe, and either one or two controls. Baths and basins can have mono mixer taps, but they are most often found on bidets.
You can also find bridge mixer taps, which feature two separate connections to hot and cold water pipes, and mix the two into the single spout.
To free up space, particularly in the bathroom, you can even use a wall-mounted mixer tap.
So, that’s how mixer taps work! Contact us if you have any further questions.
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