Tips and advise when buying your bathroom suite: (part 1)

POTTERY:

Also known as sanitary ware, ceramics, porcelain and ware.
There are four basic areas that affect the quality of pottery and its expected lifespan:
The depth of the glaze:
The glaze is the glass-like surface coating which is fired onto the pottery in the kiln when it is made.
The glass enables the pot to be waterproof and protects it from chemicals, such as bleach etc, over its life.
The thicker the glaze generally the longer the life. Once this glaze goes, wears out, the pot becomes porous, absorbs water and eventually cracks.
The more you use and clean the pottery the faster the glaze wears out.
To make the glaze thicker you have to apply it a layer at a time and each time fire it in the kiln. This process results in breakages within the kiln.

For example, if I fire 100 pieces of pot once I may get 99 back in one piece, so the 99 pays for the 100.
If I then fire the 99 again I may get 80 back in one piece, so now 80 have to pay for 100.
If I then fire the 80 I may get only 50 back in one piece, so now 50 have to pay for 100. You get the gist of this by now.
If you assume that each layer of glaze lasts approximately 5 to 7 years you can soon see how the system works.
If you glaze once you get a less expensive cost to manufacture but the product does not last as long in a house. The thicker the glaze the longer the pottery lasts.

Quality of the clay:

The quality of the clay that is used to make the pottery is very important.
The reason for this is that the finer the clay the smoother the finish will be on the item being made.
If you use a poorer grade of clay it will have more grit in it and the surface will have a more rippled appearance.
You may also find that because of the increased grit content the pottery is heavier than an item of the same size made with a finer grade of clay.
The finer the clay the more tonnes of rough clay you have to use to refine down to make it.
It is therefore less expensive to produce pottery with a coarse grade of clay.

The overspray or colour:

The white colour, or whatever colour it happens to be, is applied to the pottery before the glaze.
Each manufacturer mixes their own colour to try to match it to the colour of the acrylic baths.
The white colour of the acrylic bath is a worldwide standard set by the acrylic manufacturers.
You need to be aware of this if you client tries to mix and match pottery from different manufacturers.
Its usually acceptable to have a toilet and basin from one supplier made to match the bath but if you put a basin
from one supplier and a toilet from another and then the bath together it will stand out like a sore thumb.
The thicker the colour is applied, the less fading on the edges takes place and the colour is even over the whole of the item.
The colour as with the glaze is applied in layers and then has to be left to set before the next coat can be applied.
The fewer coats the quicker the product can be made and the less cost is involved.

The design of the item:

The more intricate the design the more expensive the mould is to make and the more chance there is that you will not always remove it from the mould without damage.
Plainer shapes are usually less expensive. You should also note that basins, toilets and bidets are made as matched sets.
You will often find that the foot of the pedestal on the basin matches the foot of the toilet pan and that the back of the basin matches the toilet cistern lid.

One general point to be made is that pottery is often sold in what is known in the trade as a four-piece set.
That is a basin, pedestal, pan and cistern. Unfortunately the retail customer sees the set as two pieces: the basin and the toilet.
If you use the term four-piece set to a retail customer they may think you mean a basin, toilet, bath and bidet.
So always explain what you mean by four pieces if you should choose to use the term.

PRODUCT TYPES:

TOILETS & WC’S:

There are five types of toilets currently available in the UK.
These are Wall hung, Back-to-wall, Close-coupled, Low level and High level.

Wall hung:

This type of toilet has the pan hanging on the wall and the cistern concealed in the wall behind it.
More common in mainland Europe, it has become increasingly popular over recent years as more people travel abroad.
You do however need to ensure that the pan is supported properly when fitted either by the use of special floor mounting brackets or the use of a framework.

These frameworks, which support the pan and provide a place for the cistern, are available from several suppliers.
This type of WC allows ease of cleaning and as the pan is the only visible piece of pot it minimises the impact of the WC on the design of the room.

Back to wall:

This type of toilet is normally used mainly when having fitted furniture. As with the wall hung toilet the cistern is concealed inside the furniture but the pan is sat on the floor.

Close coupled:

This is the most common type of toilet in the UK. This type of toilet has the pan and cistern joined together.
It is often confused with the low level toilet, so make sure you are clear that you mean a toilet with the pan and cistern physically joined together.

The advantage of this type is that the pan has a splash back built onto it where it joins the cistern, so that when men and boys stand at the toilet and miss there is not so much mess.
Toilets are meant to be sat on not stood against. If you want to stand up you should buy a urinal. This toilet is easily maintained and is therefore ideal for downstairs cloakrooms and main ensuites where they are likely to get a lot of use.

Low level:

This type of toilet has a freestanding pan and the cistern sits approx 900mm or 36inches up the wall with a short flush pipe in between the two pieces.

Before the advent of the close-coupled toilet this was the most common and is still what most people with older houses have.
This is why they confuse them with the close coupled. They are now most commonly sold with traditional bathrooms and have a chrome or gold flush pipe.

The difficulty with this type is that if men or boys use them they are apt to miss and the pipe goes green.
Once this happens there is nothing that can be done to repair it. They are generally priced at 50% to 60% higher in price than a close coupled and are bought more for their aesthetic value than practicality.

High Level:

This type was popular in the Victorian era and is associated most closely with bathrooms of that period.
The pan is free standing and the cistern sits on the wall approx 1800mm or 6 feet up the wall with a chrome or gold flush pipe and a chain pull flush.
It has the same disadvantages as the Low level when used by men and boys.
In terms of price, this type is normally 50% to 60% more than the Low level. Sold mainly for the aesthetic value, all toilets in the UK now have to flush using 3 and 6 litres of water.
It makes no difference which type you buy, they all use this amount and as a consequence the high level and low level flush no better than the close coupled.

TYPES OF FLUSHING MECHANISM

There are two main types of flushing mechanisms: the syphon and the dump valve.

Syphons:

Syphons have been used for many years in the UK as the means of flushing the toilet. They work with the use of a lever or pull chain.
When this is pushed a small amount of water is forced over the syphon in the cistern, which creates inertia that draws the rest of the water along with it and flushes the toilet.

They are very effective with high levels of water in the cistern but become less efficient as the water level falls.
In the past toilet cisterns originally contained 12 litres of water, then 9 litres and now 6 litres for a full flush and 3 litres for a half flush .

People who now have a 6 litre flushing syphon type toilet often complain that they have to flush the toilet twice to get it to work.

Dump valves:

In recent years dump valves were not allowed in the UK, but with the advent of new legislation they are now fitted in most new toilets.
The dump valve works by means of a push button, either a single or a double one. As you press the button it lifts a valve that instantly releases all the water down through the toilet.
This makes this type of flushing mechanism very effective with low levels of water.

Overflows:

Most old types of toilet have an overflow which let the water flow outside the property if the ball valve mechanism fails. This is called a visible overflow.

Most new types of toilet have an overflow which flows back into the toilet bowl if the ball valve fails. This makes them easier to install. This is called an internal overflow.

BASINS (sinks)

Basins are often referred to as sinks. This is incorrect. Sinks are fitted in kitchens and basins are fitted in cloakrooms, bathrooms and ensuites.

The term basin came from the use of a jug and basin in the days when these were used to wash yourself in the bedroom. There are six main type of basin available in the UK.

These are basin and full pedestal, basin and semi-pedestal, cloakroom, semi-recessed, counter top and under-slung.

Basin and full pedestal:

This where the basin sits on full size pedestal and is the most common type in the UK. Normally the waste pipe and hot and cold water pipes run through the pedestal and into the floor.

Basin and semi-pedestal:

This is where the basin sits on a half height pedestal which does not reach the floor. They are very common in Europe and becoming increasingly popular in the UK.

When recommending this type of unit care should be taken to ensure that you have the type of pipe work arrangement necessary to install the basin. Please consult your local plumber or bathrooms installer for more advice.

Cloakroom:

These are usually fitted without a pedestal, as they are normally very small basins. There are some available with pedestals but you are best to check first. Wall hung basins are normally fitted with a decorative bottle trap.

Semi-recessed

This type of basin has a bow in the front but the underside has been cut away to produce a flat area. This is because this type of basin is usually fitted into a worktop.

Counter top:
This type of basin is either round or oval and fits into a hole cut into a worktop.

Under slung

The type of basin is fitted under the hole in the worktop. This means that the worktop has to be a solid surface material, such a marble or stone.

TAP HOLES:

Basins come with one, two or three tap holes.

One tap hole:

This type of basin uses a mono bloc mixer, which normally incorporates a pop-up waste. The water is controlled either by a lever on the tap or a separate hot and cold handle on either side of the spout.

Two tap hole:

The most common type of tap configuration has a separate hot and cold tap with a plug and chain waste. The hot tap is normally fitted on the left hand side of the basin.

Three tap hole:

There are two type of tap arrangement that can be fitted to this type of tap-hole arrangement. Either a three-hole mixer which is a hot and cold valve head and a separate spout, usually fitted with a pop up waste.
Or you could fit a pair of basin taps and what is known as a chain stay waste. A chain stay waste uses a plug and chain but the chain is held in place by a disc, which is fitted into the middle of the three holes

BIDETS:

Bidets are not that common in the UK as we are not normally raised to use them. However for those that do have and use them there are a few points to consider.

For a bidet to work effectively they have to be fitted next to a toilet-not at the other side of the room or several feet away.

A UK bidet now come with the tap fitted on the top and is usually a mono bloc mixer. There used to be bidets in the UK, which came with an up-spray or fountain spray as it was known.
This type of bidet is no longer available.

BATHS:

There are four main types of material used to manufacture baths in the UK. These are cast iron, pressed-steel, glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and acrylic.

Cast Iron:

This is the material from which most baths used to be made and is now most commonly used for free standing baths. There are two commonly held misconceptions concerning cast iron baths.

The first is that they are too heavy. The weight of a standard cast iron bath filled with water is in the region of 25 stones. The bath is usually fitted with four legs which means that the weight on each leg on the floor is approximately 6.25 stones.

As we walk across the floor foot to foot we actually weight more that this.
The second misconception is that they are cold. This is because years ago when we all used cast iron baths the houses did not have central heating. The bath can only reflect the temperature of the room that it is in.
If the room is warm the bath is therefore warm. There is, however, one possible exception. If the bath is fitted in with a panel as apposed to free standing it may be that the air temperature under the bath is cooler due to the holes left by the plumber. If this is the case, insulation under the bath will solve the problem.

Pressed Steel:

This is where a layer of steel several millimetres thick is coated with a stove-enamelled surface. They are most commonly used in hotels and commercial premises.

As the material of the bath is very thin they tend to cool down very quickly. They also tend to be very plain in shape due to the manufacturing restrictions of the material.

Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) :

This was the first type of plastic material used to produce baths and was used by almost everyone until the invention of Acrylic.
It has very good insulation properties and enables baths of many shapes and styles to be easily produced.

The two main difficulties with this material are as follows:

1. As the colour for the bath is produced in batches there can sometimes be problems with the match to the pottery.

2. If the bath is fitted in direct sunlight they are prone to the plasticiser leaking out of the surface and crazing of the surface texture occurring.

Acrylic:

This is the most common material now used to produce baths in the UK and Europe. It has the same characteristics as GRP in that it insulates well and can produce great shapes.

However, as it is produced to internationally agreed standards of colour it is now what every pottery supplier uses to obtain their colour match.
Acrylic comes in several thicknesses most commonly 3mm, 5mm, 8mm and 10mm. There is a common misconception that the thicker the acrylic the stronger the bath.

This is not so. The acrylic is there only to hold the colour and maintain a waterproof barrier. You will normally find that the thicker the acrylic the plainer the style of the bath.

The strength of the bath comes from the glass-reinforced plastic, which is sprayed on the underside of the bath. You should always look for a full encapsulated baseboard.

This is where the chipboard base that supports the bottom of the bath is fully enclosed to prevent it from coming away after a few years of use.
The sides of the bath should also be reinforced to prevent them from bowing out when the bath is filled with water.

If the bath does bow out in the middle the result is often that the top ledge will drop producing a gap between the tiles and the bath.

BATH SIZES AND SHAPES:

There are a multitude of bath shapes and sizes available in the UK at present but they break down into several groups.

Rectangular baths - Single Ended:

This is the most common style of bath with the taps at one end and is ideal for one person to bathe in on there own as it usually has a gentle back slope which offers good back support when relaxing.

The most common size is 1700 x 700. They are however produced in sizes ranging from 1200 x 750 to 2000 x 1200. When a client comes in saying that there bath is 1680 x 680 this is usually because they do not realize that the bath is fitted into the plaster work when installed so that a bath that is 1700 x 700 straight out of the box is often small when fitted.

Rectangular baths - Double Ended:

This type of bath is common with people who prefer to bathe with a partner as the taps are mounted in the middle of the bath. They are becoming a lot more popular in the UK.
However to make extra room for the two people the two back slopes on the bath can often be at quite a severe angle and therefore make the bath less comfortable for one person to lie out.
Once again they come in a multitude of sizes, from 1700 x 750 to 2000 x 1200.

Corner baths:

There are two mains types of corner bath: equal sided and offset, where one side is longer than the other. Two equal sided corner baths are usually available 1100 x 1100, 1200 x 1200, 1300 x 1300, 1400 x 1400 and 1500 x 1500.

The first three sizes are more commonly used as shower baths as the bathing area is too small for most people to use effectively. The 1400 and 1500 are big enough to use by most people for bathing.
The offset corner baths are usually available in two sizes 1500 x 900 and 1500 x 1000. They are not very effective as a bath for most people less than 5 feet 4 inches tall due to the internal length.
They are available with or without a seat in the corner.

Shower Baths (Ophelia, Ianthe):

These baths have a larger area at one end to allow for more room for showering. They are usually supplied with a bath screen made especially for the shape of the bath.

Space Saver baths:

These baths are made to a special shape usually thinner at one end to allow for more room to fit furniture or make more room for pottery or even a shower cubicle.

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TAPS:

There are four main finishes for taps and showers:

Chrome, the hardest wearing finish, usually last over 20 years.

Antique Gold, used more on traditional style suites, is generally a soft finish which will last approximately 3 years with day to day use but in a rarely used second bathroom could last as long as 10 years.

Nickel (either brushed or polished) is the softest finish and would normally be for decorative house bathrooms that are rarely used.

Powder coated, not as common in taps but still used on showers, is where the product is coated with a layer of coloured plastic.
There are many types of tap configuration for baths, basins and bidets. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. This next section outlines the different types of tap arrangements that are generally available.

Bath Taps:

There are several types of tap arrangement you can put on a bath. They are as follows: A pair of taps, a bath filler deck mounted, a bath filler pillar mounted, a three-hole bath filler,
a deck mounted bath shower mixer, a pillar mounted bath shower mixer, a four-hole bath shower mixer, a five-hole bath shower mixer, wall mounted filler and an overflow filler.

Pair of bath taps:

The most common form of taps for baths, one tap for hot water and one for cold. The cold tap is normally on the right and the hot on the left.

Bath filler deck mounted and bath filler pillar mounted.

This type of tap has the hot and cold-water taps combined onto one mixer block.

The deck-mounted type is normally contemporary in style whereas the pillar-mounted type (this is where the mixer is held above the bath rim on two pillars) is normally traditional in style.
The advantage of a mixer over a pair of taps is the ability to mix the water to the desired temperature whilst the bath is filling.

Three hole bath filler:

This is where the spout is separate to the bath tap valves. In this case you have a hot and cold valve and the spout is mounted either in the centre between the two valves or mounted in the corner.

Bath shower mixers:

This is the same as the bath fillers but has a shower hose and handset attached. These types of taps are not designed to be used as showers for standing under and washing your whole body.
The reason for this is that there is the real risk that is another person in the house switches on a tap or a washing machine kicks in then the temperature on the shower will change radically.
These types of showers are designed for washing hair or rinsing the bath.

Four and five-hole bath shower mixers:

These are the same as the three hole mixers but the four-hole mixers have a handset that sits on the bath with the hose under the bath rim. The shower is switched on by means of a diverter button mounted on the bath spout.
The five hole mixer works in the same way but has a separate diverter mounted on the bath, not on the bath spout.

Wall mounted filler:

More popular on the continent, this is where the mixer is mounted on the wall above the bath and not on the bath rim.

Overflow bath filler:

This is similar to the three-hole bath filler but whereas the three hole has a spout the overflow filler has the hot and cold valves on the rim of the bath and the filler is the overflow fitting which also doubles up as the pop up waste.

Basin Taps:

As with baths there are several types of tap arrangement that can be fitted to a basin. These are a pair of taps, a mono-bloc mixer and a three tap-hole mixer.

A pair of taps:

This is where you have a separate hot and cold tap on the basin with the cold tap usually on the right and the hot on the left. This is the most common configuration for taps on a basin.
This type of basin normally has a plug and chain waste.

Basin mono-bloc mixer:

This is where the hot and cold taps are mounted on a single tap bloc in the centre of the basin. This type of tap normally has a pop-up waste supplied as part of the tap.

Three tap-hole mixer:

As with the bath arrangement you have a spout in the middle and a separate hot and cold valve on either side. This type of arrangement has a pop up waste.
On a three tap-hole basin you can also fit a pair of basin taps and in the central hole fit a chain stay basin waste - this is where the plug chain is attached to a disc which fits over the middle hole.

SHOWERS:

There are several types of showers available in the UK and the type you choose has a lot to do with the type of hot water and cold water supply that the client has in their house. So I will first tackle the types of domestic water systems most commonly available.

Gravity Feed, Vented, or Low Pressure systems

This type of water system usually has a direct mains water cold feed. The hot water is provided by means of a hot water cylinder (copper) sited in an airing cupboard and a cold water cistern (tank) sited either above the cylinder or in the loft. To use a mixer shower with this type of system the cold water tank needs to be sited at least three feet (0.1 bar) above the shower head/handset. That is unless you use a pump, in which case you need the tank to be one foot (0.03bar) above the shower head/handset.

Combi-boiler, Multi-point systems

This type of water system has a mains feed cold water supply. The hot water is provided by an instantaneous gas boiler. The boiler either does both the hot water and central heating ( combi-boiler), or it does just the hot water only (multi-point). With this type of system the cold water is supplied at full mains pressure seventy five feet (2.5bar approximately) whilst the hot water is governed down by the boiler to a minimum of forty five feet (1.5bar approximately). With this type of system you cannot use a pump to power the shower as this would contravene the water by-laws. However as the hot and cold water is supplied under pressure you have a power shower anyway.

Pressurised water system, unvented

This type of water system has a mains cold water supply. The hot water supply is from a hot water cylinder which is supplied by full mains pressure of 175 feet (2.5bar approximately). As with the combi-boiler system you cannot use pump but you do not need to as the mains water pressure makes this a power shower.

SHOWER DOORS (Cubicles, enclosures and surrounds):

Shower doors and enclosures come in a variety of shapes and sizes. As with pottery the cost and quality of the units depend on the materials used in the construction and the design. Normally the thicker the glass the more expensive the shower cubicle.

Less expensive enclosures generally use glass in the thickness range of 3mm to 5mm. This thickness of glass will always have a metal framework surrounding it to support the weight of the glass. The mid to upper market enclosures have glass in the thickness range of 6mm to 8mm.
This type of cubicle generally has very little framework surrounding it or even none at all. The build quality of ancillary parts such as hinges and seals is also important, as these are the parts that wear the fastest with day to day use and will result in leaks.

With sliding doors the rollers for the doors should be of ball bearing types. The reason for this is that with a ball bearing roller there is little or no wear on the wheels. This means that with constant use they do not become elliptical and the glide of the door is always smooth.
The thickness of the frame and the wall profiles is also a contributing factor to the price. As a rule the thicker the frame and the profiles the more the cost. The profiles are the U-shaped channels that attach the cubicle to the wall.

Types of shower door:

There are seven main types of shower door: Pivot, Hinged, Saloon, Bi-fold, In-fold, Double slider and Triple slider.

The Pivot and Hinged doors:

These work in the same way, in that they open outwards as a single piece of glass. With the pivot door the hinges are at the top and bottom of the door.
The advantage of this is that it makes the door well balanced and put very little strain on the framework. The hinged door has the hinges on the side of the door.
This does mean however that when the door is open, the opening on the hinged door is wider than that of the pivot door. These types of door tend to be less expensive than any other due to the simple design.
There can be a difficulty with the water running off the door onto the floor when the door is opened after a shower.

The Saloon door:

This is less common and has two hinged doors which join in the middle. They tend to open inwards but are not as a rule very popular.

Bi-fold and In-fold doors:

These two doors both open inwards and so overcome the difficulty of water getting onto the floor by dripping water off the door. The bi-fold door is hinged in the centre and as the name suggests folds exactly in the middle.
The in-fold door swings in as a single door by means of a canter lever arrangement at the top and bottom of the door. You should be aware that if a person faints or collapses in this type of cubicle it is not possible to open the door.

Double and Triple sliding doors:

These doors work in the same way in that the doors slide on rollers back and forth to open or close. The difference between the two is the number of doors used to gain access. The double sliding door has less framework and as such has a more minimalist appearance, whereas the triple sliding door creates a wider opening when the doors are pulled back.

Shower shapes:

There are a myriad number or shower door shapes. The most common are the square, rectangle, pentangle (penta- or five-sided) and the quadrant (quad of quarter round). The most common type of shower tray size is 760mm x 760mm. This is not the smallest square tray size but is the smallest that is still usable by most people to shower.
You are able to obtain square trays of both 700mm x 700mm and 600mm x 600mm. The 600mm tray size is normally used on caravans and boats. The best square tray size if it can be fitted is the 900mm x 900mm.
Rectangular shower trays come in a variety of sizes from 700mm x 800mm to 1700mm x750mm. The most common size is 1200mm x 760mm, whereas the optimum size is 1200mm x 900mm. Tray sizes larger than this normally incorporate the ability to dry oneself in the cubicle.
A pentangle cubicle is the same as a square one but has the comer cut off. This results in the saving of floor space in the bathroom ensuite. A quadrant cubicle has a rounded front edge designed to save space as with the pentangle.

SHOWER TRAYS:

There are four main types of material used to make shower trays. These are steel, acrylic, stone resin and acrylic capped resin.

Shower shapes:

Steel is less common in domestic use and is generally used in commercial applications such as retirement homes and hotels

Acrylic trays used to be very common but received a bad reputation due to the poor build quality of trays in the past. The use of poor frameworks and minimal reinforcement meant that the trays moved when in use and often leaked. Modern acrylic trays are generally built to a very high standard and are fully reinforced. All acrylic trays are on adjustable legs and so are ideal in applications where a solid floor such a concrete is on site. The result of this higher built quality is that acrylic trays are not an inexpensive option.

Stone resin trays are by far the most common trays available. The low cost of producing the moulds for the trays makes then the most versatile in size. They are available in both legged and un-legged format (the most common being without legs). The two most common problems with resin trays relate to the quality of installation. The first is that if the un-legged tray is not bedded in properly it can cause the base of the tray to crack when in use. The second is that the colour of the tray is applied as a thin spray finish. The result of this is that if you scratch the tray when installing it, it is extremely difficult to repair.

Acrylic capped resin trays are becoming more popular. They combine the rigidity of the stone resin tray, but have the added advantage of being capped in acrylic. This produces a surface which is more resistant to impact and can be polished if scratched. They are however more costly to produce and as such are not available in the same number of sizes as the stone resin.

SHOWER TYPES:

There are four main types of shower, electric, manual mixer, thermostatic mixer and pumped which can be either thermostatic or manual.

Electric:

This type of shower has a small kettle type chamber within it through which the cold water passes and is heated electrically. The amount of water that can be heated is limited to approximately one and a half gallons a minute, although the spray is forced out of the head at approximately 1.5 bar (45 feet head).

In order to achieve an all over spray from the shower handset the holes in the end of the handset are drilled quite small. The result of this is that the droplets of water spray produced are small and do not hold the temperature. This means that whilst the water temperature on your head is hot by the time the water runs to your knees it has gone cold. One other difficulty with the small hole size is that the handsets are prone to scale build up in hard water areas which results in the spray pattern diminishing.

In order to maximize the amount of water produced modern electric showers use on average 8.5KW to 9KW of power. This makes them three times more costly to use than the electric immersion heater in the cylinder. My own opinion is that they are best used in applications where there is no stored hot water or where a combi-boiler is used for the first shower mixer and the client needs a second shower in the house. Most electric showers are manual mixers and have a tendency to vary the water temperature when other appliances such as taps and toilets are used.

Manual Mixers:

A manual mixer uses the hot and cold water supply to achieve a shower. This is done by blending the amount of hot and cold by means of a lever valve, which either uses an internal ceramic mixer cartridge or uses two separate controls to achieve the desired temperature by turning simultaneously. This simple mechanism makes the manual valve very cost effective. However this type of mixer is prone to wild variations in temperature when other appliances such as taps, washing machines, dish washers and toilets are used. Not a type of mixer to be recommended for families with small children or older people.

Thermostatic Mixers:

A thermostatic mixer works in a similar way to the manual mixer but has an extra device fitted inside the valve casing which regulates the water temperature to within plus or minus one degree centigrade. The result of this is that if another appliance is turned on the thermostat automatically adjusts the flow of water to maintain the desired temperature. If it is unable to maintain that temperature then it will temporarily turn the shower off until it is safe to allow it to function.
This type of mixer is ideal for families with small children and older people.

Pumped Showers:

This is where an electric pump is fitted to the shower to increase the water pressure. This type of system can only be fitted to a gravity feed hot water system. There are two types of pumps generally used:

1. Inlet Pump (Twin Impellor)

This type of pump is by far the most common is fitted to the hot and cold water supplies before they go through the shower valve. Relatively inexpensive to purchase they provide pressure to the shower of up to 3bar (100ft head) at a flow rate of up to 3 gallons a minute. The most popular pressure is 1.5bar (45 foot head).

2. Outlet Pump (Single Impellor)

This type of pump is fitted after the valve and pumps the mixed hot and cold water. The advantage of this is that it can safely deliver a higher flow rate and higher pressure. The reason for this is that when you pump water into the valve at pressure it can create an imbalance of pressures at the valve. This is due to the fact that the valve requires more hot water than cold to achieve the correct temperature. The Outlet pump pulls the water through the valve and sets up no such imbalance.

TYPES OF MIXER VALVES:

There are three main types of mixer valve:
1. Fully exposed, where both the body of the valve and the hot and cold water pipes to it are on the surface and on full view.

2. Semi-recessed, where the body of the valve is on the surface and exposed and the pipe work is hidden in the wall.

3. Fully Recessed, where both the main body of the valve and the pipe work are concealed in the wall.

TYPES OF SHOWER HEADS:

There are three types of shower head:

1. Fixed head, where the shower head is fixed on the wall above head height by means of a shower arm. This type of head cannot normally be moved lower, but may be fitted with a ball swivel that allows you to turn it to the left or right.

2. Handset, normally supplied with a shower rail (sliding rail) which allows you to adjust the height of the shower rose and remove it if necessary to wash a child or wall.

3. Body-jet, normally fitted with the fixed head type of shower these are jets mounted on the wall below head height. They are ideal for people who do not wish to wash there hair or face.

SHOWER SPRAYS:

There are three main types of shower spray:

1. Standard spray common to all types of shower the water is supplied via series of small holes distributed evenly across the shower head.

2. Pulse spray (massage spray) this can only be used on showers which have power as the water pressure is used to spin a disc located within the shower head to pulse the water spray and so produce a massage action. The greater the pressure the stronger the massage.

3. Champagne spray (aerated) can only be used on power showers with a minimum of 1.5bar (45 feet head). The water pressure is used to produce air bubbles in the water and so produce a soft foamy spray. This spray pattern is ideal for children as it introduces them to power showers in a way that is fun. Also ideal for ladies as the foam prevents the water from splashing up into the face and also expresses more water into wet hair for the removal of shampoo.

Written by Neal Baker on behalf of http://www.bathroomsensuite.com and
http://www.bathroom-furnitureuk.co.uk,
online retailers of bathroom furniture, bathroom suites and bathroom accessories in the UK.

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