Bathroom Tapware

Basin and bath tapware is the hardware you touch most often in a bathroom, and it is where the difference between a good fitting and a cheap one shows up soonest. The cartridge inside a mixer is what determines whether the handle still moves smoothly in ten years or becomes stiff and starts weeping after two.

Before ordering, check three things. First, your tap hole configuration: a single hole basin takes a mixer, while a three hole basin takes a set with separate hot and cold. These are not interchangeable without changing the basin. Second, spout projection, which needs to reach far enough over the bowl that water lands in the basin rather than on the rim. Third, and most importantly in New Zealand, your water pressure.

Water pressure catches people out constantly. Many older homes run low pressure or unequal pressure systems, often indicated by a header tank in the ceiling space. A mixer designed for mains pressure will deliver a weak, disappointing flow on a low pressure system no matter how much you spent on it. Confirm what you have before specifying.

Wall mounted taps give a cleaner benchtop and are easier to wipe around, but the plumbing has to be set out before the wall is lined and the spout projection has to account for the finished wall thickness. Benchtop mixers are the simpler retrofit.

Available in chrome, matt black, brushed nickel and brushed brass, matching our shower mixers, towel rails and accessories.