Bath Shower Mixer
There are three main types of bath tap:
- bath shower mixer
- bath filler
- standard bath taps
This section deals with the bath shower mixers but we have plenty of information available on all three.
Most baths are drilled with two holes allowing standard bath taps or a bath shower mixer to be fitted, such as the Prelude tap above. There are also wall mounted bath shower mixers available - the Expression bath shower mixer, below, is an excellent contemporary example.
The pipework for a wall mounted bath shower mixer is hidden in the wall, so the wall needs to be of a suitable construction in order for this to be possible.
As well as the modern designs seen so far, there are also traditional styles of bath shower mixer available. The shower head rests in a cradle above the tap body giving rise to the description of "telephone style" mixer taps.
One of the easiest ways to install an over-bath shower is by using a bath shower mixer. These taps are fed with hot and cold water which is mixed inside the body of the tap. The mixed warm water can then be directed down to fill the bath or diverted up through a shower hose to the shower head. To work properly this type of tap needs the hot and cold water to be the same pressure - unfortunately most UK bathroom taps are supplied by tank pressure hot water and mains pressure cold water. The options in this situation are
a) fit an extra tank to supply low pressure cold
water to the bath
b) fit an electric shower instead of a bath
shower mixer
c) fit a venturi shower
.