Bath taps with shower head
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 129
Bath taps with shower head
OK, here's me again with my First World problems - please forgive.
All the pics I've seen so far show NZ baths just having 2 separate bath taps with no provision for a shower head. Are such taps (with a shower hose attached to the 2 bath taps) available to buy over there or should I bring one over from the UK/Europe (would they even fit in with the NZ plumbing)?
I do like to rinse myself with clean water after having a bath or even rinse the bath after cleaning it. With no shower head at all how do I clean the bath?
Your answers/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
All the pics I've seen so far show NZ baths just having 2 separate bath taps with no provision for a shower head. Are such taps (with a shower hose attached to the 2 bath taps) available to buy over there or should I bring one over from the UK/Europe (would they even fit in with the NZ plumbing)?
I do like to rinse myself with clean water after having a bath or even rinse the bath after cleaning it. With no shower head at all how do I clean the bath?
Your answers/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
#2
Life is what YOU make it.
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 3,312
Re: Bath taps with shower head
Getting things straight...NZ is not in Europe or part of the UK...it is bigger than the UK with a total population of 4 million....south island is bigger than England with a pop of 1 million....your selection of fittings will be proportional but totally different. Try going on line Google NZ and seeing your choice range because you are in for a big shock for choice of product compared with UK. The type of shower head you are describing is not much use unless the cold and hot water pressures are balanced correctly and that is generally the case in the shower cabinet only, unless you get a shower head over the bath. You cannot even buy carpet to carpet doorway joining strips in NZ as they are not used here
#3
Re: Bath taps with shower head
OK, here's me again with my First World problems - please forgive.
All the pics I've seen so far show NZ baths just having 2 separate bath taps with no provision for a shower head. Are such taps (with a shower hose attached to the 2 bath taps) available to buy over there or should I bring one over from the UK/Europe (would they even fit in with the NZ plumbing)?
I do like to rinse myself with clean water after having a bath or even rinse the bath after cleaning it. With no shower head at all how do I clean the bath?
Your answers/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
All the pics I've seen so far show NZ baths just having 2 separate bath taps with no provision for a shower head. Are such taps (with a shower hose attached to the 2 bath taps) available to buy over there or should I bring one over from the UK/Europe (would they even fit in with the NZ plumbing)?
I do like to rinse myself with clean water after having a bath or even rinse the bath after cleaning it. With no shower head at all how do I clean the bath?
Your answers/suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
One bath with two taps and a shower overhead operated by two further separate taps higher up
Completely separate bath and shower (fixed shower head is more traditional, but flexible removable heads are available - often used for disabled people. My dad had one fitted when he had a stroke)
Shower only
I haven't actually seen the option you are thinking of which I think you mean:
My experience is that in time you get used to these things. Since you don't know what sort of house you will be living in, I wouldn't bother buying these things.
#4
Re: Bath taps with shower head
Here you go - says it ships from the UK:
Hapilife. Contemporary Glacier Mix Chrome Finished Partial in White Single Lever Brass Bathroom Bath Mixer Shower Handheld Shower Head by Hapilife - Shop Online for Homeware in NZ
Hapilife. Contemporary Glacier Mix Chrome Finished Partial in White Single Lever Brass Bathroom Bath Mixer Shower Handheld Shower Head by Hapilife - Shop Online for Homeware in NZ
#5
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 129
Re: Bath taps with shower head
Common bathroom configurations are:
One bath with two taps and a shower overhead operated by two further separate taps higher up
Completely separate bath and shower (fixed shower head is more traditional, but flexible removable heads are available - often used for disabled people. My dad had one fitted when he had a stroke)
Shower only
One bath with two taps and a shower overhead operated by two further separate taps higher up
Completely separate bath and shower (fixed shower head is more traditional, but flexible removable heads are available - often used for disabled people. My dad had one fitted when he had a stroke)
Shower only
I remember back in the 80s my Nan in the UK used to have just the 2 taps over the bath & she overcame this with some cheapo plastic hose that joined the 2 taps and extended into a shower head - wasn't very efficient though & kept sliding off the taps (later on she did get a proper mixer tap with the shower hose extension).
I'm not a plumber (obviously) but since the UK has now got mixer taps (and I think the problem there was also pressure based) I thought NZ might have moved on too.
This is the type of contraption I'm looking for:
http://www.unitedplumbing.co.uk/imag...ap-500x500.jpg
Yes, that's been my experience too, but having experienced different set ups from around the places we've lived I think we all strive to bring the best solutions we've experienced and incorporate them into our lives. Mixer taps for example have long been a bugbear of mine & I couldn't understand why the UK had to have two separate ones but now they're pretty standard over here too, so I'd hate to be 'regressing' again. Hence my enquiry and since they are available in NZ I definitely won't bother importing them as the plumbing standards are probably different.
#6
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Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 3,312
Re: Bath taps with shower head
Things have moved on from your Nan's days and hoses connecting two taps and certain mixer taps are now a no go without non return valves to safe guard drinking water (potable) with suitable class A air gap. If you are not aware of these regulations then you may be better off consulting a specialist qualified plumber. Any imported devices should meet NZ code of practice to prevent back flow contamination.
#7
Re: Bath taps with shower head
Efficiency would depend on the head of pressure.
I am not sure what photos you are looking at.
#8
Re: Bath taps with shower head
Older houses are more likely to have a shower over the bath. More recent builds are likely to be separate because that's what most people prefer, which might be why most of the pictures you find are like this. Still it looks like you can get a plumber to fit to your requirements. Most things are available if you are prepared to pay - bear in mind there might be a reason why something is done differently here.
#9
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Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Re: Bath taps with shower head
MrF is just grateful if he can find a motel/hotel/house that has the shower head higher than nipple
#10
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Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: Bath taps with shower head
I wouldn't be stressing over these things too much, lots of houses don't even have a bath and considered very 'English' to have one - you'll hear lots of remarks to the effect that British people are dirty because we only bath once a week.
We have a fairly common set up with a single tap into the bath and a divertor on the mixer that sends water to either the bath or to overhead shower when required. Like this:
Foreno Shower Mixer with Diverter Chrome | Bunnings Warehouse
It should however come with a warning that it may lead to some offensive language - particularly if him indoors leaves it in shower mode and I go to run a bath and get a wet head.
We have a fairly common set up with a single tap into the bath and a divertor on the mixer that sends water to either the bath or to overhead shower when required. Like this:
Foreno Shower Mixer with Diverter Chrome | Bunnings Warehouse
It should however come with a warning that it may lead to some offensive language - particularly if him indoors leaves it in shower mode and I go to run a bath and get a wet head.
#12
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 129
Re: Bath taps with shower head
Well that's a relief
Ah, well. For years in the UK I was told by a qualified plumber that I couldn't have a proper mixer tap in our kitchen because of some pressure problems, so I stuck with the one we had which literally run hot water over one half of the tap neck and cold over the other leading to scalding issues as the water run hotter in some spots. And then last year the crummy thing finally packed up & I was able to buy a straight off the shelf proper mixer tap which a different plumber fitted with no problems. As I said I am no expert, but if the UK has overcome its plumbing issues (which - correct me if I'm wrong - might be due to similar kind of set ups) then surely NZ can follow suit.
Ah, well. For years in the UK I was told by a qualified plumber that I couldn't have a proper mixer tap in our kitchen because of some pressure problems, so I stuck with the one we had which literally run hot water over one half of the tap neck and cold over the other leading to scalding issues as the water run hotter in some spots. And then last year the crummy thing finally packed up & I was able to buy a straight off the shelf proper mixer tap which a different plumber fitted with no problems. As I said I am no expert, but if the UK has overcome its plumbing issues (which - correct me if I'm wrong - might be due to similar kind of set ups) then surely NZ can follow suit.
#13
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Joined: Jan 2016
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 743
Re: Bath taps with shower head
The main thing that I noticed in NZ was that there never seemed to be thermostatic mixers on the showers.
Sometimes you had two separate taps, sometimes a mixer tap, but never a thermostatic mixer.
In the UK (most?) a lot of shower mixers have a built in thermostat with a safety lock to prevent scalding. Usually set at around 38C. You can over ride the stop using a red button, but there is a safety feature built into the mixers.
From the showers I have seen, they seem to be mains pressure (either from town water or a pump from a local tank) so a shower unit designed to be used with UK mains pressure should also work with most NZ installations.
I have had a quick Google, but haven't yet located the pipe sizes used for domestic plumbing.
[In the UK the main size in copper is 15mm, with 22mm and 28mm for larger capacity and 10mm for micro-bore plumbing.
Much recent plumbing for water uses plastic such as John Guest SpeedFit.
Of course, there are also a multitude of adapters between plastic and copper, and also between old 1/2" and 15mm copper.]
So firstly you would have to be sure you took the correct shower (mains pressure or gravity feed depending on your new location) and secondly that (assuming it was approved in NZ) that you could get the right adapters to match the local plumbing pipe sizes.
With the "she'll be right" approach you could bring your own fittings and plan to "engineer" a join between UK fittings and NZ pipework, possibly by hand crafting adapters from copper pipe and solder.
Should you want to sell the house on then I have no idea what a prospective purchaser would think, or even if they would notice.
Noting that Flow - Plumbing Imports
import HansGrohe units from Germany, you could always buy your favourite Grohe taps and shower mixers here and take them with you, hoping that you can get any extra fittings needed from the local dealer.
Oh, almost forgot.
(1) Seen plenty of baths with shower mixers included on the taps - but not all designed to fit to the wall for a "proper" shower.
(2) I think that a "shower over the bath" in the UK is generally a compromise due to limited space - usually more space in NZ houses so there is space for a bath and shower. Then again I may have been lucky in the houses I visited.
(3) For washing down the bath you just need a small hose on a separate tap - or a bucket - but that doesn't solve the problem of washing yourself down.
(4) One issue of taking your own bath mixer is the standard tap spacing in baths - the mixer relies on a standard spacing to fit in place of the separate hot and cold taps. A few millimetres difference and you could have a major problem.
Sometimes you had two separate taps, sometimes a mixer tap, but never a thermostatic mixer.
In the UK (most?) a lot of shower mixers have a built in thermostat with a safety lock to prevent scalding. Usually set at around 38C. You can over ride the stop using a red button, but there is a safety feature built into the mixers.
From the showers I have seen, they seem to be mains pressure (either from town water or a pump from a local tank) so a shower unit designed to be used with UK mains pressure should also work with most NZ installations.
I have had a quick Google, but haven't yet located the pipe sizes used for domestic plumbing.
[In the UK the main size in copper is 15mm, with 22mm and 28mm for larger capacity and 10mm for micro-bore plumbing.
Much recent plumbing for water uses plastic such as John Guest SpeedFit.
Of course, there are also a multitude of adapters between plastic and copper, and also between old 1/2" and 15mm copper.]
So firstly you would have to be sure you took the correct shower (mains pressure or gravity feed depending on your new location) and secondly that (assuming it was approved in NZ) that you could get the right adapters to match the local plumbing pipe sizes.
With the "she'll be right" approach you could bring your own fittings and plan to "engineer" a join between UK fittings and NZ pipework, possibly by hand crafting adapters from copper pipe and solder.
Should you want to sell the house on then I have no idea what a prospective purchaser would think, or even if they would notice.
Noting that Flow - Plumbing Imports
import HansGrohe units from Germany, you could always buy your favourite Grohe taps and shower mixers here and take them with you, hoping that you can get any extra fittings needed from the local dealer.
Oh, almost forgot.
(1) Seen plenty of baths with shower mixers included on the taps - but not all designed to fit to the wall for a "proper" shower.
(2) I think that a "shower over the bath" in the UK is generally a compromise due to limited space - usually more space in NZ houses so there is space for a bath and shower. Then again I may have been lucky in the houses I visited.
(3) For washing down the bath you just need a small hose on a separate tap - or a bucket - but that doesn't solve the problem of washing yourself down.
(4) One issue of taking your own bath mixer is the standard tap spacing in baths - the mixer relies on a standard spacing to fit in place of the separate hot and cold taps. A few millimetres difference and you could have a major problem.
Last edited by LittleGreyCat; Mar 28th 2016 at 2:36 pm.
#14
Life is what YOU make it.
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 3,312
Re: Bath taps with shower head
Copper fittings are the same sizes as UK but the 22mm is referred to as 20mm on the shelf. Most mixer taps are adjustable centre distanced by a small rotation at the bulkhead swivel built into their design. Plastic quick fittings are available.
#15
Re: Bath taps with shower head
.........Actually. Why not bung over a few links to the houses you are looking at. Are they older build. New build.