Regardless of the size of the bathroom, replacing and choosing a new faucet is the most important thing for it. The bathroom may not have towel hooks, a laundry basket, comfortable furniture, but this does not apply to faucets. It not only performs all its direct functions, but is also the main attribute of the room's decor.
Requirements for bathroom faucets
Today, stores specializing in plumbing fixtures offer a huge range of products, including faucets and drains. You should choose one that will meet the requirements of all family members. Manufacturers currently produce faucets from budget models to expensive and luxurious ones, and when choosing, you should pay attention to a number of points.
The mixer should be easy to use, so that, for example, a small child can open and close the tap on their own. All manipulations with the mixer should be smooth, without sudden jolts, which will avoid a sharp drop in water temperature. The lever for switching the mixer from the sink to the shower and back should also be simple. It is unacceptable for the switch to change modes on its own.
Types of mixers
There are several types of mixers for these rooms. Mixers with rubber gaskets, which are called valves, have long been a thing of the past. At present, such mixers are still used, but instead of a rubber gasket, a ceramic valve is used, which is more reliable and convenient to use.
Buying a quality mixer tap is a long-term guarantee of the tap's operation as a whole. Such mixer taps are designed for up to 500 thousand openings, which is the operation of a tap with 20 years of experience. Today, models of mixer taps with valves are produced that are equipped with ceramic gaskets and covered with graphite coating, due to which the service life of the tap and mixer tap increases. Currently, mixer taps with one lever are popular. Of course, such mixer taps are more convenient to use, since all manipulations can be done with one hand, and setting the temperature mode becomes much easier and faster.
That is why, when choosing a mixer, you should pay attention not only to the beauty and ease of use, but also to what is inside the device - a shut-off and control valve ( cartridge). For mixers with one lever, two types of cartridges are provided. The first type is a ball cartridge. Its main element is a hollow ball, inside which hot and cold water are mixed together, which in itself is very convenient. But, despite all the conveniences, this system has a number of disadvantages. Mixers of this type cannot be idle for a long time - they must work continuously, and if the family is not often at home due to the nature of their work, this type is not suitable for them, since with prolonged idle time, the mixer and its lever begin to work poorly. This leads to jamming of the lever, and the service life of such a mixer is sharply reduced.
The second type is a plate cartridge. In a mixer of this type, the shut-off element is a disc. They are made of metal ceramics or stainless steel, which ensures their long service life and a low percentage of wear. That is why the service life of plate cartridges is very long. But a mixer with a ceramic plate cartridge must necessarily come with a filter that provides strong cleaning. When debris, impurities or sand get inside the valve, the cartridge is damaged, microcracks form in it. All this will subsequently lead to leakage of the cartridge and its quick replacement.