Kitchen & Bathroom Taps Buyers Guide

All You Need To Know About Buying Kitchen & Bathroom Taps.

As a Managing Director for an online kitchen and bathroom website, I am often asked my advice about the different types of taps available for kitchens and bathrooms.

Clearly, kitchen taps and bathroom taps should match your overall design scheme, but taps also need to fulfil the function you require in the kitchen or bathroom. With so many design, styles and finishes to choose from, it's important to keep practical factors in mind and aim to strike the right balance between design, ease of use and durability. After all, a tap is something most of us use every day.

Also, if you're planning a complete bathroom or kitchen refurbishment, you should make your choice of taps at the planning stage, as it is far easier to make any adjustments necessary to pipe work before, rather than after, fitting sinks, basins, bidets or baths.

Pillar taps for the kitchen sink, basin or bath

Suitable for two-hole baths, bathroom basins and kitchen sinks, pillar taps are supplied in pairs, one tap for the hot water and one for the cold. They are inexpensive, simple to fit and are available with traditional cross head handles or lever handles.

Mono Bloc Mixer Taps for the kitchen sink, basin, bath or bidet

With a mono bloc mixer tap, a single lever controls the hot and cold water flow, so there is no need for separate hot and cold handles. Mono bloc mixer taps are very neat, offer ease of control and are ideally suited to today's minimalist bathroom designs. As with standard mixer taps, you need to check your water pressure before fitting, as mono bloc taps will only work if the pressure in hot and cold water supplies is more or less equal.

Bath Shower Mixer Taps

A bath shower mixer tap comes with a diverter mechanism to direct the water supply to a showerhead fitting. For a period look, the showerhead can be mounted over the mixer tap, telephone style, or it may fit into a bracket on the wall over the bathtub. A bath shower mixer is a very economical option for a bathroom shower, as no additional plumbing or shower pump is needed. An ideal choice for family homes, the shower mixer fitting is great for bathing children or washing hair. However, shower mixer taps require a higher pressure to work properly. If you're unsure of your hot water pressure, contact a plumber or your local water supplier for advice.

Pull-out Spray Mixer Taps

Similar to a shower mixer tap, but featuring an extendable hose, a pull-out spray mixer tap is ideally suited to the kitchen, as the pull-out dual spray head gives unbeatable control that is useful for removing food from dirty plates and rinsing. These taps are often used in professional kitchens.

Advice on fitting taps

There are two basic options for fitting taps. The most conventional is to mount taps on the sink, basin or bath. But, for a modern look, taps can be mounted on the wall above the fixture or on a mount behind the fixture. This has the advantage of giving a clean, uncluttered look to bath and basin surfaces. Generally, fitting taps is a job for an experienced plumber and only the most competent DIYer should attempt it.

Keeping taps clean

To make sure that your taps keep their shine, use only a soft cloth and warm soapy water to clean them. Rinse and wipe dry using a dry clean soft cloth. Do not use abrasive compounds, pads, cloths or creams, as these will damage the tap surface. From my experience I believe the best product to use to clean your taps is the 'e-cloth'. The e-cloth compromises of two cloth, one of which you use wet to clean the tap and the other dry which is used to dry and polish the tap.

For the finest collection of kitchen and bathroom taps please visit: www.buytapsonline.com.

For more information regarding kitchen and bathroom taps or any other products sold by Buytapsonline.com, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Waste Disposal Unit Buyers Guide

What is a waste disposal unit or garbage disposer?

A food waste disposal unit is a modern kitchen appliance. It offers a new way to manage food waste in the modern home. It is installed under the kitchen sink and is attached to the drain.

How do they work and what is best?

There are two types of waste disposal unit that will both fit to your kitchen sink directly under the kitchen waste.

The first type, and most common, is the continuous feed unit. This type of unit will allow you to add food waste to the unit while it is running. This type will also allow you to run water from your kitchen sink mixer tap at the same time as you add the waste food to the unit.

The second type is called a batch feed unit. This type of unit will allow you to add an amount of waste to the unit and will then lock down the sink waste. Generally when the sink waste has been locked down the unit will only then start to operate.

Environment

In addition to reducing household waste, a food waste unit can reduce the amount of waste that goes to land-fill. Waste has become a major global issue and legally binding limits have been established for some countries on the amount of food waste that can be used as land-fill. A garbage disposer can reduce the volume of waste going to land-fill dramatically, by up to 50%. Life-cycle studies have identified major cost benefits from using the unit rather than land-fill methods alone.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers of waste disposal units include Franke and InSinkErator.

A few things to think about before buying

• Ensure your sink base unit is large enough to house your unit as it will often add to the width required.
• Always run plenty of water through the unit after used to prevent blockages.
• Avoid putting "stringy" items such as flower stems into the unit as this will block the mechanism.
• Ensure there is sufficient "fall" on the waste pipe to prevent blockages.
• Use larger waste pipework on longer runs to prevent blockages.

Installation

Most disposal units are suitable for connection to a sink with an 89mm or 3½ inch waste outlet.

A waste disposal unit can be a great addition to your kitchen. It is extremely important that the installation of a unit is carried out by a qualified plumber and electrician.

Care & Maintenance

Cleaning your waste disposal unit is quick and easy. Firstly, the best way to insure that the garbage disposer is kept clean is to always rinse a little cold water through after any waste product has been processed. Simply leave the waste disposer on and run cold water through for a few seconds.

You can also try filling your garbage disposer with cubes of ice and adding a little rock salt and then turning the unit on until all the ice has been processed. The combination of the salt and ice will remove any debris or sludge that has accumulated in the sump of the disposer.

Lemon or orange peels also help to neutralize foul smells, so put these in after any stronger smelling food products.

Generally you do not need to worry, as most waste disposal units sold today come with stainless steel grinding teeth and are designed optimally, so that food is completely processed trough the unit and passes directly into the drainage system.

For the finest collection of waste disposal units available please visit: www.buytapsonline.com

For more information regarding waste disposal units or any other products sold by Buytapsonline.com, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Steak Knife Buyers Guide

Using a steak knife is an absolute must when eating steak.

If you've ever tried to eat steak using good quality steak knife you know exactly how true that is. When you're trying to enjoy a meal, you don't want to be involved in a battle with your steak, and choosing a good steak knife will ensure that it cuts smoothly, and easily. If you've ever been at someone's house having a steak dinner without proper steak knives, you know that trying to eat the main dish without the proper cutting utensil can even be embarrassing.

Tips for Buying Steak Knives

A steak knife supplements your everyday silverware. Just like you need a set of forks and spoons, you need a set of steak knives. Typically, they come in sets of four. This might work for a family of four who never have dinner guests, but if you commonly have guests over for grilling steaks, you want to be sure you have enough for everybody. So you'll want to get multiple sets, or a set that has enough to serve everyone at your largest gathering. Secondly, you want to make sure the brand you are choosing actually makes the best steak knives. Some knives are more user friendly than others, more ergonomically designed, and simply more attractive than the rest. Reading up on feedback from people who have purchased the set you're considering can help you understand what you can actually expect from that particular knife. Which knife you choose is important because you're paying a lot for high quality steaks, and you want only the best steak knives to ensure the most satisfying meal possible.

Features of Steak Knives

All steak knives feature the serrated edge, but not all of them are of the same calibre. The best steak knives don't wrestle with you - they cut your steak like butter. They will also have a full tang, which is the piece of metal that runs through the knife and connects the handle to the blade securely. A full tang adds strength and helps balance a knife. Steak knives also have handles made of high quality hard woods, like walnut. Triple compression brass rivets securely hold the tang in place. High carbon stainless steel is a good choice of material for a steak knife, because the higher carbon content makes for a stronger knife.

Caring for your Knives

Most knives are pretty durable, but because most of them feature wooden handles, even if they're dishwasher safe, you probably don't want to wash them that way because of the steam in the dishwasher. Make sure the wooden handle doesn't stay submerged in water for long. That's not to say you have to treat them all too delicately but over time sitting in water for extended periods of soaking will cause the wood to split and eventually rot after too many extended soaking sessions. If you do choose to wash them in the dishwasher, as with any other knives, you don't want to put them blade up. The pointed tip could jab you as you're reaching in to unload the dishwasher. You also will do well to buy a set that comes in a case or a butchers block, because keeping them together in a drawer can not only cut you when you're reaching into the drawer, but can also damage the knives themselves.

For more information regarding steak knives or any other products sold by Buytapsonline.com, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks Buyers Guide

All you need to know about buying stainless steel kitchen sinks.

Stainless steel kitchen sinks are available as either under mount or inset versions and are available with a single or double bowl.

Under mount Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks

Under mount steel kitchen sinks fit directly under the kitchen counter surface, so the rim of the kitchen sink is not visible. These types of steel sinks work really well in contemporary settings and where you have a particularly beautiful stone counter surface to show off, as more surface area will be revealed.

Double Bowl Under mount Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks

Double bowl under mount sinks can be very practical, as you can utilize the smaller bowl for draining plates, rinsing food, or mulching food in a waste disposal unit. I did discover a small issue a couple of years ago, where a client of mine installed two separate under mount sinks and she put a piece of granite between the two sinks "a granite bridge". The issue was that she would often catch the side of the granite when she transferred pots and pans from one bowl to the other and this did cause a small chip in the granite, which fortunately we were able to polish out for her. If you are worried about this happening then opt for an integral under mount sink so that you do not need to include a grainite bridge between the two bowls. Always make sure you supply the actual sink to the granite fabricator so that the sink cut out matches perfectly.

Inset Stainless Steel Sinks

Inset steel sinks are designed to drop on to the surface of a counter-top. Because the rim of the sink wraps over the sink hole it is possible to use these sinks on laminate surfaces and materials with a grain, like wood or bamboo. Generally inset sinks are rectangle or square, so the cut out is less difficult and thus a little less costly. Inset stainless sinks come in a veriety of bowl configurations, so you should be able to find the one that is right for you.

Care & Maintenance

Cleaning stainless steel kitchen sinks is easy as the material is robust and durable. Most household cleaners are fine to use on stainless steel, but do keep away from any products that contain bleach and never leave bleach to soak in the sink as it could discolour or damage the surface. Generally a little anti bacterial washing up liquid and a soft sponge scourer are all you need to keep our stainless steel sinks looking great for years to come.

For more information regarding stainless steel kitchen sinks or any other products sold by Buytapsonline.com, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Tap Into Colours

Kitchen and bathroom taps come in a wide range of colours - nothing groundbreaking in that statement - and choosing your colour is generally a pretty easy decision, after all we all know what we like. But what's behind these various colours? What makes a chrome tap chrome for instance and what's the difference between pewter, satin nickel and silk steel?

First let's take a quick look at the general engineering process. Manufacturers generally start with solid brass in either bar stock, tube or die cast states. This brass is then manufactured into the various components required to assemble the kitchen or bathroom tap. This is a meticulous process and can require many components in order to build just one tap. Perrin and Rowe, a UK manufacturer of luxury kitchen and bathroom taps, can use up to 32 different components to make just one kitchen tap for instance.

After the manufacturing process is complete, the various tap components are polished by hand to exacting standards to make sure that all the imperfections are removed form the surface of the brass.

Next the "polished brass" components are chemically washed and sent to a plating facility, where a base coat of nickel is added. After this process is complete the kitchen or bathroom taps will be plated in the desired finish and generally these are either polished chrome,  gold or nickel using an electro - static plating process.

Sanitized colour finishes are very popular today as satin like surfaces tend to show up less smudges from soap or cooking oils etc. Satin finishes are created by taking the base colour (usually polished nickel) and literally brushing the surface by hand using an abrasive mop. This process "sanitizes" the colour by leaving tiny micro etches in the surface of the colour. Manufacturers have various names for these finishes, but essentially pewter, satin nickel, silk steel are all the same colour.

The Holidays Are Coming.....In The Kitchen!

As we move into October and the days get shorter many of us begin to think of nesting and spending more time with our family. So as the frost starts to form on our lawns and the mornings become chilly it is only natural that our thoughts turn to the heart of our home...the kitchen.

This is a busy period for the kitchen and bathroom industry as many of us decide to update our kitchens in time for the holidays, whether it is a complete kitchen refurbishment, or a few key improvements now is the time to change or upgrade in time for holiday guests.

At Buytapsonline.com we believe variety truly is the spice of life that is why we have one of the largest kitchen sink and kitchen tap collections to choose from. Our sinks and taps are categorised into the various materials like ceramic sinks, stainless steel sinks, copper sinks (yes even copper!) etc and you will find useful product information in our Buyers Guide to help you choose the product best suited for your kitchen.

Buytapsonline.com staff are on hand to offer any support you require and can help you choose the right products for your kitchen. From the heart of Shropshire to the heart of your home Buytapsonline.com are here to help you get ready for the holiday period!

Please visit www.buytapsonline.com today.