Tap for the kitchen sink - what do you have and are you happy with it?

[lavenderhoney]

I have a new kitchen being fitted next week and I have been looking at taps. I know nothing about taps and are the chrome plated ones plastic inside? Is this ok?

I quite like the pull out tap but I have a butlers sink and I don't know if you can get them. I'm a bit lost on it and I don't want to spend over a hundred pounds on a tap! Any tips on where to buy would be good as well, I'm. Bit overwhelmed with tap suppliers!

Well, really you need PigletJohn, but www.screwfix.com have a good range, and not too expensive either. We got quite a nice Bristan from there this one - not pull-out, but goes well with the modern Belfast that we have.

Plastic, yuk.

IMO the best taps are the Bristan brand.

If you are looking at a butler, belfast or london sink, consider separate bib-taps which will be more in keeping than a mixer. I am especially fond of their Regency range, which is smoother and easier to clean than the 1901 or Trinity. Have a look at bristan.com

I see they call them "high neck pillar taps"

I have a mixer tap with a butler sink. It just keeps getting loose and swivelling about. The previous tap did the same thing.

I'd love to get a mixer tap that looks good with a butler sink that doesn't work loose so easily.

As I'm writing this I'm thinking this is something to do with fitting them into a wooden work top.. And having nobody in the house that understands basic DIY..

Unless you fix it before putting the sink in, it is quite awkward to fit and tighten a tap.

Nothing has been fitted yet, I've got to get one ASAP though as I thought the one that came with the kitchen was overpriced- well I did think that before I looked at bristan taps !!! Gosh they are expensive!

Looks like I'll have to get chrome plated instead but even they are 80 pounds!

We've had a Caple mixer for several years which is lovely, and yes it does move slightly but when I can be bothered I go under the sink and tighten it. It's not a major problem - it does depend on the style of sink though, ours is a ceramic one (never again) so it's very tricky to get the tools in the gap.

Also the sink stains and scratches badly. And water drips off the high profile edges onto the oak, which constantly needs to be mopped.

For my next kitchen I've already got a Franke tap which is better quality - I think it's the Verona model. Really nice.

No idea about plastic insides. But Franke are recognised as being a very good quality brand.

There are lots of suppliers online, or there's Ebay, but if you can manage to get one that's ex display you will save a lot.

No reason you can't have a pull out tap with a butler sink.

I hate to say it but £80 isn't very dear for a good quality tap (sorry) my Franke one was meant to be about 200 originally.

Look on ebay, seriously, it's the best bet - search only new or new other items, or put in ex display kitchen tap.

There are some bargains out there and most brands will do, but having bought Mayfair basin taps for the bathroom a few years ago which were about £30 I have learned my lesson - they don't bloody work!

yes, you may find a bargain on ebay

I used to get good deals at Plumbworld, but it seems they don't do Bristan any more. They may sometimes have other clearance sales.

If you need to buy an economical tap, one with a joystick or single lever will be more troublesome than one with two knobs; and capstans that screw up and down are less troublesome than those with a quarter turn (which have ceramic disks).

You can get replacement parts for good UK brands, but maybe not for unknown imports.

Do they all fit 40 mm worktops? I've been on ebay and seen some I like:)

there is a threaded stem that pokes through the hole in the sink or worktop. I don't think I've ever seen one too short.

Mine goes into a hole in the actual sink, my worktop is 40mm but I think it might need a shallow hole cutting underneath in order to fit the tap through the actual wood, so you could sink the nut into it.

Not sure if the tap would be long enough in itself otherwise. But you would have to check with the supplier.

Good luck

Thanks - I've ordered one. Let's hope its lovely and the builder doesn't suck his teeth. He's not impressed with my general all round uselessness:(