Thoughts on Wall-mounted faucets, both bathrooms and kitchen

[puntloos]

Hi all,

 

As anyone tasked with cleaning knows - faucet bases are always hard to clean, especially in limescale-y areas. 

 

One ‘obvious’ solution is wall mounting, even though it seems to be a rare approach - very few of the nicer, more feature rich faucets (e.g. with the extendable spray head, let alone quooker-style ones) exist in wall-mounted versions. - http://worldwide.deltafaucet.com/kitchen/details/44004-sq.html ($190) is so far my best find, although not even sure I could easily source them, they’re some indian brand…

 

Anyone have any thoughts on wall-mounting? Is this a good idea? Am I missing any obvious downsides? Any specific faucets that you chose? (link?)

 

To be clear: yes I very much want a ‘kitchen style’ faucet in all my bathrooms too, I have no idea why teensy faucets that force you into weird angles to try to get water on your hands, always at the risk of touching the dirty washbasin are so common.. I want water to comfortably drop in the center of the basin..

 

Edited July 17, 2019 by puntloos

[lizzie]

I had them in previous bathroom its just a style thing.

 

Have seen them in kitchens again a style thing.

 

Think you probably need to look at higher end European brands for more choice.

 

Why on earth would anyone let their fitting get into the state of the one in your picture.....have they never heard of viakal once in a while.

[jack]

We wanted wall-mounted in our kitchen, but as you've noticed, they're very unusual. We gave up in the end.

 

We have wall-mounted in our bathrooms. I'd have mounted them a bit higher to give more space underneath for your hands, but otherwise can recommend them as being easy to keep clean.

[puntloos]

1 minute ago, lizzie said:

 just a style thing.

 

Mm.. well, clearly there’s some practical benefits, not saying they’re worth it and/or if they are outweighed by other factors(incl price..)

 

1 minute ago, lizzie said:

Why on earth would anyone let their fitting get into the state of the one in your picture.....have they never heard of viakal once in a while.

Well, in our current situation viakal is too aggressive for our natural material worktop…

[lizzie]

@puntloos I have had granite but still managed a careful wipe with a limescale cleaner...in this house I have granite too but with the infamous Halcyon device scale is different and wipes away with a microfibre cloth

 

and my apologies I didn't realise it was your own tap thought it was a random pic from internet

Edited July 17, 2019 by lizzie

[jack]

1 minute ago, puntloos said:

Mm.. well, clearly there’s some practical benefits, not saying they’re worth it and/or if they are outweighed by other factors(incl price..)

 

Bear in mind it's the surrounding mounting area that's easier to keep clean, as much as the taps themselves. You don't get pooled water below the taps from wet hands turning them off, for example.

[puntloos]

16 minutes ago, lizzie said:

@puntloos I have had granite but still managed a careful wipe with a limescale cleaner...in this house I have granite too but with the infamous Halcyon device scale is different and wipes away with a microfibre cloth

 

and my apologies I didn't realise it was your own tap thought it was a random pic from internet

 

Not at all, it was a pic from the internet ? We are not *that* bad, but indeed struggling with a dark marble worktop.. 

 

17 minutes ago, jack said:

 

Bear in mind it's the surrounding mounting area that's easier to keep clean, as much as the taps themselves. You don't get pooled water below the taps from wet hands turning them off, for example.

 

Yes exactly, that’s my primary reason. 

 

My main goal is:

 

- Wall mounted

- Mixer (of course)

- Extendable/retracting head

- one-handed control

 

A google image search got me a few decent hits already:

 

FLG ($225) - It looks it’s only cold, but it does say mixer. The handle is a bit teensy?

 

DHGate ($50) - A bit less cool, spray might not be ideal for cleaning dishes..

 

Duerno ($100) - Looks nice.. Single hole hot and cold… how does that work? Some concentric two-pipes-in-one? No pull-out though.

 

 

MENHONYI ($84) - seems OK but not great looking..

 

The quest continues..

[ToughButterCup]

Thanks very much  for starting this thread. 

Made me think: my hands are only going to get worse (Dupuytren's Contracture) , the images - and the links -  you posted  are very useful

Thanks.

[Onoff]

Cheap here. Tbh you should be buying a spare methinks:

 

https://www.homelava.com/en-kitchen-faucets-sb15-pi1-c73.htm

[the_r_sole]

.

Edited September 26, 2019 by the_r_sole

[ProDave]

Slightly related, I fitted a floor standing bath filler. Fitted because I did not want ANY reason to ever have to lift the free standing bath out of it's surround,

[Ferdinand]

12 hours ago, the_r_sole said:

Ive done ones like this in bathrooms before, tbh I love them! Not seen many kitchen ones but I guess that's because the most common place for a kitchen sink is in front of a window!

https://uk.homary.com/contemporary-solid-brass-wall-mount-basin-mixer-tap-for-bathroom-with-single-lever-in-matte-black.html

 

They had some not unlike these in the clearance auctions I have been mentioning on the "Offers" Featured Thread. They are clearing a soak.com something or other.

 

I bought a £100 waterfall type wall mounted one for my bath for about £35.

 

You could get one from there to put in your kitchen. You do not get the elephant nozzle, however.

 

ISTM that waterfall wall-mounted taps from the bathroom could be a good idea for the cat.

 

Credit: http://www.catbehaviour.net/why-does-my-cat-drink-from-the-tap.html

 

F

 

 

Edited July 18, 2019 by Ferdinand

[ragg987]

We used these in all our bathrooms, work extremely well and very easy to clean. You need to buy a separate wall box for first fix so it is an expensive solution.  

https://www.qualitybath.com/hansgrohe-38118-wall-mounted-single-handle-faucet-trim-product-40907.htm

 

 

You can also avoid scum by adding a water softener. Our kitchen taps are base mounted, but with soft water cleaning is easier.

 

[ToughButterCup]

12 hours ago, ProDave said:

Slightly related, I fitted a floor standing bath filler.[...]

 

Thanks for the slight relation. Bloody good idea. Cheque's in the post Dave.

Ian

[Ferdinand]

41 minutes ago, AnonymousBosch said:

 

Thanks for the slight relation. Bloody good idea. Cheque's in the post Dave.

Ian

 

Would welcome your comments to see if I can improve my practice.

 

Now I always fit single lever ‘nudgeable’ mixer taps to rentals .. operating like this one at home, though not necessarily as expensive a model .. on the basis that they can be operated without grip and with less fine motor control using a single hand. And that such tenants need something as easy to use as possible, and that they are nicer anyway provided they are robust and dependable.

 

In your opinion is there any better option eg for your condition as it progresses?

 

I guess that at some point there will be taps which have sensors like the hand drying machines, and probably are already, or even voice control. “Alexa, wash up.”

 

Cheers

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited July 18, 2019 by Ferdinand

[puntloos]

3 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Would welcome your comments to see if I can improve my practice.

 

Now I always fit single lever ‘nudgeable’ mixer taps to rentals .. operating like this one at home, though not necessarily as expensive a model .. on the basis that they can be operated without grip and with less fine motor control using a single hand. And that such tenants need something as easy to use as possible, and that they are nicer anyway provided they are robust and dependable.

 

In your opinion is there any better option eg for your condition as it progresses?

 

I guess that at some point there will be taps which have sensors like the hand drying machines, and probably are already, or even voice control. “Alexa, wash up.”

 

Cheers

 

Ferdinand

 

 

I'm also wondering about my "single lever" requirement, since a hot and a cold control are fine in 99% of my use cases.  I typically use 'all hot' or 'all cold' and only rarely do I need fine control - and if I do, dual lever/dial isn't a terrible dealbreaker.

[puntloos]

On 17/07/2019 at 18:28, ProDave said:

Slightly related, I fitted a floor standing bath filler. Fitted because I did not want ANY reason to ever have to lift the free standing bath out of it's surround,

Newbie question I'm sure but can you explain? Why would a non-freestanding cause you to (possibly) have to lift a bath.. and if so is that a big deal?

[Ferdinand]

7 hours ago, puntloos said:

Newbie question I'm sure but can you explain? Why would a non-freestanding cause you to (possibly) have to lift a bath.. and if so is that a big deal?

 

I think that would be because the plumbing and gubbins is no longer under the bath.

 

Whilst with a normal bath you remove the front panel and squirm like an eel (this is why some plumbers do Yoga), stand-alone baths are supposed to be either steel ponds-on-legs with Lions’ Feet, or smooth and enclosed like a 30s modernist item (or because someone has sensibly been informed that SWMBO will NOT be dusting The lions’ feet). 

 

In the latter case you would probably need to lift it out.

 

F

 

[PeterW]

23 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

 

I guess that at some point there will be taps which have sensors like the hand drying machines, and probably are already, or even voice control. “Alexa, wash up.”

 

There already are. Geberit do a sensor tap as do others, the downside with them though is they use blended temperature water so no use for a kitchen tap. 

 

I’ve fitted a Mira Mode shower recently where it’s controlled by a button or an app, and the dual flow ones also have the benefit of a combined overflow bath filler so there are no taps on show at all. Very neat and needs a single feed from the shower unit that can be elsewhere - even in a plant room. 

 

I have a dislike of the floor standing taps as they can get used as a handle to assist someone getting out of a bath and that can cause major issues - they are not designed to be pulled on, and I’ve seen floor tiles cracked due to point loads from them too. 

[puntloos]

Not a big fan of those freestanding baths anyway, admittedly it looks fairly fancy but it doesn't seem very practical (where do you store your glass of wine, inquiring minds want to know..) etc.

[ProDave]

10 hours ago, puntloos said:

Newbie question I'm sure but can you explain? Why would a non-freestanding cause you to (possibly) have to lift a bath.. and if so is that a big deal?

It's a free standing bath that is lowered down into a matching surround.

 

If you install it to MI's you would drill one side for taps, fir the taps with long flexi's and use a horrible (supplied with the bath) flexi waste so you could lift the bath up.  If ever the taps went wrong and needed replacement or the flexi hoses failed you would have to lift the bath out of it's surround to fix it.

 

I so much hated that flexi waste that I chose not to use it. I used a top access trap and solid waste, lowered the bath plus waste in and made the final solid wste connection from below before the utility room ceiling was put up.  If I ever did have to lift the bath out now I would have to cut a trap in the utility ceiling to access that joint.

 

With the floor standing filler, and a top access trap, there should be no need for the bath to ever be removed so that makes use of the solid waste rather than the horrible flexi thing possible.

[ProDave]

26 minutes ago, puntloos said:

Not a big fan of those freestanding baths anyway, admittedly it looks fairly fancy but it doesn't seem very practical (where do you store your glass of wine, inquiring minds want to know..) etc.

On the flat side where one would normally have drilled to fit a set of taps. Now conveniently left as a flat undrilled surface for your wine glass, bar of soap etc.

[puntloos]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

On the flat side where one would normally have drilled to fit a set of taps. Now conveniently left as a flat undrilled surface for your wine glass, bar of soap etc.

 

Ah but what about the other wine glass.. and nibbles, a book.. candles.. monitor for movies... 

 

OK slightly more seriously,  I didn't think of the flat side, perhaps that'll work.. still, obviously(?) a bath with a surrounding ridge and/or a windowsill nearby provides a bit more storage space e.g. shampoo for bathing the kid, perhaps a towel

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

It's a free standing bath that is lowered down into a matching surround.

Any chance you have a picture? When I think of 'freestanding bath' I'm thinking of

 

Perhaps there are some minor fittings below but it's not really 'lowered' too deeply I assume

 

 

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

 

If you install it to MI's

 

MI's? Sorry google's not helpful with 2-letter searchterms

 

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

you would drill one side for taps, fir the taps with long flexi's and use a horrible (supplied with the bath) flexi waste so you could lift the bath up.  If ever the taps went wrong and needed replacement or the flexi hoses failed you would have to lift the bath out of it's surround to fix it.

 

I so much hated that flexi waste that I chose not to use it. I used a top access trap and solid waste, lowered the bath plus waste in and made the final solid wste connection from below before the utility room ceiling was put up.  If I ever did have to lift the bath out now I would have to cut a trap in the utility ceiling to access that joint.

Doesn't sound ideal, no.

 

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

 

With the floor standing filler, and a top access trap, there should be no need for the bath to ever be removed so that makes use of the solid waste rather than the horrible flexi thing possible.

 

Agreed, flexi looks ugly

[ToughButterCup]

On 18/07/2019 at 08:04, Ferdinand said:

[...]

In your opinion is there any better option eg for your condition as it progresses?

[...]

 

Maybe a larger lever - something that can easily be nudged with the palm of my hand. As long as the tap 'action' is as simple as possible, I think I'll be OK.

[Moira Niedzwiecka]

I have a wall mounted basin tap, floor mounted bath filler & a freestanding bath.

Really pleased with all of them.

Most importantly, I also have a solution to the G & T or glass of wine & book dilemma for a freestanding bath, essential to any decent bathing experience.

Wire shower caddy £19 from TK Maxx. Just the right height.?