Q&A: Bathroom Spring Makeover

March 2003

I'm about to buy a new bath, should I buy metal or plastic?

There is not much difference really. Acrylic (plastic) baths are as strong and easy to keep clean as metal ones. The only difference I've noticed is that plastic baths tend to twist a little under the load of the water. However, if the bath is well supported as recommended in the fitting instructions this will not present a problem. I would choose the design I prefer rather than consider the material.

What is a mono tap and what advantages do they have over normal taps?

Mono is short for mono-block, that is, both the hot and cold are contained in one tap. Mono taps fit into a single hole in the basin (some baths have mono taps but not many). The fitting mechanism is straightforward, usually a nut tightens up onto a retaining plate. These taps have soft copper tails (8mm or 10mm) which can be bent to join up with the existing water pipes. Reducers from 15mm (or 22mm) to 8mm or 10mm are easily available so there is no problem plumbing them in. Some mono taps have a pop up waste that is operated from a knob situated on the taps.

I've noticed that many lavatory cisterns have the feed and overflow pipes entering into the bottom of the cistern. Why is this and are they hard to fit without leaks?

I'm not sure why so many cisterns are now bottom entry. I would guess it is because the pipes are not quite so much in view when they enter into the bottom of the cistern as when they come in the side.

I've found that the bottom entry fittings are very easy to work with. The trick is to get the washers in the correct order (as recommended in the instructions). A lot of thought has gone into making them water tight and so they are probably easier to fit then side entry.

I have read in a magazine that I should fit a service valve on the pipe to the W.C. What is it and why should I one?

A service valve is any type of valve that stops the flow of water so that a tap or fitting can be worked on (serviced). The most usual type of service valve is operated by a screwdriver so that it cannot be turned on and off too easily. These are sometimes referred to as ball valves because of the way they work. However, a stop cock or in-line tap could also be a service valve. The Water Authority bye- laws insist that there is a service valve fitted on the mains water feed to the W.C. cistern. I recommend that a service valve is fitted to each pipe in the kitchen and bathroom so that the supply to any tap can be turned off easily.

A neighbour suggested that I fix the lavatory pan to the floor by bedding it in mortar. Is this a good way to do it? If not, how should I fix it down - I'm worried that I will split the base of the lavatory.

No, this is an old practice that is frowned on by the manufacturers. You are quite right -there is a danger of cracking the base of the lavatory pan. I use brass screws into the wooden floor or a wall plug in a concrete floor. However, I put a small tap washer on each screw to protect the porcelain from the head of the screw. Tighten the screw just tight enough to hold the pan but not too tight - I avoid using a power screwdriver for this job. Alternatively, there is a special fixing plug provided by one supplier (Oracstar) that seems to work very well.