Useful tips...
- Monoblock taps - These kind of taps will fit nearly all sinks, the standard cut out for these taps are 35mm diameter, this is usually the same on all sinks, some larger taps may use a wider be so it's always best to check the dimensions on the individual products to make sure it will fit your sink.
- Bridge taps - A bridge tap is one that has two bases and requires two mounting holes. These taps will mostly be not suitable for a normal inset sink, this is because nearly all sinks have one mounting hole. For this reason they are used mainly with undermount and Belfast type sinks, where you have a large enough space at the rear of the sink for two mounting holes.
- Pull-Out Taps - These taps can be fitted to nearly all sinks as there cut out is usually the standard 35mm, obviously check before buying as one or two do have a slightly larger shank to them. Another thing to look out for on Pull-out taps is water pressure. Most pull out taps have a lower flow rate than a standard monoblock tap. This means that people with low water pressure from either the mains feed or the hot water tank may find that a pull out tap is not suitable for your situation. It is best in this situation to consult your plumber. For most people with a good cold feed pressure and a header tank at least 4m away/above them will find that a pull out tap will be fine.
- Tap Brace - When fitting monoblock taps to stainless steel inset sinks you can find that when operating the levers or handles the tap will cause the sink to flex. This is normal because inset sinks are metal and it will flex. Franke have developed a Tap Brace that fixes to the base of the tap underneath the sink and then to your worktop buy either screws for wooden or laminate worktops or a sticky pad for granite and composite worktops. By clamping or bracing the tap to the worktop this eliminates the majority of the flex and will stop any warping to the metal.
