A mixer tap is often found in the kitchen and the shower will act as a mixer tap too. The term ‘mixer tap’ means having one spout for both the hot and cold water to come out of. There might be two taps controlling the temperature or only one tap rotating the water temperature from hottest to coldest water, for the water to flow out of a single spout. When turning a tap on, small holes (also known as valves or butterflies) move from a closed to an open position from partially open to fully open, depending on the desired temperature and flow rate.
Most mixer taps are fitted with a flow limiter to stop taking too much hot and cold water at the same time flowing through the mixer. This results in less hot water (than having two separate spouts) when mixing into a single flow which will reduce your energy bill.
The standard choice in kitchens is usually a chrome steel mixer tap. The steel is easy to clean and keeps the kitchen bacteria free, and only one spout to direct a dirty hand underneath with water at your desired temperature flowing out.
Can I change my kitchen taps to a mixer tap?
Older UK homes where the kitchen has not been updated, might still have a separate hot water tap and cold water tap in the kitchen. This was to avoid cross contamination when hot water was not fit to mix with drinking water.
If you live in a home with an old kitchen and are doing a kitchen refurbishment, the plumber can upgrade your kitchen tap with a mixer tap.
When installing a mixer tap, there will still be two separate pipes for hot and cold water that connect at the back of the mixer tap. This connection can be made with isolation valves so that if there is ever a plumbing emergency, one of the water supplies can be isolated from the tap. If the water supply is connected without isolation valves, there will just be the hoses bringing the water fitted with O-rings.
How much will it cost to replace a kitchen mixer tap?
If you are replacing a kitchen mixer tap with a new kitchen mixer tap, like for like, this will keep the cost of the job down as the fittings are all already in place and should be the cost of the call-out fee. If you have an old kitchen with a separate hot and cold tap which you would like replaced with a kitchen mixer tap, the longest part of this job will be removing the old taps, possibly fitting isolation valves on the water supply and ensuring the water supply is flexible hoses ready to fit the new mixer tap. The plumber may need to fit a new sink with the kitchen mixer tap, if the old sink had two separate tap holes, as you do not want to be left with a gaping hole. Extra work involved will of course add to the labour time and the overall cost of replacing your kitchen taps with a mixer tap.
Before the plumber arrives, be sure to make them aware of the current set-up and what you are after. Even if this means you need to email some photos. This will save you a potential wasted call-out fee.
|
Cost to repair or replace a kitchen mixer tap |
Per |
Average cost |
|
Replacing a kitchen mixer tap with a new mixer tap |
Per hour |
£45 |
|
Replacing 2x kitchen taps with a new mixer tap |
Per hour |
£150 |
|
Replacing new seals on a kitchen mixer tap |
Per day |
£35 |
|
Diagnosing a leak on a kitchen mixer tap and repairing the leak |
Per day |
£50 |
|
Fitting 2x isolation valves on a kitchen mixer tap |
Per day |
£60 |
What are the different types of kitchen mixer taps?
When buying a mixer tap consider the space in the kitchen and if you need your tap to be mounted on the countertop or the wall. Then decide on how you would like your spout, the shape of it and although most are moveable, capable of swinging side to side but additional useful features could be having an extender shower feature to spray dishes. Mixer taps come in different finishes and colours, from chrome satin to matt black, and anything in-between.
The different types of mixer taps are;
- single lever mixer - one lever to control the water temperature
- monobloc mixer - the most common kitchen tap mixer, this can be one or two levers / taps
- bridge mixer - bridge mixer taps feature separate hot and cold water inlets which are connected by a central bridge, where the hot and cold water mix before leaving a single spout. Taps with a bridge design are not suitable for installing directly onto a sink because two tap holes will be required
- Wall-mounted mixer - keeping the mixer off of the sink or work top makes the area feel uncluttered
Can a kitchen mixer tap be repaired?
A common fault in a mixer tap is a leaky tap where it is dripping and not shutting off correctly. A leak can usually appear in three different areas;
- at the base of the spout
- dripping from the mouth of the spout
- at the water supply connection
If dripping from the base of the spout, you do not need to replace the mixer tap, but a plumber could do a simple repair by removing the spout and replacing the seal ring. The seal O-ring deteriorates over time and this will allow a trickle of water to escape, getting worse the longer it is left. Often if there is a leak at the water supply connection, this is also to do with the seals or the connection has loosened over time and may just need to be re-tightened.
It is a good idea to have isolation valves fitted at the water connections as the flow can be reduced in areas where the pressure is too high to avoid running the mixer under a high flow rate. Having isolation valves means you can also turn off the water supply one at a time, to see if this helps stop the leak to diagnose where the cause of the water leak is coming from.
When a tap is dripping from the mouth of the spout, this could be due to lime scale or a washer seal inside that has perished. First clean off any lime scale and replace the O-ring and then if still leaking, perhaps the built-in cartridge needs to be removed and cleaned from limescale or replaced.
A professional plumber will be able to take about the mixer tap and have a look at all of the seals, replacing any they feel are showing signs of age and repair most faulty mixer taps without you having to replace the mixer tap.