Mixer Tap Plumbing - Opinions Please

I am looking at a bathroom re-fit and considering the pro's and con's of mixer taps.

My question relates to the feed for the wash hand basin on the cold side. The trend these days is towards the single hole basin for a mixer tap and there are far more of these available than the traditional two hole version. For hygene reasons, I had always considered it preferable to use mains cold water for the basin used for drinking water, tooth brushing etc. For mixer taps on the other hand, I understood that a balanced pressure was necessary to avoid internal wear. This would require an indirect cold feed from the water storage tank in the loft. Having recently had problems with a wasp's nest in the loft and the little blighters finding their way into the water tanks, I am reluctant to take drinking water feeds from that source.

Are mixer taps now made that overcome or tolerate the different feed pressures?

TIA

Phil

One technique that I plan to use is to have two basin taps, rather than a mixer. The cold tap is fed from the mains, the hot tap is fed from a thermostatic mixer valve set to around 40C. This way you can keep your scorching hot water for the bath and have a pleasant hand washing temperature in the hot tap. No need for a controllable mixer. I have mains pressure on both sides, but I believe you can get thermostatic mixers that cope with supplies of differential pressures. However, the pressure has to be reasonable on the gravity side.

Yes. You can either get them with pressure balancing valves (more likely for shower mixers than a basin tap) or with different channels in the spout so that hot and cold don't mix until they've left the tap.

Christian.