My wife spotted an interesting *pop up* basin plug. We have cheapo Twyfords wibbly remote *push pull* jobs which are very keen to seize.
Has anyone any experience/comments.
They were like a chromed dome which locked closed with one push and open at the second. I can see they wouldn't suit a washing up sink where anything hard might release the water.
>ATrouble with any of these captive ones is that if you happen to fill the sink/basin with water that's far too hot you can't put your hand in without scalding yourself to empty some out to allow cold water in
The release/hold mechanism in the centre of the plug takes up so much room that the drain flow is substantially affected. Basically, the water can no longer 'swirl' and the drain rate is so slow as to leave particles in the sink. Also, hair has a tendency to get clogged around the mechanism. Avoid.
The captive swivel type which A mentions is a much neater alternative. They seal well, don't pick up dirt and if the water's too hot to dip your hand in, you just wait a minute or so. Their main drawback is that they usually have no grating below the swivel -- if you drop a ring down the plughole, it goes straight into the trap.
It is beyond my comprehension as to why anyone wants anything but the old fashion plugs. There are so many pitfalls and problems with the alternatives. My daughter insisted that I install a lever type for her, the blasted thing slowly leaks water and it restricts the out flow. When I empty the basin I always remove the plug,I'm too impatient to wait for the thing to empty otherwise! Reminds me of the old adage when cigarette lighters first come out, that if they had preceded matches when matches were invented everyone would have hailed them as a huge improvement.
Yes, they work well as long as you buy a good quality one.
I've used a Hansgrohe one
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my cloakroom project and it is excellent. Cost was about £30. The mechanism is solid and works smoothly, the seal is very sound and you can buy spare parts individually should you ever need them.
I did also look at the various lookalikes in the DIY stores, bathroom shops etc. and most of them are rubbish; plus they were generally bright chrome and I was looking for a satin stainless steel finish
Well, each type has its own disadvantages. The plug-and-chain variety, for instance, has to have somewhere to sit when you don't want it plugging the waste. They can leave water-ring marks around the sink area. The little balls on the chain often get dirty and grubby-looking. If the plug is metal-topped, it can scratch/chip the surface of the basin.[1] If pushed in too firmly, they can either leap out at you when pulled or snap the chain.
I often feel the same: but then I ask myself why I feel the need to stand there and watch it empty.
But yes, they do leak and they do clog and they look ugly on exposed (free-standing) sinks.
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More usually, though, they scratch baths because they fall/swing from a greater height.
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