No Indicator of Which is Cold and Hot Taps

In article , phigham writes

Nick 'em from the display models on show at your local DIY shed?

Or " Indices" even :-) Stuart

In the UK hot should always be on the left.

In message , harrogate writes

Not necessarily

I put the cold tap on the left in the bathroom sink, I'm right handed and if I'm e.g. holding my toothbrush, I can control the water with my left hand (which is actually completely untrue, but the best reason I can come up with offhand)

That's a 'should' not an 'is'.

Yes, the bathroom hot taps are on the right (and on the left in the kitchen). When the house was refurbed by the previous owner, they moved in mysterious ways...like putting the mains cold feed to the the bathroom sink and nicking the tap indeces (that's the word I was searching for). Now, where can I get these ?

Paul

(phigham) wrote

The one i've just plumbed is on the left, but more by good luck than good judgement ;-)

Where did this convention originate ?

P.

Why is it even 'should'? I would have said "is often on the left".

What's mysterious about that?

Probably with the Romans who had plumbing long before Sir Twyford Adamant and Lord Vitreous of China were on the scene.

The theory was, like driving on the left, that the right hand would always be available for the sword.

In the case of bathroom plumbing, my theory is that since the majority of the population are right handed, they will grab first for the right hand tap if they are not paying attention. With the hot on the left, they will not scald themselves.

If you believe that, you'll believe anything :-)

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In message , Andy Hall writes

Worse than my reply.

But my argument was better if you're holding something in your right hand, it leaves the left free to turn on the cold tap

Hmmmm.... Maybe that's what the Romans were doing, and it was that that led to their demise.......

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

I think there may be more truth in that. What I heard was that when there were only cold taps they were on the right for the reason you stated so the hot went on the left when H&C became the standard.

I can't think where I found out that it was a 'should' rather than an 'is', but I beleive it to be so, but welcome to be corrected.

Note that a thermostatic bath/shower mixer unit will _require_ the supply pipes are arranged according to the norm.

I really can't think what you're talking about

I am very irritated by this 'standard practice' particularly in the kitchen, where I pick up the kettle in my right hand and have to cross my left over it to fill it...same for large heavy sauxcepans.

Oh well.

You don't like having drinking water from the tap when brushing your teeth then? You prefer water from a grotty tank with dead rats floating within?

All my taps are direct from the mains, unstored and drinkable, even the hot taps.

Christian.

You could always pick up the kettle with your left hand. That way your right hand to free to manipulate the taps and the lid, which requires greater dexterity.

Christian.