Using bathroom taps in the kitchen

AIUI, the difference is premixing.

Bath taps are designed to mix the two flows before they get to the spout. Kitchen taps pipe each flow right up to the outlet.

Depending on how your hot water system works, this may or may not matter.

If you hot is instantly heated by a combi or thermal store, then it doesn't matter.

If it's tank water, it may not be so nice - or even have bacterial growth in it.

I think the critical point might be whether the cold comes off the mains or not.

If the pressure of the cold water is much greater than that of the hot and the water is mixed in the block, then it is theoretically possible for the cold water to feed back up the up hot pipe.

It is normally assumed that the kitchen tap is mains fed and the bathroom tap is secondary fed. Hence the reason for not mixing in the block for a kitchen tap.

tim

Thanks. The hot water is heated by a combi, so presumably there won't be a problem.

Thanks. The cold comes directly from the mains and the hot comes from the combi. The combi is mains fed but I suppose if it has some sort of pressure reducing system for the domestic hot water, I might have a problem.

doubt it - after all how many times does a kitchen sink require a mixed "warm" flow - ours is usually HOT or COLD (IMH though direct E)

Cheers JimK

I don't know that it's a "problem" but I *think* you might need check valves on both inputs in order to comply with the regulations. Single flow taps designed for kitchens tend to have them built in. See eg

JimK :

Quite often here. When washing hands, for instance.

Thanks. I know what you mean, but occasionally someone might want a mixture of hot and cold, surely. And it's worth peace of mind (for me) knowing that it isn't going to cause a problem.