Plumbing and Bathroom Terminology

Bathrooms rank among the most frequently used and intricate spaces in a home. Designing a bathroom involves considering numerous components, each offering various options. It goes beyond determining the need for a basin tap; homeowners must also consider its size, configuration, and proper installation. This Help Center is tailored for homeowners seeking a grasp of fundamental bathroom terminology. Here, individuals can explore diverse aspects of the bathroom, ranging from well-suited fixtures to various plumbing elements like aerators and diverters. Detailed descriptions are provided, offering insight into each item’s relevance to the bathroom.

Bathroom Suites (or sometimes referred as bathroom white goods)

Back-To-Wall Toilet ?

• Back-To-Wall Toilet (BTW) describes a toilet that is fixed tightly to the surface of a supportive wall or item of furniture straight away behind it.

Corner-Fitting ?

• Corner-Fitting describes a bathroom fixture specially designed to fit a corner space.

Close-Coupled Toilet ?

• Close-Coupled Toilet is used to describe a style of toilet wherein the cistern attaches directly to the pan.

Semi-Recessed Basins ?

• Semi-Recessed Basins are used to describe a washbasin that hangs over the edge of the unit on which it sits.

Countertop Basins ?

• Countertop Basins are used to describe a washbasin that sits on the surface of a vanity unit.

Wall-Hung Basins ?

• Wall-Hung Basins are used to describe a basin that is supported by a fixture to a load-bearing wall.

W.C. ?

• W.C. stands for ‘water closet’, but is more widely known as a toilet.

4-Piece Bathroom Suite ?

• A 4-Piece Bathroom Suite is made up of 4 individual ceramic fixtures. These are the toilet cistern, toilet pan, wash basin and a pedestal. These are also known as Cloakroom Suite.

5-Piece Bathroom Suite ?

• A 5-Piece Bathroom Suite consists of 5 individual ceramic fixtures. These are the toilet cistern, toilet pan, wash basin, pedestal and a bidet.

Full-Pedestal Basin ?

• A Full-Pedestal Basin is the name given to the stand that supports a washbasin by sitting vertically on the bathroom’s floor.

Semi-Pedestal Basin ?

• A Semi-Pedestal Basin is the name given to the half-sized basin by attaching itself to a wall.

Push-Button Flush ?

• A Push-Button Flush is the pushable fitting that controls a toilet’s flushing mechanism.

Bath Shower Mixer ?

• A Bath Shower Mixer works equally well as a bath mixer and a shower, with water distributed through either the tap or shower outlets.

Bridge ?

• A Bridge is the horizontal connection between the hot and cold water taps.

Aerator ?

• It’s that part of the faucet which makes the water flow smoothly by injecting air into the water.

Basin mixer ?

• The term is usually reserved for a basin tap which mixes both hot and cold water within its domain and delivers mixed water through a single spout unlike two individual taps dedicated for hot and cold water.

Bath filler/shower mixer ?

• The Bath filler-mixer serves bathtubs by blending hot and cold water through separate controls, then dispensing it through a single spout. For a shower mixer, it includes a shower hose with a spray head, while retaining similar features to a filler-mixer.

Brassware ?

• Generic term used to address bathroom fixtures such as taps, accessories and shower mixers that are usually made of brass metal.

Ceramic Disc Technology ?

• Involves the planting of ceramic cartridges or discs in a tap’s mechanism to eliminate dripping and have a robust flow system with better control over its functioning.

Mixer taps ?

• These taps feature a single spout where hot and cold water blend either within the spout for a single flow type or as the water exits the spout for a dual flow type. The controls may be operated with dual or single levers, while the spout consistently remains singular.

Monobloc mixer ?

• Fabricated with individual or separate controls for hot and cold water with a single point or monobloc installation; the hot and cold water are mixed and delivered through its single spout.

Dual Control ?

• Means the presence of two individual levers for controlling temperature changes and making flow adjustments.

Dual flow ?

• This is an arrangement for hot and cold water to be fed separately into the tap and the two streams of flow remain unmixed inside the tap blending only when they are outside.

Flow regulator ?

• It essentially limits the flow rate in a shower apparatus or a faucet, tempers excessive fluctuations and helps reach a steady flow.

Flow restrictor ?

• Unlike the regulator, the restrictor is capable of only curbing high flow rates and does not have a bearing on fluctuations caused by varying pressure.

BS5412 ?

• It is a specification and standard for manufacturing low resistance single taps deemed suitable for low pressure water systems.