Hints and Tips

1. High and low pressure taps/showers
Todays market has been flooded with products from the continent. This means that many tap and shower fittings are "high pressure". This is fine for people with combination boilers, unvented cylinders or pumped systems, these are regarded as high pressure systems. If you have a standard gravity system with the tank in the loft and the cylinder in the airing cupboard, this is a low pressure system. High pressure fittings will not work properly, this can be overcome by installing a booster pump. Remember to check before purchasing your bathroom fittings.

2. Power showers and combination boilers
We are often asked for power showers by people with combination boilers. It is not possible to use these two products together as combination boilers are powered directly from the mains. With mains water pressure, there should be no need to pump the water, generally combination boilers will provide a forcefull shower.

3. Planning your bathroom
It is very important to plan your bathroom correctly, all suppliers will charge restocking and cancellation fees for specially ordered products. We recommend that you seek professional advice. Our website contains a plan your bathroom page, this will assist you in planning your bathroom.

4. Moving the WC
It is possible to place a toilet in any position in the bathroom, but this may not be straightforward and can be expensive. First to consider is the position of the soil vent pipe, this will be beside the existing toilet, keeping the new toilet near the soil vent pipe and/or on an outside wall will lower installation costs. However modern toilets come in many configurations such as wall mounted, which provides space to reroute the soil vent pipe. Be aware of the construction of the floor, it is easier to route water between the joists in a wooden floor. Above all check with your plumber before you buy your new bathroom.

5. Installation cost
When working to a budget it is advisable to check the cost of installation before you choose your products. Installation can cost as much or more than your bathroom suite. Labour costs will vary between installers.

6. Installers
It is always best to use an installer that has been recommended to you, or whos work you have seen. Always get more than one quote and remember that the cheapest option is not always the best option.

7. Negative head
Negative head is a result of the shower head being at the same level or higher than the base of the cold water tank. If the shower head is in either of these positions a flow of water will not occur. Most pumps are activated by flow switches, so when there is no flow, the pump will not turn on. Negative head pumps work off the pressure in the pipes and are triggered in a different way. With a loft extension, it is unlikely that the tank will be higher than the shower head, this is where you need a negative head pump.

8. Noisy Pumps
Pumps should be no louder than a gentle hum, a noisy pump usually means that there is a fault. If a pump is incorrectly sited air can be pulled into the system, which when pumped with the water will make the pump noisy. The pump should be sited near the base of the hot water cylinder.

9. Sealing baths
Before sealing the bath fill to the overflow with water, this will stretch and pull the bath down. Seal the bath and allow to dry. When you release the water, the bath will rise and the seal will compress, this means that when you refill the bath the seal will not stretch and split.

10. Tiling
Pay attention to the position of cut tiles, where a wall is broken by a door or window, start using whole tiles, working outwards from that point. Most tiles are glazed along one or two edges which allows for a neat finish along exposed edges.