Afternoon all,

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap. It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when
tugged, the head would pull out of the body to act like a shower head.
We were both taken with this and would like to fit one in the future.

So the question is: what size pipework & connectors the Americans use? I
know they go for imperial measurements for this sort of thing so are
they likely to be the the same as the old 1/2" size with compatible
pitch threads?

Cheers,
--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

Scott M wrote:

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap. It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when
tugged, the head would pull out of the body to act like a shower head.
We were both taken with this and would like to fit one in the future.

So the question is: what size pipework & connectors the Americans use? I
know they go for imperial measurements for this sort of thing so are
they likely to be the the same as the old 1/2" size with compatible
pitch threads?

I'm not sure about American taps, but this type of tap is available
rather closer to home in Calais, Boulogne or Dunkerque (Leroy Merlin).
French taps are supplied with flexible tails terminating in (I think)
3/8" BSP connectors. These fit the thread on a 15 mm to 10 mm
compression coupling.

Roger.

It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when tugged, the head would
pull out of the body to act like a shower head.

Saw one in B&Q a few years ago. I can't think why you'd want to have a
shower in the kitchen, though. Maybe washing the dog?

Christian.

In article , Christian
McArdle writes
It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when tugged, the head would
pull out of the body to act like a shower head.

Saw one in B&Q a few years ago. I can't think why you'd want to have a
shower in the kitchen, though. Maybe washing the dog?

Rinsing stuff off plates. Most commercial kitchens have them.
--
Tim Mitchell

Christian McArdle wrote:
It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when tugged, the head would
pull out of the body to act like a shower head.


Saw one in B&Q a few years ago. I can't think why you'd want to have a
shower in the kitchen, though. Maybe washing the dog?

Christian.


IKEA had them last time I was there, although they aren't on the website...
Theirs looked like 12mm tails out to 15mm copper, although that's a
guess, I didn't actually measure it

As for the use, I suppose it may be handy for rinsing dishes or veggies.

Lee

--
To reply use lee.blaver and ntlworld.com

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
. net...
It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when tugged, the head would
pull out of the body to act like a shower head.

Saw one in B&Q a few years ago. I can't think why you'd want to have a
shower in the kitchen, though. Maybe washing the dog?

Christian.



My mother would find one useful. She's often to be found washing her hair
in the kitchen sink.

(Don't ask... That's Yorkshire folk for you! I think it uses fractionally
less water.)

--
Richard Sampson

email me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

Rinsing stuff off plates. Most commercial kitchens have them.

Ah. I prefer dishwashers.

I could use it for cleaning the sides of the Belfast sink, I suppose, but I
doubt the styling would be suitable.

Christian.

As for the use, I suppose it may be handy for rinsing dishes or veggies.

Washing veggies?

A bit of soil is good for your immune system! Give it something to chew on,
instead of catching allergies.

Christian.

RichardS wrote:


My mother would find one useful. She's often to be found washing her hair
in the kitchen sink.

(Don't ask... That's Yorkshire folk for you! I think it uses fractionally
less water.)


Nah. Its something to do with the size of the head and the paucity of
Yorkshire basins...



--
Richard Sampson

email me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

"Scott M" wrote in message
...

Afternoon all,

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap. It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when
tugged, the head would pull out of the body to act like a shower head.
We were both taken with this and would like to fit one in the future.

So the question is: what size pipework & connectors the Americans use? I
know they go for imperial measurements for this sort of thing so are
they likely to be the the same as the old 1/2" size with compatible
pitch threads?

Cheers,
--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?


They are selling on E-Bay

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 15:44:03 GMT, Scott M
wrote:


Afternoon all,

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap. It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when
tugged, the head would pull out of the body to act like a shower head.
We were both taken with this and would like to fit one in the future.

So the question is: what size pipework & connectors the Americans use? I
know they go for imperial measurements for this sort of thing so are
they likely to be the the same as the old 1/2" size with compatible
pitch threads?


Plumbworld have them. £59 +vat

http://tinyurl.com/whx0

DG

Plumbworld have them. £59 +vat

With minimum 1 bar, that is a mains (or pump) pressure only tap, so I'd
check that the hot water system is compatible first.

Christian.

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 15:44:03 GMT, Scott M
wrote:


Afternoon all,

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap. It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when
tugged, the head would pull out of the body to act like a shower head.
We were both taken with this and would like to fit one in the future.

So the question is: what size pipework & connectors the Americans use? I
know they go for imperial measurements for this sort of thing so are
they likely to be the the same as the old 1/2" size with compatible
pitch threads?

Franke also do a couple of versions which have heads that full out

www.franke.co.uk

Parents have one, fab for washing larger items

John

"Christian McArdle" wrote in
. net:

Plumbworld have them. £59 +vat

With minimum 1 bar, that is a mains (or pump) pressure only tap, so I'd
check that the hot water system is compatible first.

Christian.

I got one from homebase, but it was no good, it had 10mm tails, which
combined with my 10-12 ft head - I raised the header tank but it did no
good - meant no shower at all.

If it had worked it would have been wonderful

mike r

"Scott M" wrote in message
...

Afternoon all,

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap. It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when
tugged, the head would pull out of the body to act like a shower head.
We were both taken with this and would like to fit one in the future.

They are available here.


---
--

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.542 / Virus Database: 336 - Release Date: 18/11/2003

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
. net...
It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when tugged, the head would
pull out of the body to act like a shower head.

Saw one in B&Q a few years ago. I can't think why you'd want to have a
shower in the kitchen, though. Maybe washing the dog?

Christian.

I had one similar 23 years ago. I hardly ever used the hose as I have a
dishwasher. A waste of time.


---
--

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.542 / Virus Database: 336 - Release Date: 18/11/2003

"IMM" wrote in message ...
"Scott M" wrote in message
...

Afternoon all,

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap. It looked like an ordinary mixer job but, when
tugged, the head would pull out of the body to act like a shower head.
We were both taken with this and would like to fit one in the future.

They are available here.


---


got mine in John Lewis about 18 months ago......really useful for
washing large things - or filling very tall (that are too big to fit
under the tap in the sink) containers with.....

"Gin Smith" wrote in message
om...
"IMM" wrote in message
...
"Scott M" wrote in message
...

Afternoon all,

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had
a
rather nifty kitchen tap. It looked like an ordinary mixer job but,
when
tugged, the head would pull out of the body to act like a shower head.
We were both taken with this and would like to fit one in the future.

They are available here.

got mine in John Lewis about 18 months ago......really useful for
washing large things - or filling very tall (that are too big to fit
under the tap in the sink) containers with.....

The problem with these is that the removable nozzle can scratch more than
the rest of the tap spout, making it look grotty after a time.


---
--

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.542 / Virus Database: 336 - Release Date: 18/11/2003

Scott M wrote:

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Didn't realise they'd be so reasonably
priced this side of the pond.

I'm surprised that there are problems if the water pressure isn't great
enough. What am I missing?

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

I'm surprised that there are problems if the water pressure isn't
great enough. What am I missing?

Showers need good pressure anyway, to squeeze the water through the little
holes. Add a compact design that requires narrow waterways, and you'll only
get a dribble from a low pressure gravity fed system. Also, it won't handle
differential pressure well. A standard kitchen tap can handle pressure
differential because the water is mixed mid air. The spout actually has
separate channels for hot and cold which don't interfere. If the water was
mixed within the tap, the high pressure water would physically prevent the
low pressure from entering the mixing chamber and might even flow back up
the low pressure supply pipe.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:

Showers need good pressure anyway, to squeeze the water through the little
holes. Add a compact design that requires narrow waterways, and you'll only
get a dribble from a low pressure gravity fed system. Also, it won't handle
differential pressure well. A standard kitchen tap can handle pressure
differential because the water is mixed mid air. The spout actually has
separate channels for hot and cold which don't interfere. If the water was
mixed within the tap, the high pressure water would physically prevent the
low pressure from entering the mixing chamber and might even flow back up
the low pressure supply pipe.

Right: With you. My parents in law's bath has a similar problem with
mains fed cold and tank fed hot. With the hot tap on at full the usable
range of the cold tap to go from freezing to scalding is about 1 degree
of rotational movement.

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

Scott M wrote:

Scott M wrote:

When we holidayed in the US last year we stayed with a friend who had a
rather nifty kitchen tap.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Didn't realise they'd be so reasonably
priced this side of the pond.

I'm surprised that there are problems if the water pressure isn't great
enough. What am I missing?

--
Scott

Reading this thread a little amused that anything that may be a
little unusual? in the UK i.e. anything someone has seen on this
side of the pond is automatically "American"! (OK; with Canada
having only a tenth of the US population in a much larger land
area, we'll settle for 'North American') ;-).
In this part of Canada such 'sprayers' are not uncommon. The
kitchen of one of our daughters has one, the other not. In this
house the original mixer taps came with a sprayer hose but I
never installed it. See b).
Speaking as a d-i-yer; there seems to be two main types.
a) is a type of shower head that is normally part of the spout
over the kitchen sink/s but it is removable and can be moved
around in order to rinse/spray off dishes etc. With these you
adjust the water to the temperature and flow you want, the usual
way, using either the mixer handle or the individual cold/hot
taps, pull the 'shower head' off the spout and go to it!
b) More common is a type where an extra hose, often about three
eighths outside diameter, either rubber/plastic or covered with
that chrome 'slinky' material, comes from the bottom of the taps
up through an extra aperture, usually to the right of the
taps/mixer valve.
They seem to work, in most cases, again by setting the water
pressure and temp and then operating a trigger handle on the
sprayer head/nozzle whereupon the water automatically diverts
through an extra (diverter) valve installed in the base of the
taps assembly (A divil to get at by the look of it?)!
One reason they may be unsuitable, IMHO, is that a third extra
'plumbing' hole is needed through the edge of a typical ss sink
unit or it may be an extra hole through counter top itself and
thus require a decorative waterproof bushing which sometimes come
with the faucet assembly. You may need to cut this extra one
yourself; some sinks come with three holes. (Well! Plus the 4th
'drain' hole in the bottom! Just in case someone quicker in mind
than I, points that out.))
We have since replaced, twice in about 33 years, our original
mixer valve, opting for the simplicity (and lower cost!) of
separate taps. Am therefore thankful we did not cut that third
hole and install the extra hose. I have seen a 'blank' installed
in such a third but now unused hole in the edge of a ss sink; it
must have to be a tight fit and be also of non rusting material!
Concerning water pressu
Another reason we did not originally install our 'spray hose' was
that we then had a well and electric pump pressure system. With
such systems the pressure varies from around 20lbs/sq.inch,
cut-in to around 40 at cut out. That pressure would probably be
too low to get effective spraying? Today we are on a municipal
system with estimated pressures of around 30 to 60 lbs/sq.inch.
(2 to 4 Bar?) With this our neighbours diverter valves
(Venturis?) seem to work OK. From time to time do seem to detect
concerns about UK water pressures? Gravity systems; still? I
recall a great big *slabs of slate) water tank in the roof of a
100+ year old house in Liverpool where we had a flat up to the
late 1950s. I guess it's long gone now?
BTW again in our current bath/shower replacement we have opted
for individual hot/cold taps rather than a mixer.
Hope this is of interest. Our d-i-y motto is KISS. Keep it simple
........ etc. Terry.

From time to time do seem to detect concerns about UK water
pressures? Gravity systems; still?

Gravity systems are still around in many existing installations. The
majority of new installs are mains pressure systems, but gravity systems are
still being fitted, either because of poor water connections, or ignorance.

Christian.