The Tap GuideGuides
Tap Guides & Advice
Plain English advice on choosing, fitting and looking after taps for UK homes
How to Fix a Dripping Tap
Most drips come down to one of a small handful of simple, fixable causes, whether you have a washer tap or a ceramic disc one
How to Protect Outdoor Taps From Freezing
A few cheap, simple steps taken in autumn save you a burst pipe and a soggy repair job in the depths of January
How to Find and Turn Off Your Stopcock
Knowing where your stopcock is and checking that it actually turns is the one bit of plumbing prep every home needs before winter, long before a burst pipe makes it urgent
How to Fit a Basin Tap
Fitting a basin tap follows the same basic steps as any tap, but flexible connectors, a single monobloc hole and a pop-up waste each have their own way of going wrong
Best Tap for a Hard Water Area
Hard water won't ruin a tap outright, but the wrong finish and cartridge make the daily limescale battle far harder than it needs to be
What Flow Rate Do You Need From a Tap?
How water pressure and your home's plumbing system affect which taps will actually work well, and which ones will disappoint
How to Clean Limescale From Taps
Everything you need to know about tackling limescale properly, from clogged aerators and shower heads to the internal damage most people never see
How to Choose a Kitchen Tap
Everything worth thinking about before you buy, from spout height and mixer type to finish and budget
How to Install a Tap Yourself
A step-by-step walkthrough for anyone reasonably confident with basic DIY, covering the tools you need and when to call a plumber instead
The Best Tap Brands in the UK
A rundown of the tap manufacturers worth knowing in the UK, what each is known for, and roughly where they sit on price
How to Remove an Old Tap
Getting the old tap out cleanly, seized nuts, old putty and all, is usually the harder half of any tap swap
Best Tap Finishes: Chrome to Matt Black
A comparison of chrome, brushed steel, brass and matt black taps, so you can choose a finish that looks right in five years' time
How to Increase Water Pressure From a Tap
Weak flow from a tap is usually down to a clogged aerator rather than your mains supply, and a simple jug test tells you which
Can You Use a Kitchen Tap in a Bathroom?
Kitchen and bathroom taps can look almost identical in a showroom, but the differences in reach, flow rate and water regulations mean swapping one for the other rarely ends well
What Is a WRAS Approved Tap?
A plain English guide to what WRAS approval actually means, why it exists, and how to check a tap has it before you buy
Pull-Out vs Pull-Down Kitchen Taps
Pull-out and pull-down kitchen taps solve different everyday problems, so the right pick comes down to your sink, your cabinets and how you actually cook and clean
How to Choose a Bathroom Tap
What to think about before you buy, from basin taps and bath fillers to shower valves and everything in between
How to Replace a Tap Washer
A simple, cheap fix for a dripping traditional tap that most confident DIYers can manage in half an hour to an hour with basic tools
What Is a Ceramic Disc Tap?
The mechanism behind most modern single lever taps, explained without the jargon, and why it replaced the traditional washer
Are Cheap Taps Worth Buying?
What you actually lose, and don't, when you buy the budget option, and when going cheap turns into a false economy
How to Choose a Bath Tap
A bath filler has one job to do well, and it's not the one most people think about first, so flow rate matters more than looks
How to Choose a Shower Tap
Getting this one right matters for safety, not just comfort, so it's worth matching the valve properly to your water system
How to Choose an Outdoor Tap
The right outdoor tap for your garden, greenhouse or garage depends on more than the price tag, right down to the valve
Instant Boiling Water and Filtered Taps
Instant hot water sounds like a gimmick until you've actually used one, so here's what you're really paying for
Tap Connection Sizes Explained
BSP threads, tap tails and hole diameters sound complicated but they boil down to a handful of numbers worth knowing before you buy
What to Do When a Tap Won't Turn Off
A tap that won't fully close is usually a five minute fix rather than a job that needs a five hundred pound plumber's bill
Grohe vs Hansgrohe: Which Brand Is Better?
Both German, both excellent, and both worth knowing where they actually differ on cartridges, finishes and warranty cover
Tap Aerator Attachments Explained
A cheap screw-on attachment that switches between a full flow and a spray, worth knowing about before you pay more for a tap with it built in
Tap Won't Turn On or No Water: What to Do
A tap that won't turn on and give you water is usually a valve, airlock or frozen pipe problem rather than the tap itself, and most causes are simple to rule out
How Much Does It Cost to Fit a Tap?
What a straightforward tap swap costs against a plumbing job that turns out to be more involved, and how to tell which one you've got
Best Taps for a Cloakroom or Small Basin
A cloakroom basin is smaller than it looks on the spec sheet, and the wrong tap will overhang the bowl, splash, or simply look too big
Tap Dimensions Explained: Height and Reach
Spout height and reach decide whether a tap actually works for your sink, not just whether it looks right in a product photo
How to Replace a Tap Cartridge
A single lever tap that's gone stiff, sticky or lost its grip on temperature usually needs a new cartridge rather than a whole new tap