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Mixer taps, pillar taps and bath taps: what fits your basin or bath
Monobloc, 2-hole and 3-hole taps, deck and wall mounted, low and high pressure: how to choose a basin, bath or kitchen tap that actually fits your UK plumbing, and what to check before you swap one.
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Choosing a new tap is mostly about what your basin, bath or sink and your water system will accept. A tap that looks right in the shop can be the wrong number of holes, the wrong pressure rating or the wrong connection. Check these points before you buy, not after the old tap is off. If you are changing the whole kitchen sink, see kitchen sink installs as well.
Pillar taps or a mixer?
- Pillar taps are a separate hot and cold tap, each in its own hole. Common on older basins and baths. Each tap has its own spout, so the water does not mix until it is in the bowl.
- Mixer taps blend hot and cold and deliver them through one spout. They come with one handle (a single lever) or two.
If your taps only drip, you may not need new ones at all. See how to fix a dripping tap.
How many holes?
Count the tap holes in the basin, bath or sink. This decides the tap.
- One hole: monobloc. A single-hole mixer, the most common modern basin and kitchen tap. It is fed by two flexible hoses or thin copper tails underneath.
- Two holes: a pair of pillar taps, or a 2-hole bath filler or bath shower mixer that sits across both holes.
- Three holes: a 3-hole mixer, with a separate spout and two handles.
The hole spacing matters for 2-hole and 3-hole taps. Many UK bath taps are set at a common standard distance, but not all. Measure the centres of the holes and check the product page before ordering. You cannot sensibly change the number of holes in a ceramic basin or a steel bath. Plastic hole blanks exist to cover a spare hole, but they are not always neat.
Converting from a pair of pillar taps to a monobloc means a new basin, or a hole blank and a carefully planned change of pipework. That is not a simple swap.
Deck mounted or wall mounted?
- Deck mounted taps sit on the basin, bath or worktop. Most UK taps are this type.
- Wall mounted taps come out of the wall above the basin or bath, with the pipework hidden behind tiles. Changing to or from wall mounted means opening up the wall and, often, retiling. That is plumber territory.
Check your water pressure
UK homes have very different hot and cold supplies, and taps are designed for particular pressures.
- Combination boiler or unvented cylinder: hot and cold both at mains pressure. Most taps suit this.
- Hot water cylinder fed by a tank in the loft (gravity fed): the hot side can be low pressure while the cold is at mains pressure. Some modern taps, especially many single lever monoblocs, give a very weak flow on low pressure.
Look for "suitable for low pressure" or "all pressure systems" in the specification, and check the minimum operating pressure the maker gives. If you are not sure what system you have, see low water pressure, which explains the common UK setups.
Hot on the left
By convention in the UK, hot is on the left and cold on the right as you face the tap. Mixers usually have red and blue markings. Get this right when you connect the hoses.
Fitting considerations
Isolate first. Fit or check isolation valves on the hot and cold supplies under the basin or bath, so you can change the tap later without turning off the house. Some flexible tap connectors have one built in.
Flexible connectors. Most monobloc taps come with flexible hoses or thin copper tails. These connect to your 15mm supply pipes with a compression fitting or a push-fit adapter. Check the hose thread matches the tap, and that the hoses are long enough without being stretched or kinked. Pillar and bath taps usually have a 1/2in or 3/4in threaded tail, which needs a tap connector with a fibre or rubber washer. See push-fit vs compression vs solder.
Pipe centres. If you are replacing pillar taps or a 2-hole bath tap, the existing pipes are set at the old tap centres. A new tap at different centres means moving the pipes or using flexible connectors that reach.
Access. The back nuts on bath taps and basins against a wall can be very hard to reach. A basin wrench helps. On a bath, the panel has to come off, and sometimes the bath has to be moved.
Hot water safety. Approved Document G of the Building Regulations in England covers hot water safety, including limiting the temperature of hot water at baths in new homes and some conversions. If you are fitting a new bath or bath tap as part of building work, ask your plumber or building control whether a thermostatic mixing valve is needed. See Approved Document G on GOV.UK.
WRAS approval. Taps connected to the mains must meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations in England and Wales. A WRAS listing is one way a maker shows a product meets them. Check the product page.
When to call a plumber
- the tap holes, pipe centres or pressure do not match the tap you want;
- the old tap is seized in a bath you cannot get under;
- the new tap needs pipework moved, or the wall opened;
- you are changing to a wall mounted tap;
- you want the bath or basin temperature limited, for example with a thermostatic mixing valve.
Taps and connectors at Wickes
Check the number of holes, the pressure rating and the connections before you buy.
We haven't tested this. Figures are as the maker states them (checked 13 November 2026).
Wickes Classic chrome mono basin mixer tap. A two-handle crosshead monobloc for 1-hole basins. Wickes lists it as deck mounted, suitable for all pressure systems, WRAS approved, supplied with tap connectors, and with a 5 year parts guarantee. A waste is sold separately.
Primaflow chrome flexible tap connector with isolating valve, 15mm x 1/2in x 300mm. Connects a 15mm pipe to a 1/2in tap tail, with an isolating valve built in. Wickes lists it as WRAS approved, for hot and cold water but not heating systems.
Fluidmaster Click Seal flexible tap connector with isolating valve, 300mm. A 1/2in BSP to 15mm compression braided hose with an isolating valve, for taps and toilets. Wickes says the nut clicks when tightened by hand to the right point, and lists it as WRAS approved.
Can I replace two pillar taps with one mixer?
Only with a 2-hole mixer that matches the hole spacing, or by changing the basin. A monobloc needs a single hole.
Why is my new mixer tap so weak?
It may be designed for higher pressure than your hot supply gives. Check the minimum operating pressure on the product page, and that both isolation valves are fully open.
Which side does the hot go on?
The left, as you face the tap, in the UK.