dave21478 Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Is there a "proper" way round for taps to be fitted? ie hot to the left and cold to the right or vice-versa? And if there is a standard, is it different between UK and France? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I'm sure the standard here is hot on the left, and I think this is the case for UK too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Yep UK hot on the left and on Mixer taps hot out of the middle cold around the outside to prevent scalding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Extraordinary thread. My tailor had to tell me my orientation!![:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Do remember of course that taps on the continent, particularly in Portugal, open and close in the opposite direction to those in UK, or at least my OH would have it so since she flooded a rented villa there after going around opening every single tap to prove conclusively that the water was off, as we'd been prewarned it might be on our arrival.Unfortunately though she forgot to close them again as a result of which, when the water came on in the middle of the night it filled up the washing up bowl in the kitchen sink which in turn acted as a very efficient sink plug, the rest I'll leave to the imagination save to say that we were sleeping in a downstairs bedroom and were woken by what sounded like, and indeed turned out to be, a veritable waterfall pouring down the stairs !Whenever I relate the tale LHD 'opposite' taps are her excuse [:D][:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Buggeration. [:@]I have done them the "wrong" way in the bathroom I am fitting. Not normally a big problem except that the fancy bath tap I have bought is a thermostatic one. The plumbing is set into the wall which is now tiled and finished, but the inlets to this tap are the wrong way round. I assume it works by letting the cold water flow freely and regulates the flow of hot to achieve the set temperature? therefor wont work if its the wrong way round?Solution 1 - change the tap for a non thermostatic one. I like these though, plus its a waste of money to change it now.Solution 2 - swap the hot and cold feeds over before they go through the bathroom wall from the garage. This is possible as the pipes are PER and there is a connection in each tube anyway, so easy to swap. However, this would leave the bog flushing from the hot water supply.Solution 3 - ????Solution 4 - Sulk.I am opting for solution 4 until I figure something else out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherman Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Hot on the left seems to be the standard. However when I plumbed my house 30+ years ago there did not seem to be a standard and I put Cold on the left on the basis that most people are right handed and if you are filling a kettle or just cleaning your teeth it makes sense to have the tap on the hand you are not holding something.The new sinks I have put in I have kept cold on the left.We found it works for us. So be an individual and go against the flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 I am not at all fussed about following convention, I was vaguely hoping people would say "yes, here in France its hot on the left, but in UK it is always cold on the left." That way, I would have some faint justification for my mistake! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I have a little red plastic button on the tap on the left-hand-side of the wash basin; perhaps you could swap the colours or the bit of the taps on the top with C & F on them.[I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave21478 Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="pachapapa"].... perhaps you could swap the colours or the bit of the taps on the top with C & F on them.[I][/quote]Perhaps you should bother yourself to read what I wrote. The thermostatic valve is very unlikely to work with the feeds the wrong way round.Thanks for your input though. Helpful as ever.[blink] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="dave21478"]I am not at all fussed about following convention, I was vaguely hoping people would say "yes, here in France its hot on the left, but in UK it is always cold on the left." That way, I would have some faint justification for my mistake![/quote]I hate to admit it but I did exactly the same with a thermostatic shower tap. Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of options as I had already put the pipework in the walls! My solution was to put the cheap mixer I had bought for our Gite in our bathroom and the nice expensive tap in the Gite. Bummer, but as you say thermostatic taps don't work if you connect the pipes up wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 No complicated " mitigeurs" chez PPP.[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Always thought it was a robinet, unless you are American of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="Jay"]Always thought it was a robinet, unless you are American of course.[/quote]A "mitigeur" just functions by mixing hot & cold with delivery from a single orifice.http://www.google.fr/images?hl=fr&q=mitigeur&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wiA "mitigeur thermostatique" functions similarly BUT has an additional feedback control, ostensibly to moderate changes in temperature and flow rates.[IMG]http://www.leguideduchauffage.com/photogallery/accessoires/schema-installation-mitigeur-thermostatique-avec-bouclage.JPG[/IMG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Not sure thats what the thread was about, certainly not what I was on about. You must have a degree in waffle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="Jay"] You must have a degree in waffle.[/quote]A BSc in waffle I think you'll find [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="Théière"] [quote user="Jay"] You must have a degree in waffle.[/quote]A BSc in waffle I think you'll find [:)][/quote]Bachelor of Science ( Engineering). University of London.[:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="pachapapa"][quote user="Théière"] [quote user="Jay"] You must have a degree in waffle.[/quote]A BSc in waffle I think you'll find [:)][/quote]Bachelor of Science ( Engineering). University of London.[:-))][/quote]Living proof that having a degree doesn't necessarily prove intelligence, common sense or the ability to communicate with other people without being a pompous twit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty Sam Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="pachapapa"]Bachelor of Science ( Engineering). University of London.[:-))][/quote]Didn't include plumbing or carpentry though![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="Salty Sam"][quote user="pachapapa"] Bachelor of Science ( Engineering). University of London.[:-))][/quote]Didn't include plumbing or carpentry though![:D] [/quote]Just checked the University Calendar, via a google search, you are absolutely right; there is no plumbing or carpentry in any of the degree courses at Imperial.[:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 You must have excelled at the arrogance module though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 [quote user="powerdesal"]You must have excelled at the arrogance module though.[/quote]Not sure if tradesmens skills would definitely be excluded from a degree course in engineering; I was talking to a young lad recently who was doing one of those strange university courses paid for by the navy and I was very surprised at his knowledge of sophisticated welding techniques. I can appreciate if ones ship is damaged then the ability of even the officers to weld a bit would be useful; what I am not sure is if the welding module was part of the on campus teaching or whether it might possibly have been done whilst at Faslane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Knowledge of welding techniques is one thing, actual ability to apply those techniques 'in the field' is quite another.I would be very surprised if the Engineering Officers were practised and skilled at welding, albeit having the theoretical knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisherman Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 wow how off topic can we go.I was trained as a marine engineer office cadet. We learnt all trade skills and applied them at sea as an officer. This included welding and burning. When you are a thousand miles from land you can not simply get next day delivery if something breaks and you do not have a spare. You have to repair or re-make.I would guess that the level of skill could be classed as proficient rather than that of a welder who is doing the job day in and day out. However that being said I successfully repaired cast iron valve tops and cut off rusted bolts on the engine exhaust pipes without damaging the flanges too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I'm not sure you can compare civilian Marine Engineering Officers with RN Engineering Officers in terms of "hands on" use of welding kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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