Why Does the UK Have Two Separate Taps?

If you’ve ever been travelling before, you’ve (hopefully!) had the pleasure of washing your hands abroad. And if you were paying attention, you might have noticed that instead of separate hot and cold taps like we’ve got over here, there was a single mixer tap that let you mix hot and cold together, offering a nice warm stream of water instead of alternately freezing and scalding your hands. Amazing! Many who visit the UK from abroad find this one of the (if not the) single strangest quirks about our country. The UK is one of the world’s only countries to have this set up. Many visitors are left scratching there heads as to why we got to the extra effort of fitting a second tap just to keep hot and cold apart.  Theories range from a preference of traditional designs over practical use – we’re happier to either freeze or scald our hands if it means having that stately two tap look in the bathroom – to simple ignorance of the fact the rest of the world has moved onSo why do we insist on having two separate taps? It’s actually less to do with style and know-how than with the law.It was (and still is) a legal obligation for a household to have access to drinking water. In many older buildings, hot and cold water came from two separate sources.The cold water came straight from the mains and was considered safe to drink. The hot water was stored in a cistern in the loft, and because of this was considered unsafe (which makes sense – who’d want to drink water that had been sitting around in the loft for however many days where it might have been gathering silt or rust?).The law on clean drinking water went so far as to say that the two streams had to be separated to avoid cross-contamination. Hence a hot tap and a cold tap. (It was even suggested that the hot tap be placed on the left wherever possible to make sure that the visually impaired didn’t accidentally drink potentially contaminated water.)  Most modern houses have moved away from keeping a cistern in their loft, meaning that hot water is as safe to drink as cold. But old habits die hard, and as far as we’re aware, separate taps will continue to baffle our international cousins for years to come.

The South's Biggest Bathroom Showroom

One of the largest bathroom showrooms in the UK is situated just a half an hour drive away from Southampton.Packed full of affordable bathroom products as well as plenty of high-end luxury, Island Bathrooms has a huge range of bathrooms to suit budgets large, small or anywhere in between.Expert staff are on-hand to provide design and planning advice, with 3D photo-realistic design, a children's creche and plenty of free parking available.Drive about 30 minutes up the A36 out of Southampton and you'll arrive in Salisbury, a city with a busy historic past, a thriving market, historic houses and a lively art scene. You'll also find the newest and largest Island Bathrooms showroom, occupying a huge retail site on the Churchfields Industrial Estate. The site is also home to Island Kitchens, and displays a wide range of high quality kitchens too.

A New Bathroom Superstore for the Southampton Area

When we were lucky enough to secure such a large retail space, it was obvious that we would be able to display everything from budget bathroom suites starting at £299 (including all the taps and fittings), right through to the wow-factor pieces from top brands such as Burlington, BC Designs, Crosswater, Geberit and over 50 others. Our Big Brand Price Promise ensures you get the very best prices too. If you live in Salisbury, we're right here on your doorstep, with prices and products you simply won't find anywhere else nearby. You'll find over 150 bathroom displays to inspire and excite, as well as staff who genuinely care about creating your dream bathroom.And if you are one of the 250,000 people who live in or around Southampton, we're not far from you either. If you've been looking locally for a bathroom, you've probably noticed there aren't that many options. Of course there's always the DIY sheds, but for quality, choice and expertise your options are limited. Your nearest Island Bathrooms showroom is located 20 minutes along the A36 and into Salisbury. True, we aren't exactly on your doorstep, but we reckon that it is worth travelling 20 minutes to get a great deal. How often do you renovate your bathroom? 

 

Beautiful bathrooms since 1981It has been over 3 decades since we first entered the world of bathroom retail, and much has changed over the years. It might be a bit of a cliche, but there has never been greater choice, and you don't have to spend silly money to get a bathroom that looks a million pounds. Why not add a touch of hotel glamour to your new bathroom with an overflow bath filler, create the illusion of space with a wall-mounted toilet, or turn your bathroom into a wet room? When you visit Island Bathrooms, you will speak to passionate people who actually know what they are talking about. We will give you our honest opinions on the products on offer based upon years and years of shared experience. When we recruit, we look for staff experienced in bathrooms, not staff experienced in sales. You won't find us pushy, and we certainly won't confuse you with jargon and technical talk - not unless you want us to anyway. 

 

And Now Supplying Beautiful Kitchens to Southampton Too

2013 saw the launch of Island Kitchens, our sister brand offering quality kitchens at affordable prices. If you are seeking the cheapest kitchen you can find, we probably can't help you. But if you don't mind spending a little extra for quality and style (and we mean 'a little' - only sensible prices on offer here), then our 15 complete kitchen displays could be the starting point of something very special.We'll be launching a new kitchen website in the near future, but in the meantime you can find us on Facebook or visit our Salisbury showroom.