Bath taps: choosing a wall-mounted mixer, rim-mounted tap or freestanding column

Not all bathtub taps are interchangeable. Before looking at finishes or series, there is a question that decides the type of tap you need: is your bathtub free-standing (an isolated piece, without touching the wall) or is it recessed against a wall or inside a construction hole? From that answer—and whether you are in a new construction or replacing a tap that you already had—it almost automatically emerges whether you need a single-lever wall-mounted mixer with diverter, a tap that is installed on the edge of the bathtub itself, or an independent bathtub column. Confusing the three is the most common reason why a "nice" tap arrives home and cannot be installed where it was intended.

First check: is your bath freestanding or built-in?

Before looking at catalogues, it is advisable to be clear about what type of bathtub you are dealing with, because not all taps are suitable for all:

• built-in bath or brick: leaning against one or more walls, normally embedded in a hole or with a brick or masonry side. The taps are installed on the wall, just like a conventional shower.
• Freestanding bathtub with perforation: an "island" bathtub, separated from the wall, but manufactured with one or more holes in the edge itself to house the tap directly on the piece.
• Freestanding bathtub without drilling: the same idea of ​​​​an insulated bathtub, but without any prepared hole. Here the tap cannot go in the bathtub or on the nearby wall (if there is no wall nearby): it needs its own independent structure.

This information—which usually appears on the technical data sheet of the bathtub itself—is what determines the type of taps you can buy, not the other way around. Buying the tap first and then trying to fit it is the most common cause of returns for this type of product.

Wall-mounted mixers with a diverter: the built-in bath option

It is, by far, the most common solution in bathroom renovations with a built-in bath or semi-recessed bathroom, and also the easiest to maintain. The tap is fixed to the wall, with the spout facing the inside of the bathtub, and mounts a diverter : a control or button that diverts the water between the spout (to fill the bathtub) and the outlet towards the hand shower or shower head, when the kit includes one.

In the catalogue, this type of product normally appears as a "bath/shower kit": a single-lever wall-mounted mixer designed to cover both functions—filling the bathtub and showering in it—with a single installation. Real examples within the collection of bathtub taps are the VALENCIA single-lever mixer BATH/SHOWER KIT and the MILOS STICK single-lever mixer BATH/SHOWER KIT , the latter available in various finishes (Chrome, Matt White, matt black, Rose Gold Black), which allows it to match the rest of the bathroom taps without giving up a coloured finish.

There are also built-in versions of this same concept, in which the body of the tap is hidden in the wall and only the exterior finish (rosette, control and outlet) is visible. The IMEX - Built-in shower single-lever mixer for Bathtub and Shower... Java Series is an example of a built-in bathtub/shower kit: aesthetically cleaner, but it requires having the planned water installation inside the wall before tiling, so it is an option that is almost always decided during the construction phase, not as a replacement for an existing tap.

Rim-mounted taps: for freestanding baths with tap holes

When the bathtub is freestanding but the manufacturer has prepared it with one or more holes in the edge, the tap is installed directly on that hole, with its hot and cold water supply rising from the floor, through the interior hole of the bathtub, to the base of the tap. It is a solution that maintains the clean aesthetics of the freestanding bathtub—without visible columns or pipes visible next to it—because the entire connection is hidden within the piece itself.

The essential condition is that the bathtub is manufactured for this: the hole (or holes, depending on whether the tap is a single piece or several independent elements) must exist at the factory, with the correct size and layout. It is not a drilling that can be improvised later on a free-standing bathtub that was not planned, because the material and thickness of the edge do not always allow it without compromising the piece.

Freestanding bath columns: no bath drilling needed

If the free-standing bathtub does not have drilling - or you do not want to drill it at all - the solution is a bathtub column: a vertical element, independent of the bathtub itself, that is anchored to the floor or lowered from the ceiling, with its own hot and cold water supply reaching the base or anchoring point through a built-in pipe. The column spout is oriented towards the interior of the bathtub for filling, and many versions also incorporate a hand shower outlet.

A real example of this format is the LINE THERMOSTATIC BATH SET , a column-type set for bathtubs from the Line series with thermostatic control, designed precisely for free-standing bathtubs that need their water point independent of the piece itself. Being thermostatic, it maintains the outlet temperature stable even if the pressure changes in another part of the home, something especially valued in slow-filling bathtubs, where an unwanted temperature jump is more uncomfortable than in a short shower.

The bathtub column is, of the three types, the one that requires the most work planning: its exact position with respect to the bathtub must be decided before finishing the floor or ceiling, because the supply pipe is embedded and cannot be relocated later without additional work.

Comparison of the three types

With the three types already described, this table summarizes when each one makes sense and what it implies in installation and maintenance.

New builds versus replacements: what changes

The phase of the renovation you are in affects as much as the type of bathtub:

• Replacing an existing tap: if you keep the same bathtub and only change the taps, the new single-lever wall mixer will usually have to respect (or adapt to) the separation between the hot and cold water connections that already exist on the wall, unless you assume additional work to move them. In freestanding bathtubs with perforation, the replacement is usually more direct: the old tap is removed and the new one is placed over the same hole, as long as the connection threads are compatible.
• New construction or comprehensive renovation: here you have the freedom to decide the exact position of the water outlets before tiling or finishing the floor, which opens the door to built-in solutions (such as the Java Series built-in kit) or bathtub columns, both options that require having the installation resolved before the final finish and which are much more complicated to execute on an already finished bathroom.

In summary: as a substitute, the exposed wall single-lever mixer is usually the least complex route; In new construction, all options are open, including the built-in taps and the independent column.

Thermostatic or single-lever bath taps

As in the shower, bathtub taps are also divided between single-lever mixer (a single control regulates flow and temperature manually) and thermostatic (a control sets the desired temperature and this remains stable even if the network pressure varies). In a bathtub, this difference gains weight because the filling time is usually longer than that of a shower, so any variation in pressure in the home—for example, someone opening another tap—has more opportunity to be noticed while the bathtub fills.

Within the catalogue, we find both variants in bath/shower kit format: the VALENCIA single-lever mixer BATH/SHOWER KIT and the MILOS STICK single-lever mixer BATH/SHOWER KIT as single-lever mixer options, compared to the BLESS THERMOSTATIC BATHROOM/SHOWER KIT , which is also available in a particularly wide range of finishes: Chrome, Black Gun Metal, matt black, brushed nickel, brushed gold and brushed rose gold. This variety of finishes allows the thermostatic to be integrated with basin taps or accessories already chosen in the same bathroom, without being limited to classic chrome.

The choice between one and the other does not depend on the type of bathtub (free-standing or built-in) but on the priority of use: if you are looking for the best price and are not worried about adjusting the temperature manually each time, the single-lever mixer fits the bill perfectly; If you value temperature stability, especially in homes with children or elderly people, the thermostatic adds an extra layer of security against sudden changes in hot water.