# Forum Home Renovation Plumbing  Choosing kitchen mixer tap

## davewastech

Hi all, 
I'm looking for a replacement mixer tap to be mounted on an old Franke sink.
What's the pros and cons of the following:
1.  35mm vs 40mm cartridge
2.  Are all cartridges ceramic disk? Maybe some are all plastic inside? Pros and cons.
3.  "Twin stud mount" vs "screw stud mount"
4.   Maximum pressure rating. I see that the Caroma I was admiring specifies 1000kPa, whereas the Methven specifies 500kPa. Presumably this means that the Methven needs a pressure reduction valve installed somewhere, and the Caroma doesn't?
5.   Sink hole diameter. Am I likely to find my new purchase doesn't fit the existing hole? (haven't removed the old one yet)
6.   Position of lever, pin relative to tap body?
7.   Anything else? 
Other considerations that I've pretty much decided on are:
a.   Brass with Chrome finish. No painted models (designed to fail)
b.   No pullouts (also designed to fail) 
So far I've been looking at Caroma model 90251C4A  $169 in Bunnings
and Methven model 02-5701   $209 in Bunnings 
Thanks for all advice - cheers
Davewastech

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## David.Elliott

Hate to admit it but...
"She" bought our kitchen tap from Ikea with the poreclain 
sink. These days it's pretty low tech, cannot see on the ikea site now but three years on and no dramas...

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## joynz

I've had an Ikea tap for about 5 years or so - no dramas and they have good warranties.  I'd think about whether you want the tap to be able to rotate more than 170 degrees - i.e. past the edge of the sink - as it's a possible flooding issue.

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## gogo

Hi you have probably already installed it but here goes... 
1.  35  vs 40mm cartridges effects the look / style of the tap more than  the  quality or operation.  Both the same price when it comes to  replacement.
2.  Most except for the cheapest of the cheap should have ceramic disks.
3.   Twin stud mount is typically more secure than single however hold   strength shouldn't be a problem with either under normal handling   conditions.  
4.  IMHO Pressure rating is more to do with warranty  and marketing than  performance.  Both taps can obviously take more  pressure than  specified.  Personally if I lived in a house with 1000kPa  water  pressure I would buy 500kPa rated mixer with a 3 year warranty  over a  1000kPa mixer with a 1 year warranty.  If you try to claim  warranty  sending the pressure police around to  your house would cost more than  the mixer itself.  All that said the Caroma tap could have better or  higher  engineered seals and moving parts inside it as who am I to say   otherwise.
5.  Standard size cutout for mixer is 35mm.  If you have a  mixer in  there already you shouldn't have a problem, best way to check  is look  under the sink and measure the hole.
6.  Mixer pin/lever is  usually pointing directly towards you when at  neutral (between hot and  cold) on a double bowl kitchen sink.  When you  install the new one,  tighten it up almost all the way, go back up top,  face sink and hold the  top of the mixer just underneath the lever,  move it from side to side  to find the center, position it right, get  the Mrs to hold it in  position while you finish tightening it  underneath.
7a.  If the new mixers tails won't or don't reach the old unions, mixer tail extensions are your friend.
7b.   When you tighten the tails onto the unions, finger tight + 3/4  turn  with the shifter. The rubber is what is sealing so you don't need  to  tighten them up like crazy.

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## davewastech

Yep you're right. We now have a gleaming Caroma mixer tap in the kitchen.
Thanks though for your good answers. Much appreciated,
Dave

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## Dimi

My plumber always puts a pressure limiter on regardless. kitchen taps and dishwashers

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