Mixer Tap not mixing - cold spurts out independent of hot flow

[mr_p_mart]

HI there,

I'm not a plumber but am considering changing the kitchen mixer tap as I think its not working right, but Im not sure;


Its a mixer tap, but the hot and cold water come out of the end unmixed. Theres no aerator on the end (nor any threads wher eone may have been/ may be fitted) and if I look closely I can see how the cold water comes out a central tube and the hot from the 'barrel' around it. The problem is that the while the hot water comes out at a normal flow rate, the cold water jets out at what feels like higher pressure - but it could just be that its being forces through a smaller outlet. Its really irritating, splashing back off the basin and your skin can be burnt in the middle of a flow of cold water at the same time.



I have a combination boiler and am in a 3rd floor apartment so inintially I thought the cold water is being pumped in at high pressure, and the boiler is taking the pressure out of the hot source, hence the difference between the two. HOWEVER, the bathroom taps, which are separate hot and cold have a similar flow in each which makes me think its the kitchen tap which is the problem.



Can anyone advise?



Many thanks!


Peter



Thanks

 

[Riley]

Your combi will restrict the hot flow as it can only produce *** amount of litres of hot water per minute. Your cold will be belting through straight through from the mains. If it is a problem temp wise you could install a tap where the hot and cold mix in the body rather than at the end of the spout. It sounds to me like your current tap is working ok. Alternatively you could put a pressure reducing valve on the cold side to throttle it down a bit

 

[Riley]

Could also be that your hot is blocked a little or scaled

 

[mr_p_martin]

thanks so much for some long saught after informed advice! How would I know which type tap to get to make sure it mixes within the body. Also is fitting a pressure reducing valve a lesser or greater job to someone without experience?

Cheers

 

[Dotty]

Please log back in using your original account.

 

[Riley]

Much of a muchness really. If you change the tap you will need to take the pipework apart and the same if you fit a prv

 

[Best]

Modern kitchen tap mixers have the hot and cold separate and they do not mix. The spout is the divider at the body. That way the mains cannot be mixing with tank water or the opposite.
I am not sure if you can get a kitchen mixer tap that does actually mix the water, like the old taps did.
Normally, if the hot is to left & cold to right, then the hot should come out of the centre of spout, - not the cold!
Try to get a mixer that has good flow, but aerated