Why do Brits use two separate taps?

IP: *.range86-129.btcentralplus.com 28.02.08, 00:40
Why do you Brits use two separate taps, for hot and cold water in
most of your bathrooms?
Why do you need separate taps with cold and hot water? How do you
wash hands, particularly in the winter?
    • jonathan.oakley Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 28.02.08, 11:10
      Ha! Yes, we should have 'mixer' taps in the UK...it makes far more
      sense but the problem, as I understand it, is to do with traditional
      British plumbing that provides hot and cold water at different
      pressures. 'Mixer' taps tend to use a single, complex valve to
      control water flow and temperature.

      Washing our hands in the winter? I guess it's character building!
      • emilia_me Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 28.02.08, 21:00
        That's a good question :) Especially the part concerning hands. How
        to wash them? I have my own ways but I would like to know how to do
        it to look British :) Three years in London haven't provided the
        answer to the question that appeared in my head the first day I came
        here :) regards
        • jonathan.oakley Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 28.02.08, 21:15
          You can use the hot tap as, during the winter, the water isn't
          immediately piping hot...more luke warm...but Im interested in your
          techniques...?
          • emilia_me Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 29.02.08, 21:56
            My technique is not a very original one, I guess. I use hot water when I'm cold
            and cold water when I'm hot. But it would be nice to look more British while
            washing my hands :) And it's interesting, in terms of culture. It's not that
            problematic as many foreigners claim.

            In general, England is the best organised country I have ever been to. Sometimes
            when I experience something new here in London I feel as if I lived in in the
            city created for Jim Carey in "Truman Show". Someone thought everything over
            before me. Someone has already guessed what my next move is going to be.
            Whichever direction I look at I see what I need to see at that very moment. I'm
            not sure if you know what I mean.

            Most of other European countries are not organised that well and separate taps
            are against this omnipresent British logic. Other European countries are full of
            such funny, strange things but most of them are ignored as there are simply too
            many of them. I know I can be wrong :)
            • jonathan.oakley Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 03.03.08, 01:00
              Sounds good to me! But to look more British when washing your hands??
              How about donning an Austin Powers outfit and shouting 'groovy baby'
              when you turn the taps on...?
            • Gość: uk Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? IP: *.artimi.com 31.07.08, 18:15
              As I can see in my workplace (R&D, educated people with MDs and PhDs), Brits do
              not wash their hands. They just wet their fingers and dry them in a towel. Thank
              God, Brits rarely shake hands, and we also have electric hand driers in a loo.
              Yet, I still have to use door knobs which is disgusting.
              • jonathan.oakley Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 31.07.08, 19:56
                Plain soap has minimal if any antimicrobial activity ie it doesn't
                really kill germs. In fact, plain soap can result in an increase in
                bacterial skin counts. If you have plain soap in your loos at work
                and those clever MDs etc are just wetting their fingers then they
                might well have cleaner hands than you which is why they don't wnat
                to shake your hand!

                Hand soaps containing a minimum of 60-95% alcohol are the best germ
                killers. :-)
          • aiczka Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 06.03.08, 16:03
            > You can use the hot tap as, during the winter, the water isn't
            > immediately piping hot...more luke warm...but Im interested in your
            > techniques...?
            I heard, that one is supposed to fill the washing basin using both taps and then
            wash one's hands in it. I can not imagine doing it every time ^_^.
      • Gość: Maciek Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? IP: *.mis.ed.ac.uk 11.03.08, 16:14
        It is not only different pressure problem. Apparently two taps are in use to
        avoid contamination. Germs spread quickly in warm temperature and regulation was
        that cold water had to be of a drinkable quality. Therefore there was one tap
        for cold/ drinkable water and one tap for heated up water.
      • demodee Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 12.03.08, 14:51
        If different water pressure make it impossible, or too expensive, to
        install single taps, why don’t the Brits have double shower
        devices?
    • arek103 Interesting question. 02.03.08, 00:59
      Gość portalu: deos napisał(a):

      > Why do you Brits use two separate taps, for hot and cold water in
      > most of your bathrooms?
      > Why do you need separate taps with cold and hot water? How do you
      > wash hands, particularly in the winter?

      It had always amazed me also why this well developed country uses underdeveloped
      running water system... :) But then I discussed it wih some people who seemed to
      know more about it and I learned that it is because Britain was the first
      country in the world to introduce running water. And the system is therefore not
      compatible with present mixing taps. Perhaps if it was possible to invent taps
      that mix water under different pressure then it would be ok, but apparently such
      a mixing device is not so easy to construct...
      • jaleo Re: Interesting question. 02.03.08, 12:33
        arek103 napisał:

        >> It had always amazed me also why this well developed country uses
        underdevelope
        > d
        > running water system... :) But then I discussed it wih some people
        who seemed t
        > o
        > know more about it and I learned that it is because Britain was
        the first
        > country in the world to introduce running water. And the system is
        therefore no
        > t
        > compatible with present mixing taps. Perhaps if it was possible to
        invent taps
        > that mix water under different pressure then it would be ok, but
        apparently suc
        > h
        > a mixing device is not so easy to construct...

        It also has a lot to do with the "if it's not broken, don't fix it"
        attitude, which is deep-rooted in the British psyche.

        On a practical note, to avoid scalding, you should adjust the
        thermostat on your hot-water tank to 50 degrees max.
        • jonathan.oakley Re: Interesting question. 03.03.08, 00:49
          then again if you were the landlord of a Victorian era house, how
          much would you be willing to spend on a complete overhaul of your
          plumbing system?
        • jonathan.oakley Re: Interesting question. 04.03.08, 11:28
          Hmmm...the UK Industrial Revolution in the 18th/19th Centuries
          (textiles/steam power/railways/machinery/canals ans so on)helped
          mechanise the world - who were no doubt sitting back thinking..if it
          ain't broke...going back to the taps:

          ~Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient
          means for going backwards~
        • Gość: gary I saw a mixing tap at Manchester airport in 2000! IP: *.xdsl.centertel.pl 09.03.08, 10:31
          Maybe it is still there?
          and one more in Philips factory in Peterborough
          • Gość: raphael Re: I saw a mixing tap at Manchester airport in 2 IP: *.neoplus.adsl.tpnet.pl 29.04.08, 21:47
            gary r u joking
            made so many inventory reoports in london and saw loads of mixed taps
            they are as much popular as separate taps nowadays!
      • jonathan.oakley Re: Interesting question. 04.03.08, 11:14
        A while back I visited Knossos on the Island of Crete - centre for
        the Minoan Civiisation circ 1700AD..they had a 'liquid management'
        system in place whereby water was distributed to the 1300 room
        Palace via terra cotta pipes through gravity feed (you can still see
        the pipes today) and a flushing toilet system..they also had
        lighting and heating...
        • jonathan.oakley Re: Interesting question. 04.03.08, 11:17
          that should read 1700BC! :)
          • jaleo Re: Interesting question. 04.03.08, 22:58
            Please don't get me wrong - I have absolutely nothing against
            the "if it's not broken" concept. On the contrary, I brought it up
            as an explanation why two taps may be completely acceptable :-) "If
            it's not broken, don't fix it" is sometimes hard to understand by
            Poles who are, by nature, quite "teccy" and keen on the latest
            gadgets.

            On one of the forums recently somebody was mocking the fact that old
            Victorian houses used horsehair for insulation - how primitive! Well
            yes, better horsehair than asbestos, which no doubt the
            more "technically advanced" nations were using at the time :-) In
            fact, even nowadays natural insulation such as sheepswool is
            considered very efficient and very environmentally friendly,
            although some may be baffled why such old fashioned building
            materials as sheepswool and brick are still being used - surely
            breezeblock is all the rage!
            • jonathan.oakley B-Days 04.03.08, 23:42
              Ha! Horsehair for insulation! I guess it was advanced for its time.
              I would love to see mixer taps adopted wholesale in the UK and have
              often commented that we need a liquid revolution of sorts to address
              this.

              One thing that I find strange (in that it is not so common in other
              countries) is why, in France, most toilets also have a b-day..do you
              have b-days in Poland? I lived in France for a short time and found
              this to be a fixture both residentually and commercially. In Japan,
              some computerised toilets have a built-in b-day function.
              • Gość: mr.man Re: B-Days IP: *.t-mobile.co.uk 05.03.08, 13:07
                What is b-day function? I have googled it and birthday was the only answer.
                • Gość: mr.man Re: B-Days IP: *.t-mobile.co.uk 05.03.08, 15:19
                  That's alright now, I have worked it out. I mean my woman told me. Although I
                  have never had one, I heard that it is very useful and convenient device. I also
                  think that two taps are alright. If the hot water tap is adjusted that is.
                • Gość: miz Re: B-Days IP: *.escom.net.pl 05.03.08, 15:43
                  He meant a BIDET, you moron! He is only taking the piss. And if he
                  isn't I'm happy he is not MY English teacher.
                  • jonathan.oakley Re: B-Days 10.03.08, 00:13
                    HILLARIOUS!!
        • Gość: raphael Re: Interesting question. IP: *.neoplus.adsl.tpnet.pl 29.04.08, 21:50

          As far as i read in encyclopedias the minoan civilization was running up till
          1700 BC, not AD
          just a small hijnt ;)

          • Gość: raphael Re: Interesting question. IP: *.neoplus.adsl.tpnet.pl 29.04.08, 21:54

            sorry'
            just drinking beer
            not having noticed your cottection to the first one ;)
    • Gość: kolo Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? IP: *.acn.waw.pl 09.04.08, 07:33
      What a waste of water BTW.
      • jonathan.oakley Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 09.04.08, 08:56
        Isn't it just! Im surprised there isn't some EEC legislation re
        this...
        • Gość: raphael Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? IP: *.neoplus.adsl.tpnet.pl 29.04.08, 21:55

          EEC should categorically prohibit making separate taps
          • jonathan.oakley Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 30.04.08, 12:13
            Yes, I agree...less bull and more action...!
            • Gość: Bebe Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? IP: *.range81-156.btcentralplus.com 12.06.08, 00:51
              When I moved into my quite an old house, I've changed all separate taps to mixer
              taps and it hasn't caused any problems. I've also seen separate taps in many new
              buildings. Water pressure is definitely not the problem!!! I've heard about a
              plumber who tried to persuade someone not to install the mixer tap by saying
              that she'll bang her head against centrally located mixer :)
              • ann_a30 Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 12.06.08, 08:15
                No matter what the original reason is, it is supposed to mix hot and cold water
                in a basin. I can't imagine washing my hands in the same basin as someone else.
                It's disgusting. What about health and safety?
              • jonathan.oakley Re: Why do Brits use two separate taps? 12.06.08, 13:17
                LOL!! Sometimes I think the biggest challenge to mixer taps in the
                UK is the entrenched mind set against them. Do we really live in the
                21st century?
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