Selecting ‘Appropriate’ Sanitary ware & Faucets (Taps)

The most critical part of personalizing your own home are sanitary fittings & faucets in Toilets & Kitchens. It is very important to realize what is really ‘Appropriate’ for you & your family . In the market which is flooded with products both International & Local brands, it is critical to understand the fundamental criteria for choice.

The important criteria while choosing can be:

1) Space available

2) Aesthetic appeal

3) Use of fitting

4) Budget

5) Performance

6) Existing plumbing network

1) Space available: How large or small is your Toilet or Space available for the fitting ?, Will the fitting create problems of door closure or come in way while you are moving in the space ? Will it look proportionate within the small toilet space or appear huge ?

2) Aesthetic appeal: Gone are the days when, you asked your local plumber to get the fittings & install them. Ideally spaces for toilets & wash basins should be designed with color schemes or design themes which suit your liking. Within the design idea, everything right from the tiling to sanitary ware to faucets everything must be handpicked & chosen. Generally for branded fittings & faucets, specific design ranges are available. So you can get all different types of taps for a single toilet within the similar looking design range.

3) Use of the fitting: How do you intend to use a Sanitary ware or a faucet ? If we take an example of Wash basin, we will require a sturdy counter sunk basin ,where you intend to just wash your hands in the toilet or intend to perform mundane activities like shaving. Where as, more appropriate will be  a counter top relic or glass / crystal or any other material where the wash basin is located near dining area as it becomes a show piece in itself. The same logic will go when the tap or the faucet as to where it needs to be fitted.

4) Budget : How much will a particular fitting cost ? We need to finalize our budget for the project in regards to the fittings.  A wash basin of  a similar size will be available of a local brand of as less as Rs 1000/- while the same size branded or of an exclusive material like acrylic will cost you as large as Rs 25000/-. Faucets of similar size if purchased locally will cost anything between Rs 100 to Rs 400 /-, the same size if purchased from  a standard brand will cost you above Rs 1000/-.

5) Performance: Finally, how does a fitting perform. We really need to test the product for its robustness & ease of operation. Generally branded sanitary ware is seen to perform better in comparison with the local brands available. Also some facilities like few months warranty & life time service are available from the manufacturers on just a phone call to call center, of course when we maintain the bills & warranty documents which should be demanded from the developer at time of possession. But many a times even high end sensor based faucets are difficult to maintain & lead to frequent repairs.

6) Existing plumbing network : The plumbing network needs to be technically understood & analyzed. Open or concealed ? Continuous water or intermittent supply ? Size of inlet available ? Requirement of Hot or Cold water ?  Material for plumbing –GI or U pvc or Copper ? Many fittings will require a change in the type of plumbing, especially during renovation projects.

“Generally all leading brands of sanitary ware in India – Jaguar / Cera / Grohe / Hindware / Parryware etc & many others have detailed web sites available. (just search on any search engine) These sites give features of all the fittings in detail. It is very important to check the product personally with an authorized dealer or distributor before giving the final order. In case if you are purchasing a flat from developer please ask for the product number from them & check for yourself.

Ar. Hrishikesh Ashtekar

Basic Types of Sanitary ware & fittings table:

No	Space	Fitting	Description
1	Water closet W.C	Indian W.C – Orissa pan	Regular floor flush pan which fits in the 18” sunk in floor or on raised platform in the toilet. Available in white & other light ceramic colors
		European WC –Floor mounted pan	W.C pan which fits on the toilet floor. This requires a flush tank in the rear which is available in ceramic / PVC / Wall concealed type. This requires 8” sunk in the slab. Available in two types-‘S’ trap with plumbing through floor & ‘P’ trap with plumbing through wall.
		European WC –Wall hung pan	W.C pan hung from the rear wall on metal brackets. This has plumbing pipe through the wall. Generally a ‘ledge’ wall is built foe extra support & concealing the flush tank within the wall. A variant with ceramic flush tank also is available.
2.	Toilet	Shower cubicle	A designer & specialized item which many manufacturers give customized. This is nothing but a dedicated area for bathing within the toilet usually a tile level lower than the toilet floor level. Shower cubicle comes equipped with various faucets & shower accessories. It is divided from rest of the toilet by either a PVC shower curtain or a toughened glass sliding partition. Shower cubicle has now replaced the legendary’ Bath tub due to awareness of water conservation.
		Wash basin  types available  1) Counter sunk  2) Counter top  3) Stand alone –with or without pedestal	Variants available in ceramics, glass & acrylics, though mostly used is ceramic because it is more robust. Counter sunk basin has a ceramic basin sunk within a granite counter. Counter top wash basin has a ceramic bowl which rests above the granite counter. More economical is the stand alone which gets fitted on wall with metal brackets. Stand alone basin comes with or without pedestal.
3	Toilet Faucets	Bib cock / Bib tap	Bib taps have a tee-shaped or capstan handle and a horizontal inlet. This get fitted as water outlet units perpendicular to the wall surface. There are available in SS & Brass materials with various finishes, (expensive ones in chrome/silver plated). In case, when Bib taps are used alongside of W.C pans, they come with an underneath attachment of health faucet nozzle.
		Pillar tap	Pillar taps have a vertical inlet, can be made of metal or plastic with capstan or elbow-action handles or shrouded head. Made to fit holes in sinks, basins and baths. Commonly used for wash basins. These also come with single nozzle & dual control handles for hot & cold water flow.
		Mixers	Mixers are pillar units in which hot and cold water meet and come out through a central spout. Bath mixers can have a shower attachment to divert mixed water up to a sprinkler. These generally come with two handle units on either side of the central spout but now they are also available as diverter fitting above the spout through which hot & cold water flow can be directed by turning the handle either ways. If you require a hand shower arrangement the central spout had a threaded connection on the rear on which the hand shower pipe is connected.
		Shower sprinkler Arm Hand shower arrangement	This is a unit connected to the mixer unit by either a concealed or a surface Stainless steel pipe. Shower fittings come with an adjustable neck. A hand shower fitting is also available connected to mixer by either SS or PVC flexible pipe.
4	Kitchen	Sinks	Sunk in the Kitchen counter this is available mostly in Stainless steel & more recently in Artificial stone. Sink comes in one or two bowl format. Many times a variant with single bowl with a SS utensils dry area attached is used in case of long counters
		Kitchen taps	Available both in Bib type or a Pillar type with a long neck spout to prevent water from splashing. The kitchen tap in India usually comes with the cold water side or top control handle. Also a double handle mixer tap is available in case required. In case a separate connection to water filter or an aqua guard is required a separator with valve control needs to be fitted between the water inlet & spout. A tap with a flexible neck is also available in the market which is quite commonly used in western countries.

The Fallacy of ‘Interior Decoration’

On the onset, let me be very clear that I do not have anything against Interior decorators.

 The word ‘Interior decoration’ as it is used today personifies ‘Fashion statements’ derived from secondary or tertiary sources. The ‘visually attractiveness’ factor while making up home spaces , especially usage of materials has become so magnified that finally rooms & houses become a museum of various materials used in their grandeur  form . It is same as using clothing used by models in fashion shows on day to day basis. Or another example is , do we use special clothes worn only during marriage ceremonies on everyday basis ? When we do use our own logic while selecting clothes comfortable to us in our daily lives, why do we shut our minds off when it comes to making our own homes?

People & families who occupy stereotype houses built for them come from different geographical settings, ethnic backgrounds, cultural beliefs, educational status, travel experiences, & lifestyles involving different daily activities.  Hence every house will have to reflect the personality of the ‘Family’ instead of the ‘ego’ of the designer or that of the material manufacturer who want to create a ‘photogenic’ visual image which goes into their portfolio.

 The house where people live is a dynamic space, where they grow in age & beliefs. Thus the house that ‘Is’ different than the house that ‘Was’. Hence the house will be different when it ‘Will be’. The adaptability factor of house & its spaces should be such that the homes should grow along with the people in its appearance & feel.  The finishes, spaces & furniture should reflect the comfort factor of the family including their current & future needs. How do we really derive this wisdom or connect with the common sense especially in today’s marketing world where everyone is trying to sell you something?

One way is to carry out a detail ‘User Needs Analysis’ study of our own family members in their present situation or in future. This analysis should be for various aspects like functional use, visual appearance & sensory perception , current & future needs, cultural requirements etc etc.  The house which you have purchased seldom would be enabled with specific requirements of your family. The environment of the living spaces in our house has a positive or negative impact on the minds of the family members.  Hence it is important to have the proportions, light, colors & materials rightly placed so to have a positive impact on your minds. The design outcome through such an analysis will be certainly different & close to your heart & a skill full designer may be easily able to help you realize these specific aspects in reality.

Spaces have to be lived in , felt, enjoyed  & experienced. They cannot be captured in photographs & put into flashy magazines.

Hrishikesh Ashtekar.