Taps today are no longer an ordinary faucet to control the flow of water; it’s a design element, in today’s bathroom and elsewhere in the house. Tap designs today are symbol of modern thought. The newest taps feature better functionality, novel shapes and a broader assortment of finishes than they ever did. There is so much of variety and designs to choose from traditional to contemporary. There are also many finishes available like satin nickel, rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, polished brass, and chrome and antique.

TYPES OF TAPS
1. Compression: The water flow is cut off by the washer or sealed by closing against a valve when the tap is turned off. Hot and cold water are controlled by using two separate handles.
2. Cartridge: The spout is sealed using a metal or plastic insert.
3. Disc: Consists of an upper disc which is movable and a fixed lower disc. It works by raising and lowering the disc to control the flow.
4. Ball tap: A lever aligns a slotted ball with inlets in the tap.
5. Washer less: The washer is absent but there is an O-ring that provides a seal.

SELECTING THE TAP FOR THE BASIN
While selecting a basin tap, its appearance, function and repair should be kept in mind. These taps are specifically meant for fitting in the basin and are usually attached to a bathroom/ cloakroom hand wash basin. They come with options for both hot and cold water and are available also with mixer options.

TAPS FOR THE LAVATORY
These include widespread faucet sets that have a spout with separate hot and cold water handles, centre set taps with three-hole installation basins that combine a spout and valves on a single base unit and a centre set faucet set with a single handle mixing lever or two handles. Wall mounted faucets are available for above-the-counter and freestanding basins.

TAPS FOR KITCHEN SINK
For kitchen sink taps, one can choose from dual-flow models for straight forward hot and cold water delivery, tri flow taps that additionally supply purified water and taps with a pull-out spray rinse. As stainless steel is the most popular sink material, there is a range of complementary metallic tap finishes to choose from.

SENSOR TAPS
The automatic or sensor taps uses multiple infra-red sensors to tell whether an object is in front of it or not and once the beam hits the sensors, the tap turns on. Most of them are set with an automatic timer. This means the water continues to flow for a fixed amount of time after the timer is triggered.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE
1. To clean your taps, use a mild liquid detergent. Wipe the tap dry after cleaning with a soft cloth. The wiping will minimize water spotting and build up of minerals.
2. Clean and wax on a regular basis.
3. Hard water deposits can be removed by using vinegar or liquid soap.
4. You can also use baby oil to buff your chrome fittings.