Bathroom Faucet

Bathroom Faucets: Basin Taps, Wall Taps and Valves

Bathroom faucet is the word many buyers use for what the trade calls a tap, and this category collects the faucets fitted at the basin and the valves behind them: basin cold faucets, tall faucets for counter-top bowls, wall-mounted basin faucets, angle valves and stop valves, and a few concealed shower mixers. Whichever word you use, the choice comes down to where it mounts, whether it needs hot water, and what the body is made of.

17 Products
Sort

Buying guide

Choosing a Bathroom Faucet

Bathroom faucet or bathroom tap, the choice comes down to three things: where it mounts, whether it needs hot water, and what its body is made of.

Bathroom Faucet Types and Where They Mount

Deck-mounted basin faucet. Stands on the basin or the counter through a tap hole, with a flexible hose below. The standard height suits an inset basin; a tall faucet suits a bowl sitting on the counter. The full range is in the basin tap category.

Wall-mounted basin faucet. Comes out of the wall above the bowl and leaves the counter clear. The outlet is set into the wall at first fix, so it is a decision for the plumbing stage, not a swap for a finished bathroom.

Cold faucet or mixer faucet. Most Malaysian basins run cold only, and a cold faucet is the right part. A mixer faucet needs a storage or multipoint heater piping hot water to the basin; see mixer taps for those.

Shower mixers appear here too. A concealed bath and shower mixer is a faucet in the wall with a plate and handle showing, and a diverter to switch between spout and head. It belongs at the plumbing stage, alongside the other bathroom taps.

Body, Finish and the Valves Behind It

Brass or stainless body. A brass body with a plated finish, or a stainless steel body, lasts in a humid bathroom. A zinc alloy body is lighter and cheaper and corrodes from the inside within a few years. Ask what the body is made of before asking about the colour.

How the finish is applied. Chrome over brass is the durable default. Matt black, gunmetal, gold and rose gold last well when applied by PVD over brass or stainless and poorly when painted or thinly plated over alloy. Whatever the finish, no scouring pads.

One finish across the room. The bathroom faucet is the reference finish; the shower, the bidet spray and the bathroom accessories should follow it, and they should be bought together because finishes drift between batches.

An angle valve under every faucet. The small brass valve on the wall outlet lets you isolate one faucet for a hose change. The angle valves and stop valves in this category are the ones the plumber will ask for on the day.

Hard water and the aerator. A faucet with a removable aerator keeps its flow after a vinegar soak. One with a fixed nozzle scales up and stays weak.

Common questions

What is a bathroom faucet?

A bathroom faucet is a tap fitted in the bathroom, most often at the wash basin, either standing on the basin through a tap hole or coming out of the wall above it. Faucet and tap mean the same thing; faucet is the American and online term, tap is the Malaysian trade term.

What is the difference between a faucet and a tap?

None in practice. Plumbers, tilers and showrooms in Malaysia say tap; product listings and overseas sites say faucet. A basin faucet is a basin tap, a wall-mounted faucet is a wall-mounted tap, and a mixer faucet is a mixer tap.

Which bathroom faucet suits a counter-top basin?

A tall faucet, sometimes sold as a high basin tap, so the spout clears the rim of the bowl and lands near its centre. A standard-height faucet on a counter-top bowl leaves no room for your hands. Measure the bowl height from the counter before choosing.

What is the best material for a bathroom faucet?

A brass body with a plated finish, or stainless steel. Both stand up to humidity and daily cleaning. Zinc alloy bodies are cheaper and lighter and pit from inside; if the faucet feels light in the hand, ask what it is made of.

Do I need a mixer bathroom faucet?

Only if hot water is piped to that basin from a storage or multipoint heater. In most Malaysian homes the basin runs cold and a cold faucet is the right choice. Choosing a mixer for a cold-only basin adds cost and a handle that does nothing.

Bring a photo of the basin or the existing faucet to the showroom and we can confirm the mounting type and the height before you order.

Visit the showroom