How we supply it: Bath fittings are arranged through a partner sanitary dealer who quotes, supplies and bills them and pays us a referral commission. Concealed bodies come early, before wall tiling, and the visible trims follow at handover so they are not scratched on site.
In one line: Bath fittings, also called CP (chrome-plated) fittings, are the taps, mixers, showers, diverters and valves that control water at each outlet, usually made of brass with a chrome or other plated finish.
Brass, stainless steel or plastic?
| Body | Strengths | Weak points | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brass, chrome-plated | Precise valves, widest range | Plating quality varies | Taps, mixers, diverters |
| Stainless steel 304 | No plating needed, corrosion-resistant | Fewer designs | Taps, showers, accessories |
| Stainless steel 202 | Lower cost | Can rust in humid coastal bathrooms | Avoid for wet areas |
| Zinc alloy | Cheap castings | Cracks and corrodes inside walls | Avoid for concealed bodies |
| ABS plastic | Light, no corrosion | Less durable | Low-use outdoor or utility taps |
What CP fittings are
Bath fittings, also called CP (chrome-plated) fittings, are the taps, mixers, showers, diverters and valves that control water at each outlet, usually made of brass with a chrome or other plated finish.
The part you never see, the cartridge or valve inside, decides whether a tap drips in two years.
Fittings for one bathroom
| Fitting | Where | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Wall mixer or concealed diverter | Shower area | Concealed body fixed before tiling |
| Overhead or rain shower | Shower area | Check minimum pressure |
| Health faucet | Beside the WC | With its own angle valve |
| Pillar tap or basin mixer | Washbasin | Hot and cold or cold only |
| Angle valves | Each fixture | Isolate one point without shutting the house |
| Bib cock | Bucket point, utility | Simple wall tap |
Low pressure from an overhead tank
- Each metre of height between tank water level and outlet gives about 0.1 bar
- A tank 3 m above the shower head gives only about 0.3 bar
- Many rain showers and thermostatic mixers are rated for about 1 bar or more; check the model's minimum
- Options: raise the tank, choose low-pressure-rated fittings, or fit a booster pump after the tank
Checks on fittings
- Weigh the fitting in your hand: brass is heavy; a light fitting is often plastic or zinc alloy inside.
- Look into the inlet thread: brass is yellow; dull grey metal suggests zinc alloy.
- Check taps and diverters use quarter-turn ceramic-disc cartridges, not rubber washers.
- Check the chrome is even, without blisters or pits.
- Have the concealed diverter body fixed at the right depth for the tile line and pressure-tested before tiling.
Storing and fitting
- Keep boxes closed until fixing; plumbing grit scratches chrome.
- Fit the visible trims only after tiling and cleaning.
- Clean with mild soap; acid cement removers strip chrome.
Bath fitting mistakes
- Concealed diverter body set too deep or too shallow for the tile line.
- A rain shower bought for a 0.3 bar gravity supply.
- Hard borewell water with no filter, scaling aerators and cartridges.
- Zinc-alloy concealed bodies that crack inside the wall.
- No angle valves, so one leak means shutting the whole house.