What’s up with those double taps
If you’ve ever been to Ireland or Britain, you might have noticed that the taps in most bathrooms are a bit different. If you’re planning a trip to Ireland or Britain, you might also want to know what is so different about the bathrooms here.
Years ago, when I went to Britain to help on a farm during lambing time. I thought it was rather queer that there were two taps for the bathroom sinks. In the Netherlands, similar to most western countries, we have mixer taps in our bathrooms. But it didn’t end there since they also had an electric shower! Something I had never heard of before coming there, and I thought it sounded rather dangerous.
Years later when I travelled to Ireland for a holiday with my husband some years ago. I wasn’t surprised that the bathrooms in Ireland had double taps and electric showers too. After all, Ireland was a British colony for a long time. And colonies inevitably take on some of the colonisers’ customs as a consequence.
But now that we’ve been living here for quite some time, I’ve grown accustomed to the differences. So much so that until I talked to a friend about how much I love my electric shower, I had completely forgotten just how different things are.
Bathrooms in Ireland with double taps?
To understand why there are two taps at the sink, we must first go to the attic. Because it used to be that there would be water storage tanks in the attic to supply the house with water. These tanks would mainly be used for hot water and not for the kitchen taps.
But because there would then be an imbalance in water pressure, it was important to keep the two water types separate. So that the possible not optimally clean attic tank water would get into the mains drinking water. Thereby posing the risk of water contamination and disease for the person consuming it.
If you want to know more about the Irish mains water, then you can read all about it in my post about Irish water.
Now even though most modern houses aren’t fitted with water tanks in their attics anymore. A lot of people keep putting in double taps. This is probably because some people are used to it or want to stick to tradition. And I must confess that I do think the sink looks charming with those double taps.
What is an electric shower, and is it safe?
So what is an electric shower? And why is it called an electric shower? Cause I know that those two words combined can sound a bit strange and conjure up visions of electrocution. But as every electric shower manufacturer says, it is perfectly safe if correctly installed. This means that this is not a DIY option but one for the professionals.
The workings of an electric shower are actually not too complicated. It works similar to any device that heats up water, like a kettle or a deep fryer. The electricity is run through a bit of metal that has some resistance and therefore gets hot. This happens in a closed-off space so that no water can get in contact with it. Then the water is let through a pipe next to the heating element, which heats up the water.
To make sure that the water doesn’t get way too hot or cold accidentally, there is a small water tank inside the unit. This makes sure that if you change the temperature that this happens gradually.
On an important note, don’t turn the shower on while standing under the showerhead. Because for the first 5 seconds, the water will first be really cold and then painfully hot for a second. We found this out the hard way when my daughter turned on the shower while standing underneath the showerhead.
So I feel safe knowing that the electricity that heats up my water for my lovely shower is completely safe. But if you want a more thorough understanding of the electric shower, then visit explainthatstuf.
No sockets or switches!
One other rather odd thing about bathrooms in Ireland and Britain is less obvious though. Namely the lack of sockets and switches on the inside of the bathroom. The switch is most often just next to the door, on the outside of the bathroom, and the sockets are nowhere to be found.
This is because of safety regulations, which deem it unsafe for any electric appliance to be too close to water. Especially since, when people are submerged in water, the risk of severe electrocution is increased. And what better way to make sure people can’t have electric appliances falling into their bathtub. Then to have no sockets in the room.
The irony is not lost on me, that the regulations that prevent any electrical appliance to be plugged into a bathroom socket. Are the same regulations that state that it is perfectly fine to have an electric appliance as your showering unit in that same space.
But at least we’re absolutely certain that there will be no accidents while turning the lights on in the bathroom. And I’ve never used any electrical appliance in the bathroom anyways.
The men will be happy to know, that there are special exemptions for shaver units. So you can rest assured, knowing that you can still shave with an electric shaver if you want to do so.
How I feel about my Irish bathroom
I love my bathroom!
Okay, I will explain. The biggest downside I find is the switch on the outside of the door. Since sometimes, I forget to switch it on if I have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night. Which is not that horrible since the led from the electric shower does supply me with some light.
Then the taps. Since I only ever used the cold tap anyways, I haven’t really noticed any inconvenience. Only very rarely, when the night has been exceptionally cold, does the water hurt my hands. But that is only rarely, and when I had a mixer tap in my previous bathroom, I still only used the cold tap.
But the thing that makes me absolutely in love with my bathroom is my electric shower. Because ever since I visited that farm during lambing time. And I took my first electric shower, I’ve relished the ease of it all.
Not just that, but also the lovely steady temperature of the water. It heats up in 5 seconds as opposed to almost a minute like most regular showers. But it also keeps a steady temperature throughout the entire showering time. This because it doesn’t take hot water from a tank but heats it up itself. Therefore, ensuring that I can just focus on washing instead of having to fiddle with the shower knobs.
What do you love/hate about your bathroom?
Pin it for later:
