The complete guide
Buying Guide
Most taps point one way, and that way is down. That is fine for filling a kettle. It is less use when the dog is in the bath, or when you want to rinse your hair over the basin.
This kit gives an existing tap a hose and a handheld shower head. The tap still works as a tap, and you choose which one gets the water.
What is in the box
- Handheld shower head (one)
- Telescopic recoil hose (one)
- Shower head holder (one)
- Tap diverter valve (one)
- Brass thread connector (one)
The tap itself is not included. The kit is made from stainless steel, brass and PVC, and the finish is silver.
How it fits your tap
Look at the end of your tap spout. On most taps there is a small screw-in piece there called the aerator, which softens the flow. The diverter valve replaces it.
The diverter has two settings. One sends water out of the tap as normal. The other sends it down the hose to the spray head. The live listing calls it a T-way valve, which is a fair description: water comes in one side and leaves by one of two routes.
Fit comes down to the thread. The diverter is M22, and it comes with an M22 x M24 male adapter for spouts that have an M24 female thread. Before you order, check the size of your tap aerator or measure the connection. That is the supplier's own advice, and it is the step that saves a return.
The listing describes it as a good match for a kitchen sink tap, a bathroom basin or bath tap, and a laundry or utility sink.
Backflow: keep the head out of the water
A hose on a tap outlet is a classic backflow case. The spray head can end up lying in a full basin, bath or bucket, and if the supply pressure drops, that water can be drawn back towards the pipes.
So do not leave the head submerged. When you finish, turn the tap off and hang the head on its holder, clear of any standing water.
Installation and backflow requirements apply to this product. Follow the product instructions and the water regulations where you live, and use a qualified plumber if you are unsure.
Using it
The listing names a practical set of jobs:
- washing a dog or another pet in the bath
- rinsing hair at the basin
- filling a bucket that will not fit under the spout
- rinsing nappies
- rinsing out the bath, cleaning floors and watering plants
Set the water temperature at the tap before you switch to the sprayer, and check it on your hand before it goes near a pet or a person. The supplier does not publish a temperature rating for the hose or head, and it does not list any spray settings. Hose length, dimensions and weight are not published either.
Looking after it
Wipe the head dry after use, particularly in a hard water area, so deposits do not build up on the spray face. Hang the hose on its holder rather than leaving it in a heap at the bottom of the sink.
Keep your original aerator somewhere safe. If you ever want the tap back the way it was, that is the part you will need.
Which one to pick from our range
This is a sink and bath accessory. If what you want is a rinse after the toilet, look at the handheld bidets instead. They fit to the cold supply to the cistern with a T-valve, a braided hose and a holder, and the same backflow rules apply to them.
For travel, the portable bidet sprayer runs on a battery and does not connect to a tap at all. For drying off afterwards, there are bum towels.
For a dog, a head of hair or a bucket that will not fit under the spout, this is the one.
Delivery and returns
Delivery is free across the UK on orders of £75 or more. Below that it is £25, and the express option is also £25. Orders ship after a 24-48 hour handling time and arrive in 5-7 days. You can pay by card or PayPal.
You have 15 days from delivery to send it back, which is more than the 14 days to cancel that the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you. There is no cancellation fee and no handling fee. Faulty goods are covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015.