There s a difference between taps and mixers

All about taps

Contents Introduction 4 Different types of mixer 6 Worth considering 12 Savings 18 Water 22 The difference is on the inside 26 Tips, questions and answers 38

There s a difference between taps and mixers So just what is a mixer, then? Exactly what it says. A mixer mixes hot water with cold, and modern mixers are a lot more than just mere taps. They are helping hands around the house. One mixer makes life easier in the kitchen, another in the bathroom. It s just a matter of choosing the right mixer for the job. And we hope this little book all about taps will help you make an informed choice.

Different types of mixer A kitchen mixer should make life easier in the kitchen. Bathroom mixers have other jobs, the most important being to provide the right temperature. So there are different types of mixer for different purposes. Kitchen mixers are the most common. They must cope with many short flushing and quick switches between hot and cold water. A shower mixer s biggest job is to provide a safe, constant temperature without any hot or cold surprises. Let s look at the more usual mixers. 6 All about taps All about taps 7

Two handle mixers Two handle mixers have two separate handles, one for hot water and one for cold, that are joined together. The design has been around for a long time and provides no protection against hot water scalding. They also consume more hot and cold water than modern mixers. And what s more they need service often to prevent dripping from worn-out washers. Single lever mixer Single lever mixers have a handle that is used to turn water on or off. The same handle is used to set the temperature and the desired flow of water. Single lever mixers are simple, quick and convenient they are well-suited to kitchen sinks and wash basins where switching between hot and cold water happens often. These kind of mixer also have an hot water limitation device that is easy adjustable. 8 All about taps All about taps 9

Thermostatic mixer A thermostatic mixer has an in-built sensor, a thermostat. Thermostats sense when the temperature of incoming water changes and adjusts the mixture of hot and cold water. Thermostatic mixers provide good security against scalding but may still cause unpleasant temperature swings. Pressure-balanced, thermostatic mixer Pressure-balanced, thermostatic mixers were our idea. Pressure balance and thermostatic control take place inside the same control unit, and the result is a safe temperature. It s a mixer you can rely on to provide the right temperature, which makes pressure-balanced, thermostatic mixers the perfect choice for showers. 10 All about taps All about taps 11

Worth considering Choosing a mixer, regardless of whether it s for the kitchen or the bathroom, can be difficult. The design must be attractive and suit the room. Most important of all, however, is to choose a mixer that has safe, smart functions and that will last for many years. Here are a few tips on what to consider when choosing a mixer. 12 All about taps All about taps 13

Kitchen A mixer that can quickly switch between hot water and cold is the best choice for the kitchen. It makes work easier, and that s exactly what a mixer in the kitchen should do. A modern single lever mixer is easy to use and has exactly the right characteristics simplicity, speed and convenience. When choosing a mixer for the kitchen it s a good idea to spare a thought for safety and pick a mixer that can limit the maximum temperature so that young and old alike escape getting scalded. These settings are easy to make on single lever mixers. 14 All about taps

Bath and shower The most important aspect in the shower is for the mixer to provide the temperature you want. It must be safe, and provide water that is neither too hot nor too cold. From this standpoint, a pressure-balanced thermostatic mixer is the very best alternative for the shower. A single lever mixer can also be used in the shower and the bath. Note that because safe water temperature is important, this type of mixer should have a limited maximum temperature. This is achieved by limiting lever movement to the hot water side, i.e. to the left. All about taps 17

Savings The best part about thinking savings when choosing a mixer is that you make them in three different ways. You get to enjoy two of them when you save energy and money. But the third oh-so-important one is that you contribute toward saving the environment. 18 All about taps All about taps 19

Water is expensive The fact that water is extremely expensive adds another aspect to saving. Over the past 20 years the price of water has increased six-fold, and the price of hot water is twice as high as compared to cold water. For this reason it is also extremely important to choose a mixer that saves water and energy, because this also means saving money. Size of leak 0,3 mm Litres/ hour 4 Litres/ day 96 Litres/ year 35 040 Equivalen at tap Constant dripping A little leak is no mere drop in the ocean; stop and think how much the smallest leak adds up to at today s water prices. And even more if this leak is hot water. 0,9 mm 2,7 mm 37 350 888 8 400 342 120 3 066 000 Thin trickle Light stream Choosing a mixer that does not leak today and will not leak tomorrow is of the highest priority. 20 All about taps All about taps 21

Water 22 All about taps All about taps 23

Increased temperature, increased risk Hot water has actually got hotter these past few years. Such are modern standards. Today, hot water must be at least 50 degrees Celsius when it reaches the mixer in order to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria primarily legionella in the hot water system. But these high temperatures are far from safe and the number of scalding accidents has unfortunately increased in latter years. They are however avoidable and it is therefore absolutely vital that mixers in baths and showers have built-in safety systems. Just how dangerous is hot water? The amount of time available to avoid serious scalding injury falls extremely quickly within the prescribed temperature range of 50 65 degrees, and children have even less time as their skin is more sensitive than that of an adult. At 55 degrees the time available is ten seconds, at 60 degrees one second and at 65 degrees only half a second. This places great demands on mixer safety. It is also possible to increase safety in single lever mixers. The maximum temperature can be limited in all FM Mattsson single lever mixers. 24 All about taps All about taps 25

The difference is on the inside For most people a mixer is a beautiful furnishing that provides water and enhances the experience of a kitchen or bathroom. But for those of us who have been making taps for more than 100 years they mean a great deal more. To us they are also beautiful on the inside. The inside is where you ll find the many smart solutions that allow a tap to last, that make it safe and let it save water, energy and the environment. And become part of your everyday world. A good example of this is our FM Mattsson 9000E series taps. They have insides guaranteed to provide what their outsides promise. 26 All about taps All about taps 27

3 1 4 6 5 2 1. Long comfort zone Easy to find the desired temperature. 2. Eco-spout nozzle Automatically reduces water consumption with uncompromised convenience. 3. Ceramic seal Ceramic seal instead of washers; watertight for decades. No more dripping taps. 4. Soft closing The tap is turned off with a moment s delay. No more bangs and pressure shocks in pipes, which increases the lifetime of your taps and plumbing. 5. Cold start When you turn on the tap with the lever facing straight forwards, it only supplies cold water not a mixture of hot and cold. This means that you save hot water without compromising on comfort. 6. Materials approved for foodstuffs All parts that come into contact with water are manufactured from materials approved for foodstuffs. 6 1 2 5 4 3 1. Cool mixer housing The outside of the mixer never gets hot, which removes the risk of burns. 2. Calcium repellent material Calcium in hard water leaves no deposits to impair the function of our mixers. 3. Scald protection In-built scald protection cuts off the hot water immediately if cold water is shut off. 4. Guaranteed constant temperature Precise temperature and pressure control provides a perfectly constant temperature, regardless of the temperature and pressure in the pipes 5. Adjustable hot water limiter Extremely simple adjustment for limiting maximum temperature. No risk of scalding. 6. Eco plus With this function must handle on a faucet cross resistance to achieve full flow. When the lever is released it goes back to half flow. This saves water because the user must make an active choice to get the full flow. Our technology suits your everyday world 28 All about taps All about taps 29

Our special features ecosafe The Ecosafe concept is based on environmental awareness at every level, from reduced environmental impact in the factory and the choice of materials to energy-smart features that provide an eco-friendly, recyclable end product. A feature that allows the tap to close with a moment s delay. No more pressure shocks in pipes, which increases the lifetime of your taps and plumbing. eco plus With this function must handle on a faucet cross resistance to achieve full flow. When the lever is released it goes back to half flow. This saves water because the user must make an active choice to get the full flow. When a tap is opened with the lever pointing straight forward only cold water is delivered instead of a mixture of hot and cold as in a conventional tap. This means you reduce hot water consumption without compromising convenience. Eco Flow is FM Mattsson s simple, smart solution for saving even more water. Eco Flow is a flow controller that regulates the flow of water in single lever mixers and shower mixers. The mixer functions in the normal fashion but is limited to 6 l/min for washbasin mixers and 9 l/min for kitchen sink mixers at a pressure of 3 bar. A simple way of saving water, energy and money. We make taps for everyone. Even for those who are not as strong as us, so that they also get to use our taps every day without the slightest problem. So we are especially pleased that Swedish Rheumatism Association recently approved several taps from our 9000E series including mixers for washbasins, showers, bathtubs and kitchen sinks. And we know that we re not the only ones who are pleased. 30 All about taps All about taps 31

Long term We have made taps and mixers for more than 140 years and we have come to understand what quality is and how to make mixers that last a lifetime. We know that this means quality from start to finish, even down to the smallest detail. We also know how important it is to guarantee the availability of spare parts for all of our mixers. Today and for the next 30 years. Continuous development and a determination always to stay one step ahead have resulted today in our making mixers with minimal water consumption. The mixers we make today are simple, logical, convenient and above all they save water, energy and money. Making eco-friendly mixers is a must in today s world. The way we see things there are three factors that are crucial when determining a mixer s level of eco-friendliness. These are the mixer s lifetime, its ability to husband hot and cold water and its level of recyclability. We are proud that our mixers are 99 100 per cent recyclable. What s more, the brass we use is 95 per cent recycled. 32 All about taps

It s not until you get home and try out your new mixer that you notice the difference.

Our unique guarantees 5 YEARS CALCIUM GUARANTEE Even if you have hard water at home it should not affect the function of our mixers. We guarantee it. We undertake to remedy any faults if the function of the mixer s control unit is impaired due to calcium deposits. This warranty* applies to all of FM Mattsson s safety mixers. 5 YEARS PRESSURE GUARANTEE You avoid bangs and pressure shocks in your plumbing thanks to our unique, world-beating soft closing technology. We guarantee it. If mixer closing time is not at least 0.2 seconds we will fix the fault. This warranty* applies to all of FM Mattsson s single lever mixers with the soft closing feature. 5 YEARS TEMP GUARANTEE Thanks to the double function in our safety mixers you will always have the temperature you want. We guarantee that the temperature will remain constant within ±1 o C while you are using running water, even if temperatures and pressures in the pipes vary. If the mixer does not achieve this we will remedy the fault. You must of course have hot water for this guarantee to be valid. This warranty* applies to all of FM Mattsson s safety mixers. * Mixers must be installed correctly and used properly for the guarantees to be valid. Plumbing and installation must be carried out professionally. The guarantee does not cover damage due to freezing and functional faults arising from impurities in the water. 36 All about taps All about taps 37

Tips, questions and answers Care and maintenance Wipe the mixer clean using a soft rag and mild soap solution. Use distilled vinegar to remove calcium spots; flush with water afterwards. Ugly, dark spots may occur on chromium plated surfaces if they come into contact with aluminium chloride. This substance is an antiperspirant used in e.g. deodorants. Phosphoric acid is present in many strong cleaning agents and may damage the chromium plating. The plumbing bangs when taps are turned off; why is this and how can I put a stop to the noise? The bangs are a result of the pipes being subjected to pressure shocks and occur when the flow of water is shut off. These pressure shocks can be irritating to hear, but the real danger comes from the wear they cause to pipes and connections. The shocks can go so far as to cause connections to come apart, which in turn causes water damage. You can avoid this by choosing a mixer that closes softly and thus prevents pressure shocks. All of our mixers are fitted with soft closing. What type of mixer is the best for children? It s important to use a hot water limiter in the shower to avoid scalding. There is a limiter on our shower mixers that stops water from the shower being hotter than 38 degrees. (You can naturally get hotter water by pressing the limiter in). In the kitchen, a single lever mixer with cold start is safest for children. Cold start means that only cold water comes from the tap when the lever is pointing straight ahead. Can I save water and energy through my choice of mixer? Yes. Simply switching from a twin handle mixer to a single lever mixer can save up to 30 per cent. By using a modern single lever mixer you can save up to 30 per cent more. (Modern models are those with cold start and water saving spout nozzles). Thermostatic mixers provide excellent savings as the temperature is already set (or needs only a minor adjustment). It takes more time to set the temperature on a twin lever mixer. 38 All about taps All about taps 39

There are several different shower families; do all mixers suit all types of shower? Yes, you can choose the type of shower you want to use with our mixer. Remember to choose a mixer with an upward-facing outlet if you are using a head shower. The flow through the thermostatic mixer is so poor; is there anything I can do? Yes. Try cleaning the filter. Do the following: 1. Turn off the water (main valve). 2. Remove the mixer from the wall. 3. Remove the filter and clean it. Put the filter back and install the mixer on the wall again. Turn on the water (main valve). The stream of water is uneven and splutters; what can I do about it? You can try cleaning the nozzle. Unscrew the nozzle, clean it with e.g. distilled vinegar (20 per cent) this will help if it is clogged with calcium. Dirt can be simply cleaned/removed. 2. 3. The water temperature is so uneven, although I have a thermostatic mixer; can this be fixed? Yes. Give your mixer a work out. Turn on the water and quickly turn to max cold water and then quickly (right past the limiter) to max hot water. Repeat this several times. If this doesn t help, contact a heating and ventilation fitter (the mixer might be clogged with calcium). In case of risk of freezing If a thermostatic mixer is exposed to freezing temperatures e.g. in unheated second homes, there is a risk that it will freeze apart (burst). Remove the mixer and store it in a heated space. Single lever and twin lever mixers must be emptied of water. 40 All about taps All about taps 41

Ostnor AB FM Mattsson Box 480 SE 792 27 MORA Tel +46 250-59 64 50 Fax +46 250-59 64 60 info@fmmattsson.com www.fmmattsson.com