Taps and mixers in Torrevieja and the Costa Blanca

Types we install

Single-lever is the most common in both kitchen and bathroom. One handle controls flow and temperature. Comfortable, fast and affordable. Thermostatic is the next step up: two separate controls, one for fixed temperature and one for flow. That’s what goes in modern showers because temperature stays constant even when someone flushes elsewhere. Waterfall or river-effect is decorative, popular on premium basins and design renovations.

For kitchens, alongside the standard mixer there are pull-out taps with flexible hose for easier sink cleaning, fold-down taps that won’t hit a window when there’s a sill, and tall U-shaped spouts for big pots. Filtered-water and instant-boiling kitchen taps gain ground but need specific installation.

The dripping tap

It’s the most common fault and the most ignored. A constantly dripping mixer wastes 20-35 litres a day, over 10 cubic metres a year. On the local utility bill that’s 25-40 euros a year just from the drip, never mind the irritating night-time noise.

The usual cause is the inner ceramic cartridge, worn down by use and by limescale crystallised on its discs. Cartridge replacement is cheaper than a new tap and the tap is as good as new. However if the tap is over 8-10 years old and the external finish is shot, full replacement usually wins.

Material quality in hard water

The biggest factor for tap longevity on the Costa Blanca is limescale. Lime attacks the ceramic discs in the cartridge, the rubber O-rings and the chromed finish. Cheap taps with chrome over plastic peel in 3-4 years because lime gets trapped in microporosities. Quality taps with solid brass body chrome-plated over nickel hold up far longer.

For high-use bathrooms, mid-to-high range taps pay for themselves. For light-use spots (guest bathroom, second home) a mid-range tap is enough. We work with Grohe, Roca, Hansgrohe, Tres, Ramon Soler.

Preventive maintenance

Every 2-3 years it’s worth removing the cartridge and de-scaling it with vinegar or specific product. Reassembled, the tap recovers 90% of original performance. Aerators at the spout unscrew easily and go in vinegar for an hour to clear scale that reduces flow and creates splashes.

In holiday rentals with heavy use we recommend annual preventive cleaning coordinated with tenant rotation. Marginal cost, several extra years of life on the tap.