Basin Waste Guide

Different Styles Of Basin Waste

There are five different styles of basin waste kit - chain waste, click-clack, captive, free flowing and pop-up.

1. Chain Waste - this is the traditional chain and plug which is usually used with traditional style basins.
2. Click-Clack Waste - also called a sprung plug, you push the plug in with your finger and it clicks shut, to open it you push it again and it clicks open.
3. Captive or Flip Waste - the captive or flip waste sits neatly in the plug hole with its top flush with the sink, it is cleverly designed to pivot when pushed on one side (any side!) and by doing so it opens and then can be pushed back and closed, a very simple and neat solution.
4. Free Flowing Waste - this kind of waste can't be closed, it sits over the plug hole, just proud of the bottom of the basin. These are used with basins that have no overflow and that are intended to be used only with flowing tap water. If you are fitting a basin without an overflow in a commercial setting (e.g. Hotel) them you would definitely want to use one of these.
5. Pop Up Waste - These usually come with a tap and are operated by a control which is usually at the back of the tap.

 

Slotted and Unslotted Basin Wastes

Each of these wastes is available in two different versions Slotted and Unslotted. If your basin has an overflow you need a slotted basin waste, if it does not have an overflow you need an unslotted overflow. If you fit the wrong kind of waste kit in this regard then your waste may leak water onto your floor or your overflow may not work or both.

You don't need to know this, so don't worry if its more than you want to know, but the reason you need the correct waste is that a basin with an overflow will have a channel in the pottery casting that takes water from the overflow hole and delivers it to an opening in the inside edge of the plug hole. A slotted waste has a slot in the threaded metal tube that goes through the plug hole and this slot marries up with the overflow opening in the edge of the plug hole allowing water that goes though the overflow and into the overflow channel in the body of the basin to get out through the plug hole.

Chrome Bottle Traps

A bottle trap is fitted under a basin that is sitting on a wash stand, plastic bottle traps are available but if the bottle trap may be seen then you'll want a chrome one that is going to look nice. Chrome bottle traps usually include a chrome pipe cover that goes from the side of the bottle trap to the back wall where it will join up with plumbing inside the wall. Different bottle traps have different lengths of chrome pipe and on larger wash stands some of these may not reach the wall. You should check that the bottle trap you get has a long enough chrome pipe to reach your wall.

Chrome, Nickel and Brushed Nickel Basin Waste Kits

All the basin waste kits we supply come as standard with all visible metal parts finished with chrome plating. This is how the manufacturers supply the parts to us. For those customers who want something a bit extra special in their bathrooms we can supply all waste kits replated and finished in polished nickel and in brushed nickel. Contact us for more information.

Common Problems with Basin Wastes

There are no common problems with basin wastes. All basin waste types are very reliable. Very occasionally the rubber seal around the plug on a plug and chain waste may fail or may not seal properly when in the plug hole. In these cases the rubber seal or the entire plug can easily be changed. Another rare but possible problem is that a click clack basin waste may get clogged with hair and either fail to click shut or fail to open, in this case the top of the plug can be removed by twisting it anticlockwise and the clicker mechanism can be cleaned or itself unscrewed and replaced.