冷热水龙头¶
In the UK, sinks or washbasins often have two separate taps, one for hot water and one for cold water. This practice has historical reasons and is related to plumbing and hygiene practices.
In the past, the plumbing systems in the UK were designed with separate pipes for hot and cold water. The cold water supply came directly from the mains water source, while the hot water was typically heated by a separate water heater or boiler. This led to the installation of separate taps for hot and cold water in order to control the temperature independently.
While modern plumbing systems and mixer taps that combine hot and cold water are becoming more common in newer buildings, you may still find the traditional separate taps in older or more traditional houses, as well as in certain establishments like student dormitories.
It's worth noting that not all bathrooms in the UK have pull cords for light switches. This is typically seen in older or more traditional houses or specific cases. For example, some student dormitories, even if they are single rooms, may have separate taps for hot and cold water.
Here is an example image showing a sink with separate hot and cold taps:
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In the UK, the dual taps in the sink can have quite extreme temperatures. The hot water can be scalding, causing you to scream, while the cold water can be very chilly, making you feel like you've reached the Antarctic. It's like experiencing both extremes of ice and fire. For many people who are used to having a single tap, this can be quite inconvenient. As a result, some internet users have come up with a solution by purchasing a mixer called Retromixer. They use this mixer to combine the hot and cold water based on the distance between the two taps.
However, there are those who take a different approach, like the adventurous "Ten-Liter Cat" (referring to a person). Instead of buying a mixer, they simply pour both hot and cold water into the sink or basin and wash their face directly, bypassing the need for separate taps altogether. It's a humorous way of dealing with the situation.
Please note that the use of extreme temperatures in water can be dangerous, and it's important to exercise caution to avoid scalding or freezing yourself.
So why do sinks in the UK have separate hot and cold taps?
图片来源自BBC
A 28-year-old Italian, Claudio Marongi, told a BBC reporter, "I've always wondered why there are two separate taps in the same sink in the UK. Either you get scalded by hot water or frozen by cold water, it seems like there's no other choice."
The BBC subsequently interviewed Kevin Wellman, the CEO of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering in the UK, regarding the issue of separate hot and cold taps. Wellman explained, "The tradition of having separate hot and cold taps in the UK can be traced back to the era when hot and cold water were used separately, and the reason for the separation was to prevent contamination through cross-connection."
He further elaborated that cold water comes directly from the mains and is suitable for drinking, while hot water is supplied from a local storage tank usually located in the attic. The design also caused an imbalance in water pressure, so if taps and valves are not installed correctly, one stream of water might flow into the other. In the UK, water regulations prohibit the mixing of hot and cold water because the water in the attic tank is considered unsafe.
As early as 1965, a code of practice called "CP 310" suggested that, whenever possible, the hot tap should be placed on the left. Therefore, hot water in the UK is traditionally found on the left tap. Over the years, there have been reports suggesting that one reason for keeping hot water on the left is to help visually impaired individuals always know which side is hot and which is cold. Despite the growing popularity of mixer taps, the UK still requires ensuring that water does not mix before it flows out of the tap, and the convention of hot water on the left and cold water on the right is maintained.