Medical Taps

Medical basin taps for use in all hospital and healthcare settings

Medical taps used in hospitals and healthcare environments must comply with strict regulations and testing so as to reduce the spread of infection. In other words, you can’t simply use any type of tap as this runs the risk of contamination on the premises.You can choose from elbow taps for a hospital that has long lever arms which enable easy use with an elbow or closed fist or sensor  operated taps which can operate automatically and run for a preset amount of time (timed flow).

Our selection of medical basin taps are suitable for other healthcare environments such as dentist and doctors surgeries as well as medical clinics, laboratories and schools. They comply with the applicable regulations, including HTM 04-01 (Safe water in healthcare premises) and HTM 64. Some of our medical tap products include an integral thermal mixing valve (TMV3), however, if they do not, we recommend purchasing a separate TMV3 valve to ensure anti-scalding and safety.

We work closely with the UK's leading tap manufacturers to bring you the largest selection of medical basin taps available online. Our suppliers include Armitage Shanks, RADA, Delabie, Twyford, Bristan and Inta. Our stock is rigorously tested to ensure full compliance against the UKs strict water and NHS regulations.

All tap prices are displayed online and available for rapid delivery throughout the UK.

Many common questions and general advice on Commercial Taps can be found by reading our blog on washroom taps and hygiene. Articles of particular relevance include:

• Understanding hospital washroom categories

• Understanding HTM 64

• HTM 64 and HTM 04-01 - a guide to medical tap and basin regulations 

We also sell a variety of other washroom products for healthcare environments, including hospital sinks, medical basins, ambulant toilet packs and other disabled washroom sanitaryware.

Our team can offer specialist advice on the right medical tap to use in your healthcare environment. We can also advise and specify the accompanying medical basin or hospital sink and IPS panel set to suit the needs of the projects. Feel free to contact the team for independent specialist advice.

Looking to refurbish your healthcare facilities? Here at Commercial Washrooms we offer a supply and fit service where we can bring your project to life! Improve your medical facilities with our high-quality products and specialist washroom refurbishment team.

FAQs

What is a medical tap?

A medical tap is a type of tap which is used in healthcare environments, such as hospitals, surgeries and other areas where there are strict infection control measures in place. In terms of how they work, they will either be sensor-operated and release water when a user’s hands are detected or feature long levers which users can operate with their elbows. 

By eliminating the need to touch the taps with your hands, you can reduce the spread of bacteria and contamination - which is absolutely essential in healthcare environments. 

Medical tap features

• Easily removable parts - many medical taps will have removable spouts for sterilisation and you can also demount the body of the tap so that you can disinfect the area thoroughly. 

• They may feature a Bioguard outlet to fight bacteria.

• Long levers - if you opt for a lever operated medical tap, the levers are longer so that they can be operated with an elbow. This is why they are also often referred to as elbow taps.

• Many medical basin taps will have an integral thermal mixing valve (TMV3) which mixes hot and cold water together to prevent scalding. If you find a product which is missing this feature, you can purchase TMV3 valves separately to install with the appliance. 

What types of medical basin taps are there?

Typically, you’ll find two main styles of medical taps.These are:

• Sensor taps - some medical taps can operate automatically as they will release water once they’ve detected a user’s hands. This is a hygienic option as no contact is needed to work the taps.

• Lever taps - medical lever taps feature a single long lever which can be operated with elbows (this helps to prevent the spread of bacteria found on hands). 

You can find deck mounted and wall mounted medical basin taps to suit your requirements. 

Why choose medical taps?

Medical taps are ideal for environments where hygiene is of utmost importance, here’s a few reasons why you should consider buying them:

• Long lever taps help to prevent your hands from getting contaminated as you can operate them with your wrists or elbows.

• They’re easy to clean - most medical taps are designed so that you can easily remove their parts and clean the whole sink area.

• It may be necessary for the working environment - your workplace may need to have medical taps fitted in order to comply with health and safety regulations.

• Medical taps are suitable for dental, medical, veterinary and healthcare facilities as well as for use in labs and decontamination areas.