What is a GTIN?

When purchasing plumbing units, what is a GTIN? GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number. It can be encoded in a barcode or RFID tag.

What are Ceramic Faucet Cartridges?

Ceramic disc faucets are an alternative to rubber washers which degrade over time. They are much tougher and able to deal with extreme temperatures. They are operated by applying a quarter turn (excessive pressure can damage the ceramic discs). Older faucets need two full turns. Ceramic discs can be impacted by hard water making them less durable.

What is the standard distance between bath taps?

 The standard distance between bath taps is 180mm or 18cm.

Set Screw and the "M" Designation Explained

A set screw is also known as a grub screw and it used to attach one object to another.

The "M" designation for metric screws indicates the "nominal outer diameter" of the screw in mm.

A diameter is the longest chord of a circle.

The Allen Key, Allen Wrench or Hex Key (Hexagonal Wrench)

The Allen Key, also known more descriptively as the Hex Key, is used to turn hexagonal screws or drive in hexagonal bolts.

It is an L shape and has a long "arm" which is used to generate torque.

Each key is designed to be used by screws of a specific size, and so the tool is often sold in kits of varying sizes.

Inches to Centimetres

1 inch = 2.54 cm

6 inches = 15.24cm

12 inches = 30.38cm = 1 foot

Dust Masks

Bromsgrove-based Harris make dust masks (more formally known as respirators) for protection against non-hazardous dusts. European standard EN149 defines various categories of dust mask - ranging from FFP1 which filters 80% of airborne particles, FFP2 which works at 94% of airborne particles to FFP3 at 99%. FFP1 is sufficient for paint dust, concrete/plaster and filler dust.