Spouts

Spouts buying guide

A spout is the part of a tap set that the water leaves from. This page is the whole group: basin spouts, bath spouts, wall spouts that pair with a wall mixer, bath fillers, kitchen and laundry spouts and the spouts that come in wall basin and bath mixer sets. It holds spouts from Nero, Phoenix, Caroma, Fienza, Meir, Clark and more, wall mounted, hob mounted and floor mounted, fixed, swivelling and progressive, in brushed nickel, chrome, gold, black, gunmetal, brass, bronze, white and grey. The guide below sorts them by room and by job, explains how to replace a spout, and points to the page for each type.

What a spout does

A spout delivers water and does not control it. The control is a mixer, a pair of handles, a progressive handle or a sensor, fitted somewhere else on the wall or the bench. That split is why spouts are sold separately. You can choose the outlet to suit the basin or the bath, and the control to suit the hand, and match the two by range and finish.

A mixer, in contrast, puts the control and the outlet in one body. If you want a single fitting, see hob mixers. If you want the control in the wall with a spout beside it, the spout is the part you are choosing here.

Which spout for which room

For a basin, use a basin spout. It is short, and it lands the water in a bowl. It can stand on the vanity through a hole, or come out of the wall above the basin, and the page for it is basin spouts. For a bath, use a bath spout. It is longer, with enough reach to land the water in the middle of the tub, and the page for it is bath tub spouts.

Where one wall serves a basin and a bath, a swivel spout turns between them. See swivel bath spouts. Where the bath is freestanding, the filler stands on the floor or comes out of the wall beside it, and the page is bath fillers. A wall basin and bath mixer set is the pair of a wall mixer and a spout sold together, and the page is wall basin and bath mixer sets.

The kitchen and the laundry have their own spouts, which are taller and made to clear a deep bowl or a tub. Laundry taps are on their own page at laundry taps, and a set of kitchen and laundry fittings is at kitchen and laundry sets.

Wall, hob and floor mounting

Most of the spouts on this page are wall mounted. They come out of the wall at the end of a pipe that is fixed behind the tile, so the position is settled before the tiles go on. A wall spout keeps the basin edge and the bath rim clear, and that makes cleaning easier. A hob mounted spout stands on the basin, the bench or the bath deck, through a hole, and is connected from underneath. A floor mounted spout stands on the floor beside a freestanding bath, with the pipes coming up through the floor.

Each of these needs a different job from the plumber and a different time in the build. Wall and floor pipes go in before the walls and the floor are finished, and a hob spout goes in after the surface is in place. Decide the mounting early, because it is the one choice you cannot change once the room is finished.

Fixed, swivel, progressive and retractable

A fixed outlet points one way. A swivel outlet turns on its base, and it serves two places or gives you a choice of direction. A progressive outlet is part of a progressive set, where one handle brings the water on cold and warms it as you turn. A few of the spouts here are retractable, with a head that draws out on a hose, for the kitchen and the laundry. Choose the function for the job the spout has, and not for the look of the base.

How far a spout should reach

The right reach lands the water in the middle of the bowl or the bath, over the drain, and not on the slope or the rim. For a bath, measure from the wall to the centre of the bath floor, and choose a spout that reaches about that far. For a basin, measure from the wall to the drain. A spout that is too short drops the water on the side, and a spout that is too long throws it over the far edge. The pages for each type give the checks in more detail.

Replacing a spout

A spout can be replaced on its own, if the new one suits the old wall outlet. Measure the projection of the old spout, from the wall to the point the water falls, and choose a new one that reaches the same distance, or a little further if the bath needs it. Check that the new spout connects to the outlet in the wall in the same way as the old one, because some spouts fix with a screw and some with a nut or a threaded collar.

If the old spout is a non-standard fitting, or if the wall outlet is damaged, ask a licensed plumber. A spout that turns out to be fixed with a hidden screw or a seized collar is easy to damage, and a broken outlet is a repair in the wall. For a bath, a plumber can also check that the diverter, if there is one, still works with the new spout.

Match the spout to the control

The spout and the control look best when they come from the same range and finish. The handle, the plate and the spout then share a shape, and the metals match. If you mix ranges, keep to the same finish, and keep the shapes the same, round with round and square with square. The finish name differs between makers, so brushed gold from one is not the same tone as brushed gold from another.

The brands on this page

Nero has the largest group, with Mecca, Kara Progressive, Opal Progressive and Zen ranges among others. See Nero taps. Phoenix includes Vivid Slimline, Vivid MKII and Designer, and see Phoenix spouts. Caroma includes Urbane II, Liano II, Luna II and Contura II, and see Caroma spouts.

Fienza has the Empire Slim, Kaya and Tono ranges, and see Fienza spouts. Meir has the Round range with curved spouts, and see Meir spouts. Clark has round and square spouts at Clark spouts.

Finishes and materials

Chrome is the easiest finish to match and the simplest to clean. Brushed nickel is a soft silver that hides water marks. Black is bold against light tiles, and it needs a wipe now and then. Gunmetal is a deep grey between nickel and black. Gold, brass and bronze are warm metals that suit timber, stone and brass fittings in the same tone. White and grey are quieter, and they suit a pale or painted room.

Most of the spouts here are brass or lead free brass, and a smaller group is stainless steel, including 316 grade, which is the grade made for places that are wet most of the time or near the coast. A spout is in constant contact with water, so a surface that resists corrosion matters. Check the material and the compliance marks on the model you choose.

Flow and installation

The spout does not set the flow. The flow depends on the supply pressure and the control that feeds it, so a spout on a low pressure supply runs gently with any control. Taps sold in Australia carry a WELS rating for water efficiency, and it is set by the tap or mixer, so check the rating for the exact product you choose.

Plumbing work has to be done by a licensed plumber, who positions the pipe, fixes the spout to a solid backing, seals the plate to the tile and tests it for leaks. The installation sheet that comes with the spout is the reference for the connection. Give the plumber the details of the spout before the walls are closed, because the height and the position cannot be changed afterwards.

Care

Wipe the spout with a soft, damp cloth and mild soap, and dry it with a soft cloth to prevent water marks. Do not use abrasive pads, bleach or strong cleaners, because they can damage a brushed, black or coloured finish. Hard water leaves scale at the outlet, and a soak in a mild cleaner will clear it. Rinse bath oil and bubble bath off a bath spout after use.

Questions to settle before you order

• Is the spout for a basin, a bath, a kitchen or a laundry?
• Is it wall, hob or floor mounted, and has the plumber agreed the position?
• How far does it need to reach to land the water near the drain?
• Do you need a fixed spout, or a swivel that serves two places?
• What control will it pair with, and which finish matches?
• Is this a new fit, or a replacement for an existing outlet?

Related pages

For the matching controls, see wall basin and bath mixer sets and bath fillers. For a tap from any brand, start at taps.