Kartell K-VIT Curve Bath Shower Mixer – Chrome (TAP281CU)

Kartell K-VIT Curve Bath Shower Mixer – Chrome (TAP281CU)

The Kartell K-VIT Curve range, in Kartell's words, "seamlessly combines sleek angular edges with an irresistibly bold curved feature" — a squared-off lever and body meeting an open waterfall spout that pours in a wide flat sheet rather than a round stream.

This is the bath shower mixer: a deck-mounted bath tap with a diverter and a shower handset on a flexible hose.

What it does

It fills the bath like a normal bath filler, and the diverter sends water to the handset instead — so you can shower over the bath, rinse hair, or clean the bath itself without a separate shower installation.

If you already have a separate shower and only need to fill the bath, the Curve bath filler costs less and looks tidier without the hose.

Before you order

Bath taps use 3/4" BSP connections, larger than the 1/2" on basin taps, so check your existing tails.

The waste is sold separately — unlike the Curve basin mixer, which includes a click waste.

About the waterfall spout

The open spout is the point of this range, and it behaves differently from a closed one. Water leaves as a wide, shallow sheet, which looks striking and is the reason people choose it — but it also means a shorter, flatter stream that lands closer to the tap. Check your basin has enough depth and that the spout reaches far enough over the bowl, because a waterfall spout on a shallow basin splashes more than a conventional one.

The open channel is also visible, so it shows limescale sooner than a closed spout would. In a hard water area, expect to wipe it more often.

Water pressure

Kartell rate this tap suitable for low water pressure systems — it will run from as little as 0.2 bar. That means it works on a gravity-fed tank and cylinder as well as on mains, combi or unvented pressure.

Being straight about what that means here: on gravity-fed plumbing the handset will be a gentle spray rather than a powerful shower. That is your water pressure, not the tap. If you want a proper shower over the bath on low pressure, you need a pump.

Living with it

The ceramic disc cartridge with quarter-turn operation gives full flow from a small movement of the lever, and is far less prone to dripping than a washer tap.

Polished chrome is the easiest finish to live with — it hides water spotting better than matt black and needs nothing more than a wipe with a soft cloth. Avoid abrasive cleaners, and don't leave limescale remover to soak, which will dull the plating over time.

The same tap is made in matt black as the Nero Curve bath shower mixer.

Specification

• Code: TAP281CU
• Polished chrome, gloss finish
• Solid brass construction
• Open waterfall spout
• Ceramic disc cartridges, quarter turn operation
• Integrated diverter, shower handset and hose included
• Deck mounted, two tap holes
• 3/4" BSP connections
• Suitable for low water pressure systems
• Weight 1.88kg
• Fixings supplied
• Waste sold separately
• Lifetime guarantee (1 year on moving parts)
• Barcode 5055681447694

Downloads

Download the technical data sheet