Kartell K-VIT Fiuto Nero Wall Mounted Basin Mixer – Matt Black (TAP123FI)

Kartell K-VIT Fiuto Nero Wall Mounted Basin Mixer – Matt Black (TAP123FI)

The Kartell K-VIT Fiuto Nero range is squared-off and angular in matt black, with a flat open waterfall spout. Kartell call it "a striking and bold choice… a distinctive highlight to your bathroom", and that is a fair description — this is deliberately a feature rather than a quiet fitting.

This is the wall mounted basin mixer — the tap fixes to the wall above the basin rather than sitting on it, with a single flat plate and lever.

Why wall mounted, and what it demands

Wall mounting leaves the basin or worktop completely clear, which looks striking and makes the surface far easier to wipe down. It suits a countertop bowl or a basin with no tap hole, and it shows off the angular Fiuto Nero shapes better than a deck tap does.

The trade-off is that all the plumbing has to be buried in the wall, and the concealed valve body has to be set at the right depth and height before the wall is boarded and tiled. That means deciding on this tap early — it is not a swap you can make later without opening up the wall.

The spout is 197mm long. Set the height so it clears the rim of your basin with room to get your hands under, and check it lands water in the middle of the bowl rather than the back edge — measure your basin before fixing the valve position.

A stud wall needs noggins to fix the valve to. A solid wall needs chasing out. Neither is difficult, but both need doing before the finish goes on.

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 is 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.

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.

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.

Matt black is a powder-coated finish rather than plating. It looks superb against a white basin, but it is less forgiving than chrome: limescale and toothpaste splashes show as pale marks on a dark surface, so it wants wiping down more often. Never use an abrasive cream or a limescale remover on it — those strip the coating rather than the deposit, and no amount of polishing brings it back.

The rest of the Fiuto Nero range

Alongside this there is a mono basin mixer, a hi-rise version for countertop bowls, a wall mounted basin mixer, a bath filler, a bath shower mixer and a freestanding bath shower mixer.

Specification

• Code: TAP123FI
• Matt black finish
• Solid brass construction
• Open waterfall spout
• Wall mounted — concealed valve body
• Ceramic disc cartridge, quarter turn operation
• Suitable for low water pressure systems
• Spout length 197mm, weight 1.58kg
• Fixings supplied
• Waste sold separately
• Lifetime guarantee (1 year on moving parts)
• Barcode 5055681470333

Downloads

Download the technical data sheet