Comparison Grohe Grohtherm 2000 34174001 vs Grohe Grohtherm 1000 34155000

— Waterfall. In such spouts, water is supplied through an outlet in the form of a thin horizontal slot, or through a wide chute (depending on the model). Due to this, a large width of the jet is achieved with its small thickness, which provides good throughput, as well as an original appearance — the waterfall tap actually imitates a waterfall (hence the name). On the other hand, this type is less universal than the classical one, and it costs significantly more, and therefore is used quite rarely. Basically, waterfall spouts are used for bathtubs (due to their high throughput), there are also models for washbasins (see "Suitable for").

— Without spout. Models of taps that do not have a spout. Foremost, this applies to models for the shower, where mixing and water supply are provided for a shower head or overhead shower.

In most cases, the spout is classic, made in the form of a tube. Such spouts can have different shapes in length (straight, curved, with an angle) and cross-section (round, triangular, square, etc.), but all of them are just tubes.

Distance from the fixing point (for vertically mounted taps) or from the centre of the mounting hole (for horizontally mounted taps) to the middle of the spout. It is a characteristic that determines the "reach zone" of the tap.

A feature found in bathtub and shower taps. The switch between the bath and the shower in such models is automated “in one way”: the shower must be turned on manually, and switching to the bath occurs without user participation, when the main tap is closed. In this way, unpleasant situations can be prevented when, after taking a shower, the tap remains switched to a shower, and careless turning on of the water can lead to a “flood”: even if someone forgets to switch the tap, thanks to the shower / bath auto switch, the next time you open it, the water will still flow through the spout.

The type of water pipes the tap is designed for.

— Hoses. With a flexible connection type, polymer tubes (hoses) are used to connect the tap to the water supply, which can bend well and are reinforced with a metal mesh for strength. This ensures ease and versatility of attachment — thanks to the flexibility of the pipe, it can be carried even in cramped places. On the other hand, such a supply is less durable and reliable than a rigid one. It is mainly used in models for kitchens and sinks (see "Suitable for"). Installation pipes may be included in the package of the tap; this point should be clarified separately.

— Rigid pipes. Such taps are designed for installing directly to metal water pipes. The advantage of this type is reliability and strength, the disadvantage is significant restrictions on the installation site: you either have to put the tap where the pipes were made during construction, or redo the communications, which is associated with great inconvenience and cost. On the other hand, such taps are usually used for bathtubs and showers, and in modern bathrooms, typically there are no problems with unsuccessful installation of pipes.

Country of origin of the brand under which the tap is marketed. Usually, it is indicated by the "homeland" of the manufacturing company or by the location of its headquarters. The brands under which modern mixers are produced come mainly from the following countries (in alphabetical order): Austria, Belgium, Germany, India, Spain, Italy, China, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Sweden.

There are many stereotypes associated with the “nationality” of brands and products, but most of them have no basis nowadays. First, the actual place of production is often different from the brand's country of origin. Secondly, the quality of the goods depends not so much on geography, but on the policy of a particular company and how carefully this very quality is controlled in it. Therefore, you should pay attention to the country of origin of the brand only if you fundamentally want or (do not want) to support a manufacturer from a certain state. Quality is best judged by the reputation of a particular...brand and the overall price category of the tap.

The warranty period claimed by the manufacturer for a certain tap model is the period during which the manufacturer guarantees the normal operation of the device. The specific terms of the warranty may vary, however, usually, it covers factory defects and malfunctions caused by the fault of the manufacturer or seller and discovered during normal use, without violating the rules; if such defects or malfunctions appear during the warranty period, the manufacturer undertakes the obligation to correct the situation at its own expense — up to replacing the tap with a working one.

Nowadays, you can find taps with a guarantee of 4 years, 5 years, 7 years, 10 years and even 25 years. In general, the longer the warranty period, the more reliable the product is, the higher its overall quality, ceteris paribus, but the more expensive it will cost compared to analogues.