Tips for New Tradesmen: How to drill tapholes for baths
For the second post in our Tips for New Tradesmen blog series, we’re sharing some guidance on how to drill tapholes for baths, as most of these now come undrilled, as standard.
Indeed, other than steel baths, bath shells are not usually pre-drilled for acrylic and other varieties, so knowing how to do this properly and efficiently is key when fitting them for your customers.
Our step-by-step guide below will subsequently take you through the process, using the popular acrylic tub as an example.
Drilling tapholes in acrylic baths
Before you start drilling, it’s important to know what size the tapholes will need to be and to have all your equipment to hand. Most baths will normally require two tapholes, although sometimes three might be needed, depending on the bath’s specific style and customer preference.
Checking your measurements is key when it comes to drilling tapholes into baths.
Tools required include:
- Safety goggles and gloves
- Masking tape
- Tape measure
- Pen/pencil
- Electric power drill
- 1/8-inch drill bit
- Hole saw drill bit
Taphole sizing: In terms of the size of holes required for the bath, this all very much depends on the taps your customer has chosen for their bath, as these can be of varying sizes. This will therefore also influence how far apart the tapholes are spaced.
However, as a rule of thumb, new bath tapholes are often drilled at about 28mm, as most standard tap threads are ¾-inches BSP (British Standard Pipe), equating to a diameter of 25mm for the internal measurement.
The Eliseo Ricci Freefall Bath-shower Mixer Tap in Chrome.
If you’re installing a monobloc mixer tap, which gives both hot and cold water from the same spout, then a 35mm hole will often be suitable for this although, again, sizes vary between products, so checking specific measurements is key. Once you drill those tapholes, there’s no going back …
Just to clarify, however, a tap like the Eliseo Ricci Freefall Bath-shower Mixer Tap in Chrome Brassware – one of Bathshack’s popular bath-shower mixer taps – has a tap width of 180mm but still requires two tapholes drilled, due to its design.
A monobloc tap, however, will only require the one taphole as it only has one entry point for water.
Drilling your tapholes
1. Check product instructions and confirm measurements: The first thing to do is to measure the width of the bath using your tape measure, then cover the taphole end with masking tape. Note the centre-point of the bath and then measure out from this accordingly, marking the locations for each tap with a pencil or pen and then double-checking that these are correct before drilling.
It can be useful to mark exactly where you’ll drill by drawing a small circle on the masking tape and then putting a cross within this, to define the centre-point for the drill bit. NB Ensure that the circles match the diameter of the hole saw drill bit.
2. Drill the pilot holes: Put on your safety goggles and gloves before drilling the pilot holes, creating a small indent in the bath to mark out where you will subsequently drill. To do this, you’ll need to attach the 1/8-inch drill bit to your electric power drill.
Top tip!
Always check your measurements
before drilling.
Check:
• Tap hole sizes
• Distance between taps
3. Drill the tapholes: Remove the 1/8-inch drill bit and replace this with the hole saw cutter to drill the main tapholes. Simply place this into the pilot holes and then start drilling with care through the bath. It’s best not to rush the job, to ensure that the bath isn’t damaged and to avoid slipping and drilling holes which are then too big.
4. Clean up debris: Once the drilling is complete, wipe away the debris and clean around the bath before the fitting the taps.
Acrylic is a very malleable material – and one of the most popular for baths because of this – so drilling these baths are fairly effortless, meaning they’re great even for those who may be less experienced at drilling tapholes. For acrylic baths with a fibreglass finish, the drilling process is the same, although extra care should be taken due to flying shards of the fiberglass when this is underway.
Kitchen and bathroom taps at Bathshack
Whether your customers are seeking mixer taps, freestanding varieties or basin and kitchen sink taps, we have a full range at Bathshack – all at great-value prices for our trade customers.
Available in lots of different styles, sizes and finishes, we also have wall-mounted bath taps in addition to those which need to be fitted onto the body of the bath itself – for example, the Eliseo Ricci Neo Wall-mounted Bath-shower Mixer.
There are also freestanding bath taps, which require drilling into the floor, along with low pressure taps to suit low pressure plumbing systems.
No matter what type of taps you need for your bathroom, kitchen or cloakroom project, we have a great range of affordable options and are always happy to advise on specific products for your convenience.
The Eliseo Ricci Neo Wall-mounted Bath-shower Mixer Tap.
For more information about our range of bathroom and kitchen taps at Bathshack, just email our team at info@bathshack.com or give us a call on (028) 9077 0188.
