Blutide Plumbing and Wastes

Seventy seven items from Blutide that nobody browses for pleasure and everybody needs: 27 plumbing spares, 20 basin wastes and traps, 16 spouts, 11 bath wastes and fillers, and 3 kitchen bowl kits. This is the page that decides whether a mixer actually goes in, and two of the choices on it, slotted against unslotted and 32mm against 40mm, are where most of the wrong orders happen.

Slotted or Unslotted

The rule is short. If the basin has an overflow hole under the tap ledge, you need a slotted waste, because the slots in the side of the waste body are what let the overflow discharge into the pipe. If the basin has no overflow, you need an unslotted waste, which seals all the way round. Fit an unslotted waste to a basin with an overflow and the overflow simply does not work; fit a slotted one to a basin without an overflow and you have opened a path for water to weep at the joint.

Both are stocked here, in the same finishes, and the titles say which is which. Look at the basin itself rather than at the waste you are replacing, because sanitaryware gets swapped more often than the plumbing under it.

32mm and 40mm

Basin wastes and traps on this page are 32mm. Bath wastes are 40mm. That is the normal convention rather than a Blutide quirk: basins run at a lower flow and take the smaller pipe, while baths, showers and kitchen sinks move more water at once and take 40mm. The bottle traps follow the wastes, so the square trap is a 32mm by 32mm, and the kitchen bowl kits are supplied in single, double and three bowl versions with a 75mm seal trap.

Spouts, Valves and the Small Parts

Wall spouts come at 200mm and 250mm, with round wall spouts at 200mm, a round basin spout, round and square bath diverter spouts for switching flow between the spout and a shower, and round bath filler and overflow fittings. Behind those sit the parts that keep a job moving: half inch DZR angle valves, 15mm stop taps, cover plate and S connection sets, a 35mm cartridge, and aerator inserts including pressure compensating ones at 1.9, 3.8 and 5 litres per minute. Shower channels and gully traps are not here, they are on Blutide channels and traps, and the mixers themselves are on basin mixers and bath mixers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a slotted or an unslotted basin waste?

Check the basin. If there is an overflow hole under the tap ledge, fit a slotted waste, because the slots let the overflow drain into the waste pipe. If there is no overflow hole, fit an unslotted waste, which seals right around. Getting it the wrong way round either disables the overflow or leaves a route for water to seep at the joint, so it is worth two seconds with a torch.

Is a basin waste 32mm or 40mm?

Basin wastes and basin traps are 32mm, and bath wastes are 40mm. It follows the normal pipe convention rather than anything specific to Blutide: a basin delivers a lower flow and runs on the smaller size, while baths, showers and kitchen sinks discharge more water at once and need 40mm. The bottle traps on this page match the wastes, so the square trap is 32mm by 32mm.

What is a clicker waste?

A waste with a sprung plug you push to close and push again to open, instead of a loose plug on a chain. It is the standard fitting on a modern basin because there is nothing hanging over the rim, and it is what the basin and bath wastes on this page are. They are sold in the same finishes as the tapware so the plug does not stand out against the mixer.

Which aerator insert do I need?

It depends what you are trying to fix. The pressure compensating inserts are offered at 1.9, 3.8 and 5 litres per minute, so a lower figure holds the flow down on a high pressure supply. There is also a high flow insert and a flow straightener for the opposite problem. Read the title carefully, because one of the 3.8 inserts is specified for the Neo basin mixer only.

Are shower channels and traps on this page?

No. Shower channels, square shower traps and the 80mm shower trap sit on the Blutide channels and traps page instead, because they are floor drainage rather than sanitaryware wastes. This page covers basin and bath wastes, bottle traps, spouts, valves and the small parts. If you are doing a walk in shower, you want the other one.