Brands for plumbing (valves, faucets etc)

[zoltannyc]

I need to replace a bunch of valves and faucets, in Homepro I see large variety of brands and looking for help choosing one.

Which brands are reliable no leaks, breaks etc, which brands hold up well to rusting, some of the current stop valves are 10 years old and already rusty.

Any ideas?

[Pilotman]

Bought a new kitchen U shaped tap (faucet)  from HomePro not 11 months ago, and it's rusted up already and needs replacing.  I'm not sure what this says about their whole range, but clearly some of it is very low quality indeed, irrespective of the price. 

[DrTuner]

Grohe. Pretty much the only one that works.

[bodga]

15 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Bought a new kitchen U shaped tap (faucet)  from HomePro not 11 months ago, and it's rusted up already and needs replacing.  I'm not sure what this says about their whole range, but clearly some of it is very low quality indeed, irrespective of the price. 

Most  stuff  here is  junk, even the threads  on plumbing stuff  is a  really  sloppy  fit  requiring masses  of  ptfe  tape,I  brought a  load of  Hans  Grohe  stuff  made in Germany from the UK to my house, this  is NOT the same as  Grohe mentioned i believe. 

All stainless is the way to go with everything here even screws I bring from the Uk stainless, whenever  I make or  need anything screwing stainless  every time

[zoltannyc]

I was looking at American Standard and Kohler as I know these brands from the US and I was wondering if they are locally made and if they have better QC than noname brands.

 

[bankruatsteve]

Boonthavorn.  Quality stuff. Can't go wrong. 

[DrTuner]

3 hours ago, bodga said:

Most  stuff  here is  junk, even the threads  on plumbing stuff  is a  really  sloppy  fit  requiring masses  of  ptfe  tape,I  brought a  load of  Hans  Grohe  stuff  made in Germany from the UK to my house, this  is NOT the same as  Grohe mentioned i believe. 

All stainless is the way to go with everything here even screws I bring from the Uk stainless, whenever  I make or  need anything screwing stainless  every time

Yes Hans Grohe is not the Grohe sold in HomePro. It looks like the Häfele shops represent them in Thailand: https://www.hansgrohe-asia.com/en/ .

 

The Grohe that HomePro sells is of somewhat half decent quality, although one faucet at our house has a small patch of blackened chrome after a couple of years. At least they can be opened and serviced, unlike most of the other junk.

 

The Häfele stuff sold in HomePro is locally produced junk. Going to the showroom it's "have to special order" as in comes from abroad. Probably the same story with Hans Grohe, I'd expect 1-2 months for delivery during the covid times. Unfortunately many western brands ride on their name in Thailand and produce local garbage versions.

 

EDIT: bit of history: https://www.waschbeckenarmaturtest.de/en/grohe-hansgrohe-differences-similarities/

Edited July 23, 2020 by DrTuner

[sometimewoodworker]

5 hours ago, zoltannyc said:

Which brands are reliable no leaks, breaks etc, which brands hold up well to rusting, some of the current stop valves are 10 years old and already rusty.

Any ideas?

Häfele fittings are good quality 

[Logosone]

Häfele, so they make it sound German with an Umlaut so that people are fooled into thinking it's a German brand and therefore of high quality. What an underhand despicable way to deceive people.

 

A bit like Berghaus, the UK sports gear manufacturer. 

 

Do people have no shame? 

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

17 minutes ago, Logosone said:

Häfele, so they make it sound German with an Umlaut so that people are fooled into thinking it's a German brand and therefore of high quality. What an underhand despicable way to deceive people.

 

A bit like Berghaus, the UK sports gear manufacturer. 

 

Do people have no shame? 

 

 

Why do you think that it is not a German brand?

 

Certainly some products aren’t manufactured in Germany but that is hardly unique. It is now an international company that developed from German roots.

 

is Apple not an American brand?

[Logosone]

9 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Why do you think that it is not a German brand?

 

Certainly some products aren’t manufactured in Germany but that is hardly unique. It is now an international company that developed from German roots.

 

is Apple not an American brand?

Good point, it is German. Statement retracted.

[kamalabob2]

I am in a position to see customer returns of defective plumbing fixtures, and see fixtures of brands bought at several different home improvement stores in Buriram. I also speak face to face with home owners that are 100% pleased with plumbing fixtures. Well water with calcium or iron can be challenging for many brands. Some brands do not last three months. Some do not have proper ceramic valves. In 12 years of home ownership in Thailand I have never had to replace a Toto bathroom tap, a Waterpik shower head, a VRH faucet in the kitchen or bathroom, or Teka Kitchen mixer tap. I had a porcelain Cotto basin tap fail, but the Cotto normal fittings all function and look great after 12 years. There is a lengthy list of brands that people are disappointed with.  I won't name and shame on a forum, but I keep track of those brands. I had to replace the floor drains in every bathroom that originally were Vegarr brand. I put real VRH 304 floor drains in and have been 100% satisfied. I have personal experience with how plumbing fixture companies in Thailand REALLY handle a warranty claim. Some are excellent, some shockingly <deleted> poor. It pays to save the store receipt and save the warranty card. I have grown to appreciate a company that stocks spare parts for plumbing in Thailand. Some budget hotels install cheap shower heads and bathroom taps as they replace every two years. They do not even try to fix a failing plumbing fixture. 

[kamalabob2]

Ana and Sanwa or VRH manufacture in Thailand excellent, affordable water valves for under a sink. The length of the pipe thread matters if you have tiled walls. There are a host of terrible valves prone to failure sold in Thailand. In 12 years I have not had to replace any VRH or ANA water valves in my homes in Buriram. I have been 100% satisfied with both ANA and Sanwa metal ball valves on exterior pipes and the ANA brass garden taps in both a village home and a city home in Buriram Province. PVC valves are prone to failure at an inconvenient time. It costs so little to step up and buy a long lasting plumbing valve in Thailand compared to the junk a typical Thai home builder will try and stick in the home building list of materials. 

 

https://www.buriramhome.com/buriram-master-bedroom-suite/

 

or in a guest bathroom

 

https://www.buriramhome.com/buriram-guest-bedroom-suite/

[DrTuner]

3 hours ago, kamalabob2 said:

 have personal experience with how plumbing fixture companies in Thailand REALLY handle a warranty claim. Some are excellent, some shockingly <deleted> poor. I

And some are outright fraudulent. I've gotten three packages from HomePro that were very obviously faulty returns. Learned the lesson, never, ever, accept a package that has been opened.

[bodga]

On 7/23/2020 at 10:21 PM, sometimewoodworker said:

Why do you think that it is not a German brand?

 

Certainly some products aren’t manufactured in Germany but that is hardly unique. It is now an international company that developed from German roots.

 

is Apple not an American brand?

Nope  it's  the beatles brand????

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, bodga said:

Nope  it's  the beatles brand????

It is actually both 

[shaemus]

On 7/23/2020 at 4:22 PM, zoltannyc said:

I need to replace a bunch of valves and faucets, in Homepro I see large variety of brands and looking for help choosing one.

Which brands are reliable no leaks, breaks etc, which brands hold up well to rusting, some of the current stop valves are 10 years old and already rusty.

Any ideas?

 

I read the thread yesterday and i have been thinking about over night.

 

What some of the posters seem to have by passed is the water quality that they have. High iron, or salinity will massively affect the finish of most metals. so consider that before buying a 20000 Bht tap for your kitchen.

 

What @kamalabob2 said is true. he is giving you good advice there.

 

Also yo be considered is the lack of consumer right in Thailand, major brands can sell there reduce quality stuff here with impunity more or less.

 

As another poster said boonthavourn is well worth a visit, they constantly have online sales so its worth sitting on your hands if you want to spend big. 

 

Shaemus