Tap replacement and shower installation

Replacing a kitchen or basin tap

To replace a tap, we shut off the water, remove the old tap with its connection hoses and fix the new tap to the sink or worktop. The tap is then connected to the angle valves, the water is turned back on and the tap is flushed through. Finally, we check that all the joints stay dry.

Kitchen taps often have a dishwasher valve that the dishwasher's inlet hose connects to. If you are replacing this kind of tap, choose a new model that also has a valve, or plan for a separate valve under the sink. The dishwasher is then connected to the new tap's valve during the replacement. A tall spout leaves room for large pans, but before buying, check that the tap will not hit a wall cabinet or stop the window from opening.

With a basin tap, check that the spout reaches far enough over the basin so that water does not splash onto the rim. Some basin taps are wall-mounted, in which case the tap is connected directly to the wall connections, much like a shower mixer.

A new tap usually comes with new connection hoses, so the old hoses are not reused. In older homes, angle valves may be seized or start leaking when they are turned for the first time in years. If so, it is worth replacing them along with the tap. If a valve or joint is already leaking, see our guide to a water leak at home.

A touchless tap runs on a battery or a mains adapter. If you choose a mains model, check that there is a socket in the cabinet under the sink. Hard-wired electrical connections are done by an electrician.

Shower mixers and thermostatic mixers

A shower mixer is fixed to the water connections coming out of the wall. The new mixer is fitted to the existing connections, and if their spacing or angle is different, adapter parts are needed. Mixer connections usually have filters and non-return valves that stop hot and cold water mixing in the pipework. A shower rail, hand shower or shower set with an overhead shower can be installed at the same time. If the hand shower is furred up with limescale or the hose is twisted, it makes sense to replace them at the same time. Holes drilled in a tiled wall are carefully sealed so that water cannot get behind the waterproofing through them.

A thermostatic mixer keeps the shower temperature steady even when someone opens a tap or flushes the toilet elsewhere in the home. It also reduces the risk of scalding, which is especially useful in homes with children or elderly residents. A thermostatic mixer can usually replace an old mixer on the same connections.

If the connections have to be moved inside the wall, the job becomes a bathroom renovation in which the waterproofing is also renewed. Waterproofing is done by a specialist, and in a housing company (taloyhtiö) a renovation notice (muutostyöilmoitus) is submitted before work starts.

What tap replacement costs

Replacing a tap costs €125.50, including 25.5% VAT (ALV). Extra fittings and hoses are charged separately. You can choose and buy the new tap yourself, so you get exactly the model you want.

The labour part can qualify for the household tax credit (kotitalousvähennys) when the work is done in your home or holiday home, but not if it is the housing company's maintenance responsibility. The deduction is currently 35% of the labour cost, with an annual threshold (omavastuu) of €150 per person, so a tap replacement alone gives no deduction. Other deductible work in the same year is added together – see our household tax credit guide. The tap and materials are not deductible; check the current conditions on vero.fi.

The price of installing a shower mixer or shower set depends on whether only the mixer is replaced or a shower rail or overhead shower is fitted too, and on whether the wall connections are in good condition. That is why we give a price estimate for shower work based on the details of your home. If you are replacing the whole basin at the same time, see sink installation. You will find all our fixed prices on the prices page.