The Bathroom Manufacturers’ Association has issued a warning for consumers to be on the look-out for cheap and potentially dangerous fake bathroom goods such as brassware and shower screens.
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Given its role as a manufacturers’ group, the association is understandably worried about the effect of forgeries on its members’ profits – but it is also concerned about dangers to householders.
“We have heard some real horror stories,” says BMA chief executive Yvonne Orgill. “I know of a case where the glass of some shower screens broke into large shards when struck and this glass carried the Kite Mark specifying safety glass, as per correct regulation, but it was clearly a fake.
“There are some difficult questions left unanswered. What if a fake thermostatic mixing valve failed causing major scalding and subsequent death?”
The association warns: “Fakes are very difficult to identify, until they go wrong leaving a tap that drips incessantly or a toilet that does not flush properly. We often receive calls from consumers seeking help to identify a faulty product and much of it turns out to be non-compliant with European Standards.”