Which bath to choose: acrylic, enameled cast iron or steel? What is cheaper, better and has a longer service life, you will learn from this article. Before committing the feat and starting repairs in the bathroom, any tenants are determined with plumbing. For example, a properly chosen bath is a guarantee of health and comfort for many years. Therefore, we will share information with you and teach you how to choose this particular subject correctly.
In modern supermarkets there is a very wide range of bathtubs for every taste, price, manufacturer, materials from which the body is made, etc. This is where the question arises: which bath to choose? Even those who do not seek to combine all ideas in some model will start to feel dizzy from the variety of colors, sizes, shapes, additional components and all kinds of shiny details. If all the tinsel is relegated to the background, then only the quality, advantages and disadvantages of a particular bath will remain important. The main thing that should be of interest to the buyer at the first stage of the choice is the material from which the water tank was made. In the article you will receive information about each type of bath, including all the pros and cons, everything that can make the choice easier for the buyer.
Cast iron bath: reliability and long service life
The invention of cast iron is not an innovation. But admirers of this material cannot be considered antiques lovers either. Here, the choice is determined according to the most important criteria - durability and strength. The price may seem overpriced, but the 50-year lifespan pays for the acquisition costs. Another advantage is that cast iron keeps heat for a long time. Of course, it takes a long time to warm up, but it will not take 2 hours to add boiling water to the volume of water. And this is enough to rest and relax.
The acrylic bathtub competes with the cast iron product. Form is of decisive importance when choosing. There are no round or triangular cast iron baths, but in polymer products there are enough all kinds of bulges and angles. In addition to this criterion, owners who change plumbing in the bathroom will think very hard about weight. Lifting 120 kg of cast iron into an apartment on the top floor, the movers will not be happy, but the owners will be happy. The cast-iron bathtub is stable (due to its weight) and the possibility of flooding the residents of the lower floors due to the breakdown of the tank is zero.
What to look for when choosing a cast iron bath? There should be no chips on the sample surface. You should be aware that the enamel coating is fragile, and if a heavy object falls to the bottom of the container, damage cannot be avoided. Cleaning abrasives also have a negative effect. If you pay due attention to this coating, then do not be too lazy to inspect the uniformity of color, the absence of smudges, roughness and other defects. If you choose the perfect enamel on the bathtub, then it will not only last a long time, but will also delight the owners with shine. The same cannot be said about the acrylic surface.
Most Popular - Quality Acrylic Bathtubs
A huge plus of polymer baths is all kinds of shapes and sizes. Manufacturing technology is simple and allows you to "dress up" for every taste. It's okay if your bathroom is small. And for such a room, you can pick up a suitable synthetic specimen. In a large bathroom, the same choice can save space for a washing machine, cabinets, shelves or something else. What is acrylic? An ordinary and familiar plastic, which is reinforced in several layers for the strength of the material. It is not required to paint products from this raw material, because color is added at the ebb stage. This gives the color stability, it will not fade or change the shade. The reinforced coating becomes resistant to mechanical stress. All damage and abrasions are simply smoothed out with fine sandpaper.
Not all specimens are sufficiently reinforced with multiple protective layers. Pay attention only to the presence of a metal mesh and fiberglass in the base. The more of these layers, the stronger the walls and bottom of the bath. European manufacturers do not neglect this criterion, therefore professionals advise relying on the price and the manufacturer when choosing. Buying from an unknown manufacturer without a guarantee and at a low price would be a mistake.
The layer thickness should not be less than 6 mm. Better than 8 mm. This parameter is observed mainly by British firms. Europeans also use thick-walled seams in their products, for example, companies such as Ravak, Bas, Riho and some others. Plumbing from these manufacturers are in great demand in the CIS.
Which bath is better: cast iron or acrylic?
- A container made of acrylic is cheaper and easier to clean (enough helium detergents).
- The fungus on the synthetic surface does not multiply and does not appear, therefore, the safety and ecology of the advantages of an acrylic bath.
- The lightness of the case, which makes the delivery and installation of the polymer bath easier, but also makes it less stable.
- Retains heat for longer than a cast iron body.
- Cast iron takes a long time to heat up, and polymer quickly.
- The acrylic bathtub can be completed with hydromassage and other shiny "gadgets".
It can be concluded that synthetic material is better. But there are also some "weaknesses" here. For example, the service life of an acrylic bathtub is up to 10 years, but a cast-iron analogue will become unusable only after 50 years. You can make a discount on the fact that a synthetic invention has recently entered the plumbing market. Therefore, the actual service life is not yet known, but nevertheless it requires more maintenance than cast iron.
Steel bath - economy option
Between all the bathtubs: cast iron, acrylic and steel, the latter have become the most profitable purchase. Their low cost is the strongest argument. And positive feedback after installation speaks of reliability years later. Outwardly, the steel case looks like cast iron, and the weight is no more than 30 kg, like a polymer container.
You will still have to pay special attention to some of the shortcomings - these are thin walls that can bend under the heavy weight of water and body. As with the cast-iron body, enamel is applied to the surface. And the price for this convenience is simply surprising - from 3000 rubles. What can be said about the “reverse side of the coin”:
- The steel structure does not differ in the variety of forms - the corner version is very rare.
- When you wash in such a bath, you can hear a stream of water falling to the bottom. If this starts to bother, then the problem is solved if you unfold the rubber mat.
- Another not very good quality is rapid heat loss. Taking a bath can freeze if you do not add hot water.
- Care for metal plumbing should be delicate so as not to damage the enamel.
There are many drawbacks to metal options, but there is always a way to smooth them out. In general, steel is stronger than acrylic, lasts longer and costs less. Damage on the enamel surface, thanks to new inventions, it became possible to correct (restore). The technology for restoring old coatings uses an acrylic element, and it is cheaper than buying a new product.
All the advantages and disadvantages of this or that material for the bath can be found out when using them for quite a long time. And in order to make the right choice in the supermarket, there is enough information specified in the article. Having studied it, you will achieve your goal: efficiency, comfort, durability, or all in one "bottle"!
Watch a video on how to choose a bath - the advantages and disadvantages of each type:
