Franke FAQs

Franke taps are available in a variety of finishes with a small amount of Franke taps also available in solid stainless steel. Franke chrome finish taps have a highly polished silver look whereas the Franke silk finish taps have a matt silver look. The silk finish of Franke taps has been designed to complement Franke silk finish sinks and not to be an exact colour match. The image below gives an idea of the various finishes aswell as the solid stainless steel type. The finish on all Franke taps is guaranteed against defects for 1 year from the purchase date. Cleaning and care information for Franke taps can be found by clicking here.

Franke sinks come with everything required for fitting the sink into your worktop securely. The parts included with your sink differ depending on the style or type of sink you purchase and what material the sink is made from.

Stainless Steel Inset sinks 
Come with fitting clips, 1, 2, or 3 wastes (depending on how many bowls the sink has), overflow pipe/s and fittings and tap hole stopper if one is needed (if the sink is a reversible sink). Inset sinks do not come with a template as this measured from the cut size given on the product specification.

Stainless Steel Undermount sinks 
Come with G Clips (for fitting), 1, 2, or 3 wastes (depending on how many bowls the sink has), overflow pipe/s and a worktop cutout template.

Fragranite and Ceramic Inset sinks 
Come with fitting clips or G Clips if needed, 1, 2, or 3 wastes (depending on how many bowls the sink has), overflow pipe/s and a worktop cutout template (for undermount models)

Butler/Belfast sinks 
Come with 1, 2, or 3 wastes (depending on how many bowls the sink has) and overflow pipe/s.

Missing Template from your Undermount Sink 
If your undermount sink is missing the template you can download one by clicking on the link download templates here

Stainless Steel sink cleaning
Discoloration and most marks on stainless steel are caused by water-borne deposits clinging to its surface. One of the best ways to keep your stainless steel sink in pristine condition is to clean it with a proprietary product such as Shiny Sinks which can be used daily. Shiny Sinks is available from large supermarkets and hardware stores.

Fragranite Sink cleaning
Franke synthetic sinks are all made from materials which resist staining, providing they are cleaned in the correct manner with an appropriate cleaning agent. Research indicates that staining on synthetic sinks is much more common in hard water areas because limescale tends to cling to the sink surface and unless it is cleaned off properly it becomes stained with tea and coffee etc. It is therefore the limescale which is staining the sink, not the sink material itself. Bleach is not recommended and is not effective, as all it does is bleach the stain rather than remove it. One of the best ways to maintain the good looks of a synthetic sink is to clean it with Astonish Paste or Cif. This should be applied to the sink, adding some water and then scrubbing with a nylon brush or a Scotchbrite pad, (do not be afraid to scrub hard). This paste should be left on the sink for a few minutes before rinsing off thoroughly. If the sink is cleaned regularly like this it will help to keep it in good order, this will also help to ensure that no water deposits, such as limescale, are left clinging to the surface of the sink. Drying the sink after use is very good practice and should be encouraged. Astonish Paste is available from John Lewis, Lakeland and some large supermarkets.

Ceramic Sink cleaning
For day-to-day care, all you need is water and a damp cloth. A fast and easy way to remove water marks, grease or soap scum deposits, is with a proprietary bathroom cleaner such as Ajax or Flash liquid spray, or similar products found in your supermarket. Marks caused by iron or aluminium saucepans on the ceramic surface that normal cleaning will not remove can be removed by a product called 'Astonish' which can be purchased in most supermarkets, John Lewis, Lakeland etc.

Tap cleaning
Refer to the installation instruction sheet. Use only a soft cloth and mild detergent

For Fragranite Sinks
1. Ensure colour sticker is in centre of pre-formed taphole 
2. Follow the description line drawings shown on the template, or 
3. Take sink out of box and rest the sink vertically against your legs with the face of the sink facing outwards and ensuring the taphole is for the correct hand drainer (take care not to damage the edge of the sink in the process); 
4. Take a centre punch and place on the centre of the colour sticker; 
5. Strike the punch hard with a hammer - this will result in the core of the tap hole being knocked out; 
6. Finish off using the ball of the hammer and using a round file.

For Ceramic sinks
Only drill Tap hole FROM TOP FACE 

1. Decide on the pre- punched tap holes you require. 
2. Measure to find the centre of the pre- punched tap hole required and cover the area with masking tape. 
3. Using a centre punch, crack the glaze in the centre of the required hole. 
4. Using a No. 8 masonry drill, carefully drill a small pilot hole from the top. NB. Only drill one small hole 
5. You can then proceed to enlarge the hole to the required size by carefully using your hammer with the centrepunch.

What is the difference between Batch Fed and Continuous Feed Waste Disposal Units?
Batch Feed model is activated by loading the chamber and rotating the WDU plug. Continous Feed models are operated by an Air Switch (or alternative) and waste is fed through the open neck of the unit. In both cases, a continuous supply of water is necessary whilst the WDU is in use

What is an Airswitch?
The Franke air activated control switch button operates continuous feed waste disposal units from a point determined by the consumer, eg on the worktop or possibly even within the sink perimeter. Air switches are safer than electric switches because they keep the electricity away from the users' hands. The air switch control mechanism usually mounts under the sink (or is incorporated into the Waste Disposal Unit itself), where it remains dry. From the activated control switch button, an air tube connects with the switch controller, which in turn operates the unit. The benefit is that the operational switch avoids the necessity to have a wall mounted toggle switch (which itself is electrical), and is therefore neater and safer to operate.

How to install your Waste Disposal Unit without using the Airswitch and hard wiring using a standard electrical switch
1. With the disposer mounted on the sink and line cord connected to a wall outlet receptacle, turn 'ON' the wall mounted switch. 
2. If the disposer is 'OFF', depress air switch actuator to turn the disposer 'ON'. 
3. With the disposer ' ON ' pull air switch hose from disposer connectionn and discard air switch actuator and hose. 
4. Turn the disposer 'OFF' by turning off the switch, usually controlled by a wall mounted switch. 
5. Operation of disposer is now controlled in a typical manner by the wall mounted switch

Below are some installation tips and videos which Franke have created to help with the installation process of your Franke product. Please note that the links will take you away from the Franke Online website and to Franke UK the manufacturers website.

Undermount installation using G Clips 
Stainless Steel undermount sink installation (video) 
Ceramic and Fragranite undermount sink installation (video)

Franke Tap Brace installation 
View installation details for Franke Tap Brace

Knocking Out a Tap Hole 
Knocking out a tap hole in a fragranite sink (video) 
Knocking out a tap hole in a ceramic sink (video)

Franke Lira/Siphon Plumbing Kit installation 
Check out how to correctly install your Franke plumbing kit (video)

Franke Filter Flow System 
The Franke Filter Flow system removes a broad range of contaminants from water. Contaminants found in water can essentially be placed in three different categories - microbiological, chemical and aesthetic. Impurities within these categories that are removed by the Franke Filter Flow system include - harmful bacteria, protozoan organisms such as Giardia and Cryptoporidium cysts, chlorine, foul tastes and odours, specific chemicals, rust particles, sediment and numerous other undesirable contaminants including particles above 0.2 microns in size

Franke Online ONLY deliver products to the following countries. Please do not try to place an order or request delivery to any other areas.

Non Fragile Items - All other items not listed by fragile items 
We deliver to England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Channel Isles, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Scottish Highlands, France, Germany, Belgium

Fragile Items - Ceramic, Glass, Fragranite Sinks and all Cooker Hoods 
We deliver to England, Wales and Scottish mainland ONLY