Getting our Kohler Bathroom Fittings from KHK Asia

As we stepped into KHK Asia‘s showroom, we were very impressed by the spacious and classy interior design. It was definitely a different experience from the many other sanitary ware shops we had visited. This is our review of KHK Asia. Note: this article was last updated on 02 February 2020 with the current condition of our KHK Asia bathroom fittings, see bottom of this article. Also read: 10 Great Places to Buy Bathroom Fittings in Singapore

KHK Asia – Official Kohler Distributor in Singapore

KHK Asia is a boutique sanitary ware shop located at Cendex Centre in Lower Delta Road. It is the official distributor for Kohler products in Singapore. We were informed by the staff that the Kohler products are mostly made in China or Thailand. Other than the renowned Kohler brand, the shop also carries established European brands such as Bongio and Nikles, which manufacture very elegant bathroom products too.

Classy Showroom and Great Service

KHK Asia has a beautiful showroom with an impressive array of classy Kohler products on display. Compared to other sanitary ware shops, we had a much better shopping experience here. This was because the products at KHK Asia are arranged nicely for our viewing, while most other shops would usually just cram their products together.

There was even a section where we could turn on a variety of shower heads and rainshowers to see the jet patterns. However, it is important to note that the water pressure in your house will probably be different from the one at KHK Asia.

We were served by Chris, an assistant sales manager at KHK Asia. He was quite knowledgeable about bathroom products and answered many of our queries patiently.

Kohler Rainshower Set

After visiting KHK Asia a few times, we decided to get the Kohler rainshower set K-72675T-B4-CP ($788) which consists of a rainshower column, a handshower, and a manual mixer. What we really liked about this rainshower set is that it comes with a very well-designed shower arm diverter that makes switching between the rainshower and handshower a breeze.

Kohler Rainshower Set: Rainshower Column

We decided to buy a rainshower for our MBR toilet because we wanted to enjoy the luxurious experience of bathing under one. However, we took into account several factors before buying.

Firstly, we had a storage heater which is able to produce enough water pressure for the rainshower. If we had gotten an instant electric heater, the water pressure would definitely not be high enough. This is because an instant heater works by reducing water flow so that the water can be heated instantly when it enters the heater. You can find out more about instant vs storage water heaters here.

Secondly, it is important to get the correct storage heater size. Our rainshower has a 200mm width, which means that it has a flow rate of 12 litres per minute. And currently only Raevian and I are staying in the house. Based on this article on water heater size, our 25 litre storage heater would have sufficient water to give us a decent bath.

Finally, we also considered the water pressure in our HDB flat. In Singapore, the government maintains a minimum water pressure for houses not exceeding 25 meters above sea level. Therefore, water supply for private houses are usually quite stable since they do not go above 25 metres. However, since we are staying in a HDB flat, the water pressure will vary based on different floor levels. According to this article on water pressure in Singapore, we found out that we should have enough pressure at our floor level.

So how has our rainshower been performing so far? Both of us have been staying at our house for about a month, and we take turns to shower. Using both taps to mix the cold and hot water supplies, the warm water can last for about 10 to 15 minutes each person. While the rainshower’s water flow is not as powerful as those “power showers” in luxury hotels, it is definitely good enough to have a comfortable bath. On the whole we are very satisfied with it.

Kohler Rainshower Set: Handshower

Our Kohler rainshower set came with a handheld shower head that has three types of spray patterns. The handshower is useful for thorough cleaning when we are bathing. We also use it to wash our bathroom tiles and shower glass wall.

Kohler Rainshower Set: Manual Mixer

Our MBR toilet rainshower set comes with a manual mixer. Raevian and I decided to get the exact same mixer for our common toilet – the Kohler manual mixer K-72682 ($100) – because we really like its clean look. So far the mixer has been functioning well, but the hot water tap tends to get quite hot after a while.

What is a Mixer?
As the name suggests, a mixer “mixes” hot and cold water from the storage tank to achieve your preferred temperature before it reaches the rainshower. It is only needed if you are using a storage heater; there is no need for a mixer if you are using an instant heater.

Manual Mixer
A manual mixer has two taps to control each of the hot and cold water supplies. Therefore, we have to estimate how much to turn each tap to get our desired temperature. This type of mixer is more common in Singapore and is relatively cheap. However, if someone else in the house is using another water outlet (for example the kitchen tap or washing machine), it will cause a drop in water pressure. This will result in less hot or cold water going to the mixer, which will cause a sudden increase or drop of temperature. This will be dangerous if you have children or elderly in the house.

We decided to use manual mixers for both our toilets because there are currently just two of us living in the house. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any sudden changes in water pressure due to someone else using another water outlet.

Thermostatic Mixer
A thermostatic mixer has an in-built mechanism that keeps water temperature constant even when there is a sudden change in water pressure. For the nerds, it has a thermostatic element that expands or contracts with temperature changes. This element moves a piston across the entry points for the hot and cold water supplies. Therefore, instead of two taps for the hot and cold water supply, it has a temperature knob and a tap to control water flow.

We didn’t get this type of mixer as it is relatively more expensive. However, if you can find a thermostatic mixer at a reasonable price, and /or and you have a family with children and elderly, it is definitely better to get a thermostatic mixer.

Spout vs No-Spout
The shower mixers can be built with or without a spout. Both our MBR and common toilet shower mixers do not have spouts, because we wanted a minimalistic look. On hindsight, I feel that we should have gotten a mixer with spout for our common toilet as it is more convenient to fill up pails.

Nikles Handshower

For our common toilet, we installed an elegant looking Nikles Handshower ($30). Our Kohler rainshower set came with a wall mount handshower holder. Instead of using it in the MBR, we used it to hold the Nikles handshower in our common toilet instead. This is because we did not need the holder in our MBR anyways. We really like the minimalistic feel of our common toilet with just a mixer and a handshower.

Kohler Basins

MBR Toilet Basin (K-2949T-0)

Common Toilet Basin (K-2339T-0)

It was love at first sight for our Kohler basins! For our MBR toilet, we got the Kohler Forefront Undercounter Basin K-2949T-0 ($348.29) which has a pretty metal casing covering the overflows. Overflows are holes near the top of the basins for water to drain off once they reach the level of the overflows.

For our common toilet, we bought the Kohler Memoirs Undercounter Basin K-2339T-0 ($389.50) which has beautiful contours around the borders, giving it an alluring Victorian feel.

We decided to get undermount basin (instead of an overmount) because most of the sink is hidden, giving it a very clean and seamless look. We also liked that water from the countertop can be wiped directly into the basin, instead of being stuck under the basin. This makes cleaning a lot easier.

Kohler Push-Up Waste

For both our basins, we bought matching Kohler sink wastes K-7119T-CP ($95). There are several types of basin waste. We decided to buy a push up waste (also known as a “click clack” waste) because it is the most popular design. All we have to do is simply push down on the waste to close it and then push again to open it (see picture above). So far it has been working well.

Since both our Kohler Basins are designed with overflows, we needed to get a slotted sink waste. This type of waste has a “slot” on its side, so that water going into the overflows can go into this slot and then flow down the drain. This is very important because if you get an unslotted sink waste, the water will not be able to drain off.

Conclusion

Shopping at KHK Asia was a great experience! We enjoyed browsing through the classy Kohler products displayed neatly in the showroom. Service was great too – all the staff here were very knowledgeable and always assisted us patiently. There was no pressure to buy at all. We went down for a few times before finally deciding on our purchases.

The sanitary ware here are relatively more expensive due to the Kohler brand name. However, the showroom also carries established European brands such as Bongio and Nikles, which are more affordable.

Before going down, make sure that you already know the dimensions of your toilet design (bathing area, cabinet dimensions, etc) so that you can choose the correct sized fittings. For HDB toilets, take note that there is a white beam around the ceiling, so if the rainshower column is too long it will not fit.

We have been staying at our house for about one month and so far all the bathroom products have been functioning well. We will update this article again after a longer period!

KHK Asia
Address: 120 Lower Delta Road, #01-11 Cendex Centre, Singapore 169208
Phone: +65 6377 3285
Opening Hours: | Mon to Sat: 10am – 7pm | Sun: 12pm – 6pm |

Update 02 February 2020

After about two years of using the Kohler rainshower set, Kohler basins, and Nikles handshower, I’m happy to report that they are still in perfect working condition.

However, the rainshower mixer and column in my MBR bathroom tend to get water stains rather easily, so I try to clean them at least once every two weeks. Some of the stains have become permanent because they were not wiped away fast enough. I do not have this problem with the mixer in the common toilet because we seldom use it.

The basin in my MBR bathroom tend to get mouldy easily, but that is probably because the bathroom is very humid. The basin in the common toilet does not have this problem.

The Nikles handshower still looks very new and is working perfectly.

This article is part of our completely free and super informative Singapore Home Renovation Guide. Why spend weeks researching when all your renovation information is simply a click away?