Three-Way Tap: Hot, Cold & Filtered Water
A three-way tap (sometimes known as a tri-flow tap) gives you hot and cold softened water through the normal levers and main spout, plus a separate hard or filtered drinking water supply through a third lever and spout. It’s a neat, practical solution that declutters your sink area while giving you the best of both worlds — soft water for washing up and cooking and hard or filtered water for drinking.
While softened water is safe to drink, hard water minerals are beneficial to our health, which is why we recommend fitting a hard water drinking feed when fitting a water softener. If you choose to have a separate hard water drinking feed your options are to either install a separate drinking water faucet or a three-way tap, with a secondary decision about water filters or comprehensive reverse osmosis solutions.
We work with trusted suppliers to offer a variety of styles to suit all kitchens, with lasting quality that we know can be supported for many years.
Our Three-Way Taps

APL Cirrus Chrome

APL Stratus Chrome

APL Vapour Chrome

APL Cumulus Antique Brass

APL Cumulus Brushed Nickel

APL Cumulus Chrome

APL Vapor Antique Brass

APL Vapor Brushed Nickel

Altea Stainless Steel

Carina Polished Stainless Steel
Installation Process
Installing a three-way tap is straightforward. When installing with a water softener, we will:
- Connect the hot and cold softened water to the main spout
- The drinking water line is connected to a hard water feed, usually through a drinking water filter
- We test everything thoroughly and show you how it all works
It’s all part of the same installation visit, and we’ll make sure everything is working smoothly before we leave. You’ll have soft water for washing and cleaning, and hard or filtered water for drinking.

Book A Free Home Survey Today
Our friendly team will visit your home, assess your water needs and provide a no-obligation quote
Our Services
We offer a full range of services from sales & installation of water softeners to ongoing maintenance and supplies
What Our Customers Say
“Southern Softflow’s response to my call for help was amazing, from Edith in the office, Keith the boss man to Will the plumber who worked so hard and did a first class job. A truly great personal service not found easily these days. My heartfelt thanks to them all !”
“From the first contact through to survey visit and arranging for installation, this family-run company was excellent, with plenty of communication. The water softener had to be installed in a very restricted space with very difficult to access mains water inlet and drain. However the company plumber found a workaround, even preserving some of the middle shelf in the cupboard concerned. The installation was completed in one morning, working was clean, and the finished job is very neat.”
“Fantastic service from the Southern Softflow Team! My enquiry was dealt with promptly and expertly. We were first told by the guy from another local company who installed our water softener (before we owned the property) that the softener couldn’t be serviced reliably as it hadn’t been used for a while and was in any case 10 years old so in need of replacing. We were also told it would be unsafe to use and were quoted a heavy price by him to replace it. Keith from Southern Softflow came to have a look, He was knowledgeable, friendly and very understanding. He spent time analysing the water to make sure it was safe to use. He flushed the system through thoroughly and assured us the softener is in good working order so we wouldn’t need to replace it which was a great relief. Several weeks after Keith’s visit we are using our softener with no issues and are very relieved Southern Softflow operate in our area!”
“We recently had Southern Softwater visit our home to walk us through the available options, and the experience from start to finish was excellent.The initial consultation was clear, informative, and pressure-free. They took the time to understand our needs, explained the different systems in a straightforward way, and answered all of our questions patiently. It felt like they genuinely wanted to help us make the right decision rather than just make a sale.The installation process was just as impressive. The installer arrived on time, was extremely professional, and worked efficiently while keeping everything tidy. He explained how the system works, made sure everything was set up perfectly, and left the area clean once the job was complete.Overall, we’re delighted with both the service and the product. It’s rare to find a company that delivers such a smooth and professional experience from consultation through to installation. Highly recommended.”
“Brilliant service. Survey done clear explanation of product from Ben. Fitting done three days later. Very helpful and tidy technician. Added a hard water tap at the last minute no problem. Would highly recommend the service and product. Thanks guys!”
“Moving home to an area with very hard water, I decided it was time to install a water softener. After research, I chose Southern Softflow, who offered exactly the reassurance and expertise I was seeking. Decision to installation took two days. Installation itself took a little over two hours, was carried out neatly, efficiently, and professionally. The new tri-flow drinking tap looks great in the kitchen, and even though I’ve used Brita filters for years, tea already tastes noticeably better after only 12 hours. Many thanks to Ben, Will, and the team, greatly appreciated. A full 10 out of 10.”
Are You Fed Up With The Impacts Of Hard Water?
Emily was looking to protect her new build home in Shaftesbury, Dorset from the impacts of limescale. After living in her new house for two years ago and consequently became frustrated with the impacts of limescale.
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