People tend to replace separate taps when they refurbish their bathrooms these because indeed there is no reason for them and they are not practical. As for pu

People tend to replace separate taps when they refurbish their bathrooms these because indeed there is no reason for them and they are not practical. As for pull-cord switches, this is another "because that's the way others do, too" sort of thing. To have a normal switch in a bathroom is not explicitly forbidden and many electric safety regulations are poorly understood (ask 3 electricians about safety zones and you'll probably get 3 different answers) so people tend to cover their backsides by going over the top.