If you’re a homeowner looking for ways to save time, then an instant hot water tap might be the solution for you. These handy taps provide near-boiling water on demand, courtesy of a small tank that’s located underneath your sink.
These taps are designed with safety in mind. For example, most feature a child-proof handle or require an additional motion to activate the dispenser, which reduces the risk of accidental scalding.
1. It saves you time
A boiling water tap dispenses boiling hot water instantly, which saves time compared to heating up a kettle on the stove or in the microwave. Boiling water taps also reduce energy use, as they only dispense the amount of water required at a time. This means you don’t have to boil a kettle full of water and then pour out the excess water, which is typically around one-fifth of the total volume dispensed.
Instant hot water taps are available in a range of beautiful designs and finishes, so you can install them without your kitchen looking like a science lab. They are also a stylish alternative to traditional water boilers and water points, making them ideal for office breakout areas, conference rooms and hotel refreshment stations.
Unlike a standard kettle, which can be dangerous to touch or hold without gloves, instant taps have an aerated water flow that mixes air with the boiling hot water. This means the water is less likely to scald you, and it’s safer for children and pets to touch or interact with. In addition, most models have a safety feature that requires users to double push and twist the handle before activating, which is designed to prevent accidental scalding.
Instant taps can be installed under-the-counter, or they can be built into your sink to save space. If you’re considering an instant hot water tap for your home, it’s important to consult a licensed plumber, as the installation process involves connecting the unit to your water supply, plumbing and electricity system, and ensuring the tap is in compliance with your local plumbing codes.
2. It saves you money
If you’re in the market for a new kitchen or just looking to upgrade your existing one, then installing an instant boiling water tap is definitely worth considering. These clever taps are slowly but surely replacing traditional kettles and have a variety of benefits, including saving you time and energy.
They do this by heating the water only when you need it, meaning it’s ready to pour within seconds – not minutes – unlike a kettle which requires you to keep an eye on the stove to ensure it doesn’t over boil. The heating is also thermostatically controlled and so only uses a small amount of energy to maintain the desired temperature.
Many of the leading brands such as Zip and Billi have smart controls that enable you to reduce your energy consumption even further. These include a’sleep when it’s dark’ function that automatically turns off the system at night; setting options that let you know when your system is using more or less energy than usual; and memory settings for when you use it most often.
Another great feature of these taps is the sprung safety lock that prevents you from accidentally dispensing boiling water. This is a particularly useful function for households with children as it can help to eliminate accidental scalding. It can also be a useful feature for anyone who regularly struggles to open jar lids, clean their chopping board or thaw out meat for dinner.
3. It saves you energy
Unlike boiling water from a kettle which requires energy to heat the water, instant hot taps draw on stored energy in your hot water tank and use far less electricity than a regular kitchen tap. This is because they are powered by a demand system rather than a recirculating system and because the water they dispense has already been heated in your hot water tank.
Instant boiling taps also have the added benefit of removing the need for a kettle to take up valuable space on your kitchen worktop. They declutter your workspace and save space while providing you with instant 100°C boiling water, hot water and filtered water at the touch of a button.
Boiling water taps are designed with safety in mind and most feature child locks, insulated pipes to prevent contact with the hot surface and flashing rings which indicate when the function is activated. In addition, the aerated stream of boiling water that leaves a tap is much less likely to cause an accidental scald than the solid stream of water from a traditional kettle.
Many of the top brands such as Zip and Billi have a range of boiling hot water taps with different features. These include stand-alone boiling taps that dispense just boiling water or multi-functional models that provide instant boiling water, regular hot water and filtered cold water in trending faucet styles.
4. It saves you water
An instant boiling water tap will only heat the amount of water you need at that time, which lowers energy consumption as you don’t waste energy heating more than you need. It also means that your staff and customers will not be using a kettle that they have to boil up over and over again, making a significant difference to your environmental impact.
In addition, the aerated flow of boiling water from a POU insta-hot tap makes it far less likely to cause scalding than a solid stream of hot water pouring out of a kettle. This is because the water dispensed by a boiling tap is formed of droplets of water and air, which can’t burn on contact. Many models have a safety feature where the handle must be pressed down and twisted to activate the tap, which reduces accidental activation. Others also have a red flashing ring that warns users that the boiling water function is active.
Some taps – such as the Borg & Overstrom T3 – offer multiple dispensing options for cold, chilled, hot and even carbonated water, which can help to replace other appliances like kettles and dispensers, and could be perfect in environments where space is limited. This can help to declutter your workspace and is a great idea if you’re looking to design a modern kitchen with a minimal look.