Hot Water Tap Efficiency

[compynei]

Also posted in appliances, but thought this is relevant here too.

We are in the process of planning for a new kitchen.

Seen one of these hot taps:
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/insinke...gleBase&utm_medium=GB&utm_campaign=GoogleBase

Some people have mentioned their uses, and potential energy saving over boiling the kettle, heating pans of water from cold etc.

Anyone got any thoughts?

Cheers

Read more: //www.diynot.com/forums/appliances/hot-water-tap-efficiency.305383/#ixzz1hxFyRwmi

 

[EFLImpudence]

Seen one of these hot taps:
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/insinke...edium=GB&utm_campaign=GoogleBase[/QUOTE]Well, They do work, although not quite 'boiling hot' so tea not perfect.
Could be ideal if you need one hundred cups of tea an hour.

Some people have mentioned their uses, and potential energy saving over boiling the kettle, heating pans of water from cold etc.

Obviously a fallacy because you have already paid to heat the water.
You can obtain kettles which have a 'keep hot' facility - exactly the same.
They just keep heating the water whether you use it or not.

Anyone got any thoughts?

Just a waste of energy.
I'm not saying that as a 'tree hugger' - just a very expensive outlay to waste money.

If you need filtered water I would suggest one without the heater.

 

[compynei]

Thanks EFL, Think you may be right.

The fridge already filters water anway.

As a side note though, I always believed tea should not be made with boiling water, or at least the water should only be boiled once as the oxygen is removed thus ruining the taste of the tea.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I always believed tea should not be made with boiling water

Oh, no - it should just have come to the boil.

or at least the water should only be boiled once as the oxygen is removed thus ruining the taste of the tea.

That is true.

 

[ub7rm]

But coffee should never be made with just boiled water, it should be allowed to cool slightly first.

As above, tea with boiling water.

 

[Alarm]

But coffee should never be made with just boiled water, it should be allowed to cool slightly first.

As above, tea with boiling water.

So my percolator isn't boiling water?

Think you`ll find it does, a better result imho. Although not the best accepted method I know.

 

[JohnW2]

So my percolator isn't boiling water? Think you`ll find it does, a better result imho.

A traditional percolator certainly boils water, and uses the pressure created by the resultant steam to 'pump' the water to where the coffee is - but by the time the water gets to the coffee, it will inevitably be a little below boiling temperature.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Alarm]

Not a lot though. As the heat conducted in the body (All metal obviously) means everything is at a high temp.
That is one of the things with them the temp is so high it can back boil.

 

[conny]

Boiling water actually 'burns' the coffee so should be poured shortly before it boils or allowed to cool for a few minutes before pouring.

 

[Alarm]

Boiling water actually 'burns' the coffee so should be poured shortly before it boils or allowed to cool for a few minutes before pouring.

That is why some say the percolator is bad. Personally I like the taste better this way.

 

[big-all]

a kettle costs maybe £12 cost nothing to be installed and will last well who cares as a replacement will at least last a year or so at less than 1p towards a cup off coffee
not sure what use an expensive under sink system at perhaps several pence a cup will give ??

at £700 plus instalation assuming £100 + 800 so assuming you have 10 cups a day that = 5p eletricity times 365 = £185 so call it £1`000 for 10 cups a day so 3650 cups will normally cost £2.70 a day or via a kettle will cost around 5p a day
this assumes the kettle or "boiler lasts 1 year
i would not think a fitted boiler that makes the cost off a coffee cost to be around 27p is good value over around 2p before milk is added

 

[JohnW2]

Not a lot though. As the heat conducted in the body (All metal obviously) means everything is at a high temp.
That is one of the things with them the temp is so high it can back boil.

True. There are actually two issues here. The one we've been talking about is the tempertaure of the water when it hits the coffee grounds - which, as has been said, should ideally be a little below 100°C (and usually will be, even if only a little, below 100°C with a percolator, and also with most other machine methods of brewing coffee). The second is the potential effect of boiling the liquid ('coffee') after it has been through the coffee grounds - which does happen with a percolator. We (UK) tend to regard that as a bad thing which damages the taste of the drink - but in many countries (e.g. France, Greece, Turkey etc.) 'boiling it up' (often in the continued presence of coffee grounds) seems to be an accepted part of the process, leading to the more bitter flavour they seem to favour. 'Filter coffee' and espresso obviously avoid the second of these issue, since water flows through the coffee grounds only once and is not subsequently boiled.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[Alarm]

Thats why I have the perc. I love that taste, as I said it can boil over and even re go thru the grounds.

 

[JohnW2]

...not sure what use an expensive under sink system at perhaps several pence a cup will give ??

I don't think it can possibly offer any financial advantage. The 'running' cost of heating a given volume of water to near-boiling point will be at least as high with this system as with a kettle or pan, yet the capital cost (initial and replacement) is dramatically higher with the under-sink system. If there is an advantage in some domestic users' eyes, it presumably must be in terms of their perception of 'convenience'.

In non-domestic situations, there are often distinct advantages (in terms of time-saving - not having to wait for a kettle to boil) involved in having instant near-boiling water available. I don't know if it is still the case, but the kitchen of virtually every hospital ward used to have a 'Jackson' for this purpose - avoiding the need for staff to hang around waiting for a kettle to boil, or else going away and making a second visit to the kitchen (if they remembered!) when they predicted the kettle would have boiled.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[ericmark]

I have used a hot tap and they did a great job. It had loads of plates inside which stopped the water circulating so in spite of cold water replacing the hot water it did not cool it down enough to matter.

The main thing was with a boiler it was always a problem as when to re-fill as anyone late for tea would end up with no hot water for their tea or it would not get filled and the element would burn out. The hot taps saved us changing elements as auto fill and ensured late comers could get a hot drink.

For a canteen catering for 20 men these were really good.

However at home I can't really see where they are needed. Kettles no longer have the element in the centre of the water. The jug kettle has the element at the bottom so one only needs to boil enough to use, one does not have to fill the kettle so the time taken to boil is also reduced.

I am sure one could fit a tea cosy on a kettle to keep water warm. I have a 12 volt version which is a Thermos flask with an element sure one could get 230 volt version.

The hot tap was never designed as energy saving it was to replace the urn as I related above. Although it may save energy it would depend on many cups were made. I would prefer to make coffee with an espresso machine but it does take some time. Water is pumped through coffee it does not use steam pressure. The filter coffee not quite as nice but handy as always on the boil. But wasteful as often left in jug too long. So the hot tap would only be used for tea and as already said it removes the air out of the water if not in regular use so OK in a canteen but not much good at home.

The unit shown is not quite like the hot tap as the hot tap was above the sink not under it but did the same job. One problem was if some one did not know what it was they could in error pour boiling water on to something not able to take the heat. Like ones hand. So they were never mounted above the sink but always to one side so it was plain to see it was not a standard tap with hot water. Just a drip tray underneath it.

In the home it would need some form of isolator to make it child safe so children could not play with it. I can't see any safety device. One would want to be able to lock it off when Grand Children came and since it takes a long time to cool it would mean unplugging and running off all the hot water to make it safe.

So personally I would say not suitable for home use. They are for canteens at work not for home.