How To Get Instant Hot Water For Your Kitchen

Instant Hot water in your kitchen has many practical uses in your home.

  • You can eliminate the hassle of using a kettle to boil water if you have hot water on demand straight from the tap.
  • A kitchen instant hot water system is the speed and convenience of having hot water anytime you need it.
  • No need for you to wait for the water to boil; all you need is to push a button or turn on the tap.

Another appealing feature of a kitchen instant hot water system is the volume of hot water available. It is perfect for large households where hot water on demand is necessary at different times of the day. There are instant hot water dispensers with capacities of up to 2 liters or even more, which will provide more than enough hot water for a day. Other uses of instant hot water in your kitchen include:

  • Food and meal preparation
  • Fixing cups of tea or any other hot beverage
  • Cleaning and general kitchen upkeep

Installing your own kitchen instant hot water system entails a small investment. You need to begin by comparing your options and assessing your current needs. There are two ways by which you can have instant hot water in your kitchen on demand.

  • Through a hot water dispenser, or
  • Hot water tap

Each option has distinct features and advantages that suit different household needs. This article will discuss each choice further to help homeowners decide which kitchen instant hot water system to adopt.

Style Of Kitchen Hot Water Dispensers

This type of heater is a point-of-use appliance or equipment consisting of a heating element and a water storage tank. Think of it as a miniature model of a conventional water heater, except that the unit is installed near the tap. The storage tank connects directly to a sink tap for dispensing water. Most instant hot water dispensers come with built-in filters, while other models include the option for cold water.

Components Of A Kitchen Hot Water Dispenser

Different manufacturers sell kitchen hot water dispensers with varying styles and designs. The basic components include:

  • Heating element
  • Storage tank
  • Control dial
  • Sink tap

While the essential components remain the same, these come in different sizes, materials, and storage capacities. Experts recommend buying a hot water dispenser with a stainless steel storage tank because it lasts longer than one made with rubber.
The tank size usually varies depending on the heating element's wattage. For example, half-gallon hot water dispensers range from 500 to 1,300 watts. Dispensers with high wattage typically produce more hot water by the hour than dispensers with lower wattage.

Advantages Of An Instant Kitchen Hot Water Dispenser

Aside from added convenience, there are other benefits to installing an instant kitchen hot water system. It is true that you can always get hot or warm water directly from your tap, but it will not come heated to your desired temperature. What a kitchen hot water dispenser can do is deliver water to near boiling point temperature, perfect for fixing a cup of coffee or tea.

Aside from this, hot water directly from a hot water dispenser helps with efficient food preparation. You can use hot water to boil pasta or prepare soup in no time. Use the hot water to blanch vegetables or prepare instant hot cereal for breakfast. If you have an instant kitchen hot water dispenser, cleanup is a lot easier. Hot water helps remove stains and food residue from cooking and eating utensils.

Hot Water Dispenser Installation & Maintenance

For convenient installation of a kitchen hot water dispenser, the kitchen sink should have a hole for the spout. If your kitchen sink does not have a ready hole, it may be expensive to retrofit. However, another option is to remove a sink sprayer and replace it with a hot water spout. The steps to installing a kitchen instant hot water system are as follows:

  • Start installing by inserting the spout through the sinkhole. Secure the spout using a large nut underneath the sink. The dispenser usually comes with the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to pay attention to specific instruction reminders to avoid damaging the unit.
  • The following step is to mount the water tank directly into the cabinet wall under the sink.
  • After securing the container, connect it to the water supply. You’ll need to clamp a saddle valve on the water pipe, then connect the dispenser to the saddle valve using copper tubing and compression fittings.
  • Since you have already attached the spout to the sink, attach the tubes connecting the sink to the water tank.

Maintaining a kitchen's instant hot water system is easy. One of the most common problems encountered by homeowners is scaling due to mineral deposits. To keep your kitchen hot water dispenser in good working order, flush the appliance at least once or twice a year.

Instant Hot Water Taps For Kitchens

If you’d rather have hot water directly coming out of your kitchen tap instead of installing a hot water dispenser, instant hot water taps for kitchens are another choice. You need to consider the space for installing an insulated tank that is connected directly to the water supply. Hot water taps come with large tanks ranging from a capacity of anywhere from three to 11 liters.

Instant hot water taps for kitchens scale up the production of hot water compared to ordinary dispensers. This means you’ll have more hot water on demand than what a regular dispenser can hold. Since hot or cold water comes out directly from the kitchen tap, the hardware looks minimal, sleek, and less cluttered.

There are two common types of hot water taps available – a single tap, which gives you the choice to get either boiling water, cold water, or hot water. Then, there is the three-in-one model, which provides regular hot and cold water with the addition of either boiling water or near-boiling water. The latest innovation in hot water taps for homes includes the option for cold-filtered drinking water.

It is essential to keep in mind that installing instant hot water taps for kitchens requires the services of an expert. You also need to consider the cost of installation and the equipment itself. While it is generally more expensive than a regular hot water dispenser, you’ll have more options as well as a larger capacity and supply of hot water on demand.

Point Of Use Kitchen Instant Hot Water Heater

Aside from these two options for getting a consistent supply of hot water in your kitchen, you can also consider a point-of-use kitchen instant hot water system. What this means is adding a tankless water heater near the kitchen sink. The common challenge with using a single water heater to supply all the hot water needs in your home is that the temperature of the water may not remain consistent as water travels through pipes. The water pressure also suffers if several usage points are relying on the same heating system.

Although installing a point-of-use water heater for your kitchen may help efficiency and supply, you won’t have as many options as a hot water tap. A water heater can only heat water up to a specified temperature. Unfortunately, you cannot get boiling water with a point-of-the-use water heater.

What About Energy Efficiency

The last point of discussion is the energy efficiency of each kitchen's instant hot water system option. Even if hot water dispensers have smaller capacities, they only use up only about ½ kWh every 24 hours. This equates to roughly around 6 or 7 cents every day. In comparison, hot water taps cost a little bit more to maintain. With a larger storage tank, more heat is lost while hot water is on standby. Nevertheless, choosing one option over the other depends on how much hot water or boiling water you consume every day. If you think about it, you save more if you have an instant supply of hot water that is enough for the intended use rather than consistently boiling water in a kettle and wasting most of it afterward.

The Upside Of An Instant Hot Water Heater

If you are currently on the market shopping for water heaters for your kitchen, begin by assessing your current household needs. It helps to understand where you usually use hot water. The next consideration is the space availability as well as the overall installation cost. Work within your budget by choosing a system that is within your price point while still delivering the benefits you are looking for.

Having a hot water system in your kitchen is not only a trend but is already becoming more popular as homeowners realize the convenience of a reliable source of hot water for various chores and functions around the kitchen. Indeed, once you have one installed, you are likely going to love the difference it brings to your home.

If you still need additional guidance in choosing the right heating system for your kitchen, call Fischer experts today to learn more about our other team at Fischer Plumbing.