A boiling water tap is a smart addition to any kitchen. It solves a few problems you may not have even thought of, but that can make a huge difference to your home life.
It dispenses instant, filtered boiling and hot, cold and chilled sparkling filtered water at the push of a lever. But how does it work?
The tank
The tank of water inside your boiling tap is heated using an element or heat pump – much like your hot water system. It’s filled with filtered water, and heated to a safe level of 98degC.
A quality boiling tap will also filter the water that it holds to remove contaminants. This is a key feature of the product as contaminated tap water is a real risk and can be harmful to your family’s health.
Boiling taps can be more effective than a kettle for drinking purposes as they have a lower energy consumption rate. The main reason for this is that boiling water taps are heavily insulated to reduce power usage.
Most boiling taps use a special type of water heater that uses thermal insulation to retain the heat. This can be a gas, electric or solar powered device depending on the brand you choose.
The insulated tank has a drain valve at the bottom and a shut off valve on the side. The best boiling taps will have a child-safe double push and turn handle to prevent kids from accessing the hot tap. They will also have a light to show when the tap is dispensing boiling water and will be fitted with a sensor to prevent overheating or short circuiting. Look for a hot tap that has a CE mark, WRAS logo or is ‘approved for use in the UK’ to ensure it meets safety standards.
The boiler
When you press the HotKey on your boiling water tap, it activates a pump that pumps hot boiled water through a separate central channel to the spout. This keeps the metal body of the tap from getting hot and allows you to pour near-boiling water without burning yourself.
The boiler of a boiling water tap is similar to the tank found underneath your sink, except it has gas or electricity (depending on the type you choose) and a means of heating to turn the liquid into steam. The boiler also contains a safety mechanism to prevent any accidents caused by the steam being too hot.
A quality boiling water tap will heat the water up to a boil and then keep it there on constant supply, making it a faster and more convenient alternative to heating up a kettle or waiting for your water to simmer. Many boiling water taps can produce up to 60 cups of hot boiled water per hour, meaning you’ll have more than enough to get through your day.
Some models of boiling water taps also dispense filtered cold water as well, allowing you to skip the need for an extra water filter that takes up space in your fridge. The filtered cold water is controlled with the same button or lever you use to access your instant boiling water, and can be used in place of your regular kitchen tap’s standard hot and cold function as well.
The HotKey
The patented Hotkey feature on our taps is designed to provide peace of mind in busy family kitchens, putting scalding concerns at rest. A proximity sensor on the tap body senses the Hotkey when it’s nearby and then instructs the boiler to pump steaming hot water through a separate central channel to the spout. Without the Hotkey the tap reverts back to a regular 3 way mixer tap and will only dispense domestic hot & cold, ambient or filtered cold water.
The tap spout is also thermally insulated so it’s cool to the touch, even when dispensing steaming hot water. This is a vital safety feature as it’s designed with all our customers in mind, including those with dexterity issues or arthritis, and helps reduce the risk of burns.
As well as being stylish and practical, instant boiling water taps are a great way to save energy and time at home by eliminating the need to boil the kettle. This can help reduce your carbon footprint, cut down on the purchase of single use plastic bottled water and free up valuable worktop space. For all of these reasons, the Abode Pronteau Produo boiling hot and filtered cold kitchen tap is a must have in any modern family kitchen. Available in a variety of on-trend and classic finishes to suit your interior scheme, the tap has everything you need to keep your kitchen at its best.
The spout
The spout on boiling water taps is insulated to prevent burning. It also operates at much lower pressure than your regular taps – which means you won’t experience any uncontrolled spitting or splashing. This is a great safety feature, particularly for families with young children.
The catch has to be pressed down before the lever can be turned at all, so it’s unlikely that anyone will accidentally release steaming hot water. It’s also heavily insulated, so it isn’t warm to the touch. Most of our instant boiling water taps dispense water that is about 96degC – that’s just below the boiling point, but it will still bring you instant, filtered hot water for your tea and coffee and other household uses.
Many boiling taps also come with a cold water filter as well so you can enjoy crisp, cold filtered water on demand. This eliminates the need for a separate water filter in your fridge, freeing up space and providing you with filtered, instantly-dispensed drinking water that tastes fantastic.
If you’re ready to upgrade your kitchen and bring a boiling water tap into your home, you can find a huge range of styles, finishes, and features across our full range of instant hot water taps. Choose a monobloc style that sits right in your sink for a seamless finish or pick a 3-in-1 tap that offers standard hot, cold, and near-boiling water, with all models backed by our renowned quality and lifetime warranty.