'Hot Taps' - running costs?

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Discussion

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,723 posts

162 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Does anyone have any real-world running costs for a kitchen 'hot tap'?

I'm interested in getting one, and I can get one through work at a good price but I'm not going to if it costs me £10 a week to run!

The one I can get is new on the market, from Stiebel Eltron:

http://www.stiebel-eltron.co.uk/hot-water/products...

Edited by Rosscow on Monday 23 March 11:47

j4ckos mate

3,009 posts

169 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
we got one of these,

my mother in law got one and i was 100% skeptical,

but after a couple of brews form it, i was hooked.


It boils quickly if you flick the switch by the time you've got mug off the mug tree and chucked a teabag in it, its boiled and its done.

see how you get on with one of these,
we have a hot tap at work, nobody uses it

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4...

wseed

1,501 posts

129 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Quooker quote 3p per day on standby and that they are them more efficient that a kettle when producing the boiling water.

TBH though it's all about convenience and not saving money as you're never going to recoup the initial outlay on the device.

Cotty

39,389 posts

283 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
j4ckos mate said:
see how you get on with one of these,
we have a hot tap at work, nobody uses it
Lots of people use them where I work. I would use one at home as well. Want to boil some veg? Fill the pan from the hot tap, chuck the veg in and simmer.

Bluebarge

4,519 posts

177 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Cotty said:
Want to boil some veg? Fill the pan from the hot tap, chuck the veg in and simmer.
You can do that with a kettle, which costs £20.

For me, this is one of those "what's the point?" inventions and I'd be a bit concerned about the safety risk if it might be used by children or the elderly, who might confuse it with a conventional hot water tap. Scalding from a hot tap isn't great - boiling water is something else.

Ciaran

1,438 posts

201 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
I was dead set against putting one on out new kitchen but my brother and mum have both had them installed in their new houses and are constantly raving about them.

It's an expensive luxury but the wife insists it will be a benefit when cooking things like vegetables or pasta so I've given in. We are going with this https://insinkerator.co.uk/product/3n1-hot-tap

I don't think there is any saving between having one or using a kettle. The purchase price is written off completely in my mind.

Edited by Ciaran on Monday 23 March 14:45

brianb

440 posts

135 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
When the day comes that I don't have 2mins to wait for the kettle to boil I'll be looking for either a career or lifestyle change not a instant hot water tap laugh

LaserTam

2,101 posts

218 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
To use a PHer analogy, you don't buy a TVR for the fuel consumption.

I didn't want one when we were installing a new kitchen, mainly because of the initial cost to buy, but Mrs LT won the argument. We have a Quooker all in one job, so a single tap thats normal hot/cold, but also boiling water. Comment before about safety - this was paramount for us and the Quooker one is very safe, very specific action to open the boiling water.

Yes you can do everything using a kettle, but its convenience and my wife's argument was about de-cluttering the workspace in an open plan kitchen. Even if the running costs are low, will take ages to recoup the outlay.

Cotty

39,389 posts

283 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Bluebarge said:
For me, this is one of those "what's the point?" inventions and I'd be a bit concerned about the safety risk if it might be used by children or the elderly, who might confuse it with a conventional hot water tap. Scalding from a hot tap isn't great - boiling water is something else.
Well they would only do it once.

BristolAl

90 posts

112 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
We've had one for 6 years, can't say a bad word about it. I couldn't give you the real world cost, as the others have said, you'll never get the outlay back.

For us it was convenience, and it delivers on that so many times a day in our house of 2 adults and 2 kids. We've never had an accident or anywhere near, as the action is safe.

Plenty of friends have said...'wouldn't have one of those, not safe enough'. Next time we've been around to their house... guess what there is a Quooker on the worktop!

eliot

11,362 posts

253 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Rosscow said:
Does anyone have any real-world running costs for a kitchen 'hot tap'?

I'm interested in getting one, and I can get one through work at a good price but I'm not going to if it costs me £10 a week to run!

The one I can get is new on the market, from Stiebel Eltron:

http://www.stiebel-eltron.co.uk/hot-water/products...

Edited by Rosscow on Monday 23 March 11:47
Despite clicking on the "technical details" link, apart from more marketing crap - it doesn't provide basic information such at the wattage, which you could use to work out the cost of ownership.

Looking on the Quooker site, they do provide specs. Standby is 10 watts, which is very low and will match the 3p a day statement.
The small one has a 1600w heater in it and takes 10 minutes to heat 3 Litres of water which costs around 17 pence, which you could argue is very little. I assume it will use more than 10 watts to keep that water at 110'c 24x7 - but they don't provide that info.

Edited by eliot on Monday 23 March 18:51

mph1977

12,467 posts

167 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Cotty said:
Bluebarge said:
For me, this is one of those "what's the point?" inventions and I'd be a bit concerned about the safety risk if it might be used by children or the elderly, who might confuse it with a conventional hot water tap. Scalding from a hot tap isn't great - boiling water is something else.
Well they would only do it once.
and if that is a concenr some of them have interlocking which is likely to defeat the toddlers or those with dementia who are the actual at risk group surely ...

Rosscow

Original Poster:

8,723 posts

162 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
eliot said:
Rosscow said:
Does anyone have any real-world running costs for a kitchen 'hot tap'?

I'm interested in getting one, and I can get one through work at a good price but I'm not going to if it costs me £10 a week to run!

The one I can get is new on the market, from Stiebel Eltron:

http://www.stiebel-eltron.co.uk/hot-water/products...

Edited by Rosscow on Monday 23 March 11:47
Despite clicking on the "technical details" link, apart from more marketing crap - it doesn't provide basic information such at the wattage, which you could use to work out the cost of ownership.

Looking on the Quooker site, they do provide specs. Standby is 10 watts, which is very low and will match the 3p a day statement.
The small one has a 1600w heater in it and takes 10 minutes to heat 3 Litres of water which costs around 17 pence, which you could argue is very little. I assume it will use more than 10 watts to keep that water at 110'c 24x7 - but they don't provide that info.

Edited by eliot on Monday 23 March 18:51
Does this help?

https://www.hafele.co.uk/shop/images/External/page...

Countdown

39,687 posts

195 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
I find these are great at work where people are coming in every 30 seconds to brew up. I know we don't need one at home because there is only the 2 of us who make tea/coffee and the kettle boils before we've got everything ready smile


Wozy68

5,387 posts

169 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Just think of it as a kettle with a spout above the worktop. Things to remember is 1, You need space for the tank and if used a lot, the bigger the tank the better, 2, You need at least reasonable water pressure, if not it will burn itself out as our display model did.

I'm a little suspect about running costs ...... its basically a kettle constantly keeping water at boiling point. That must cost more than a few pence a day to run surely.

Saying that, we will be having one when we have the extension built, as its a long way from the boiler to heat and draw hot water.

wseed

1,501 posts

129 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Wozy68 said:
....as its a long way from the boiler to heat and draw hot water.
If you're looking at changing your heating system maybe look at one with a keep hot feature. I think your hot water is installed in a loop and it pulses around every so often. I'm guessing this has plenty of scope for wasted energy.

We've only just had our tap/kitchen fitted but I'm loving being able to pour boiling water so easily. Tonight I've used it for a brew when I came in from work, a quick sterilising of the chopping board after preparing some chicken, water for cooking the vegetables and then a last minute instant gravy when I had a moan of dry chicken. It's one kitchen gadget that you simply will never stick on the top shelf as you'll use it every day.

eliot

11,362 posts

253 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
None of the vendors state the actual running costs, at best only qoouker provide the standby consumption of 10w - but I would be very suprised if it could keep 3L of water at 110'c 24x7

Junior Bianno

1,400 posts

192 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
Ours is on the blink right now after 6 years of faultless use. I'm devastated to be honest smile Bought a kettle until a new boiler turns up and it like being back in the dark ages.

Best kitchen gadget ever. Use it for cooking, cleaning, drinks etc. It's one of those things you don't know you need until you get one. No idea what it costs to run I'm afraid.

Cotty

39,389 posts

283 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
mph1977 said:
Cotty said:
Bluebarge said:
For me, this is one of those "what's the point?" inventions and I'd be a bit concerned about the safety risk if it might be used by children or the elderly, who might confuse it with a conventional hot water tap. Scalding from a hot tap isn't great - boiling water is something else.
Well they would only do it once.
and if that is a concenr some of them have interlocking which is likely to defeat the toddlers or those with dementia who are the actual at risk group surely ...
I use mine in an office environment. If people struggle with how a hot tap works then maybe we are employing the wrong people.

Busa mav

2,556 posts

153 months

Monday 23rd March 2015
quotequote all
We have had one at home for over 5 years , and I wouldn't ever be without one now.

As I work from home ,I have saved £££'s in my time by not having to stand around waiting for a kettle biggrin I do drink a LOT more tea and coffee now.

Seriously , ignore the nay sayers and just get one , you wont regret it.