Households and businesses use the hot water tap for a variety of reasons including washing hands, dishes and filling pots and kettles.
Many people make the mistake of using hot tap water for cooking.
However, sometimes consumers make the mistake of using the hot water tap for cooking.
Gavin Fosker, Brand Development Manager of Mr Power offers some advice on when not to use the hot water tap…
Fosker says it is important to first address the most efficient use of the geyser.
His advice is to only use the hot water tap when you need hot water, unless you have a controller installed.
The reason for this is that the element in the geyser is designed to switch on when there is a 3° drop in water temperature. This consumes a large amount of electricity, he says.
Based on this, he says, filling the kettle or cooking pot with water from a hot water tap would get the water to boil faster, but, the quality of water from the geyser is questionable.
Based on research from the University of the Virgin Islands, as well as real world experience from the Mr Power team since 1997, the findings are clear – it is not advisable to use hot water from the geyser for cooking and drinking.
The reason is simply because most geysers have a buildup of sludge which contains sand residue, potential bacteria and other impurities. This sludge can become a breeding ground for bacteria, such as legionnaires, when temperatures are lower than 55°.
In summary:
- Avoid using hot water from the hot water tap for cooking.
- Use the hot water tap for washing dishes or filling a bucket for cleaning.
- Only use the hot water tap when you need hot water – remember each time you turn it on, it activates the geyser and reheats it.
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