How Do Boiling Water Taps Work?

An increasing number of households are binning the kettle and reaping the benefits of a boiling water tap. They save precious time, help cut down on plastic waste and can be more cost effective in the long run.

But how does a boiling water tap work?

At INTU, we pride ourselves on our simple design. Not only do our taps look sleek and minimalist, we use stripped-back technology to make them compact and highly efficient.

They’re also incredibly easy to use. Both the SOLO 3-1 and LUXE 3-1 taps provide standard hot and cold water from the right and pure filtered boiling water from the left. The LUXE 4-1 and APEX 4-1 also provide filtered cold water with the added option of a Chiller Tank for chilled filtered water.

The INTU Vision IR Sensor Tap is a 2-1 touchless kitchen tap that has an infrared sensor that allows for hands-free operation, providing standard hot and cold water from the right hand side of the tap.

INTU Boiling Water Taps are designed with safety in mind and feature a child-safe catch which is activated by pushing down on it, twisting and holding it. As soon as you remove your hand, the safety catch returns to safe and is switched off.

The boiling water tap is connected to a heavily insulated tank of water underneath the sink.

The water is brought to boiling point within the tank and held there for a continuous supply of hot water.

Like the tap itself, the tank is also designed to be as straightforward as possible. The size of a boiling water tank can vary between brands – usually between two to four litres in capacity.

INTU tanks offer 2.4 litres of capacity, and measure just 334mm x 225mm, so they’re able to dispense roughly 25 cups of hot water per hour while fitting effortlessly under most kitchen sinks.

And INTU has three different tanks – INTU Solo , INTU Luxe and INTU Apex

Our INTU Solo boiling water tank is set at 98 degrees. The INTU Luxe and Apex boiling water tanks have a built-in filter recognition feature and a touch-sensitive LED display, which controls the temperature from 55 to 98 degrees.

For safety reasons, INTU boiling water taps do not heat water past 98 degrees. If the water gets to 100 degrees it starts to spit and bounce, so the temperature limit allows the water to exit the tap in a steady and safe stream.

According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association, the water temperature for a cup of tea should be between 90 and 98 degrees* – not the assumed 100 degrees. So the limit also stops people from ruining a precious cup of tea.

The simplicity of INTU boiling water taps mean they are much easier to install. Unlike most hot tap systems that require external vents to be fitted, ours does not.

You don’t need to install any special electrical points either – as it plugs into a standard 13 amp switched outlet.

All the connectors you need are included in the box alongside a filter.

David Culshaw, INTU Technical Director, says: “We like to keep our technology and designs as simple as possible from both aesthetic and practical reasons.

“Not only do INTU boiling water taps look stylish in the home, but their design makes the taps highly efficient while maintaining a relatively low cost price – it also makes them incredibly easy to install, cutting down on one-off installation costs.

“A boiling water tap works to make it easier to use the exact quantity of water required as mugs or pans can be filled directly from the tap. This makes it a much more efficient and less expensive solution.

“Unlike a kettle, boiling water taps produce a steady stream of boiling water and they also have safety features which cuts the risk of burns or scalds.”

*https://www.tea.co.uk/make-a-perfect-brew