Hot Water Dispenser Buying Guide

You’ve likely seen the small beverage faucets mounted on the edge of the sink, maybe at a friend’s house or in the office breakroom. They’re a luxury convenience that fits in easily almost anywhere with a sink, including your own kitchen or laundry room. They provide a useful filtered water dispenser or, with an instant boiling water tap, a hot cup of tea or coffee ready to go when you want it, with just a flip of a faucet lever. 

Built-in water dispenser faucets are useful and easy to use, even easy to install, and can offer a welcome change to your morning tea and coffee routine. They can be a little more difficult to find reliable information on, however, so we put together a buying guide for what you need to know if you’re considering installing a beverage faucet or instant hot water dispenser at home. 

What Is a Beverage Faucet? 

The beverage faucet is a small drinking water faucet that installs on the edge of a sink and hooks up to the same plumbing line as the kitchen faucet. It comes by many different names, but all of these beverage faucets are designed to do one simple thing: provide drinking water out of a dedicated serving faucet, just right for filling a drinking glass or mug, without mess or overflow. 

They can be found as a small, simple faucet that fits in the pre-cut holes of the kitchen sink, or the water dispenser can be part of a filtered or purified water system. A very popular version of the drinking water dispenser is the hot and cold-water tap, which connects to a heated water tank and can serve hot or warm water ready to make your favorite cup of tea. 

What are the Benefits of a Drinking Water Dispenser?

While the stand-alone water-cooler with the scheduled bottle delivery every week can seem like an effective drinking water solution, it has costly drawbacks. The bottles can be heavy, hard to install, and take up extra space to store. When the bottles run out, the only alternative is the tap water from the sink. The bottled water dispensers add up to extra costs and extra work.  

With a filtered or instant hot water faucet, there’s no need for the pricey struggle with storage bottles. Some drinking water faucets can even be used hands-free. A built-in drinking tap, whether a filtered water faucet or an instant hot water dispenser, has a variety of convenient features that make it relatively hassle-free and a smart investment for your kitchen. 

Install A Water Tap When and Where You Need One

The small faucet of a water dispenser takes up very little space on the sink edge or countertop. Cold water dispensers add extra functionality to sink spaces, wherever you need them. They can be installed in a kitchen or anywhere with a sink that would provide useful access to drinking water.  

This could mean a hot and cold water dispenser in the kitchen or a filtered water dispenser installed in the kids’ bathroom. There’s no wasted floor space, no risk of bumping into a top-heavy bottled-water cooler, and no need to reroute the plumbing.  

Multiple Water Dispenser Types 

The built-in water dispenser is a single extra faucet, but it can provide four different ways to serve your drinks. 

1. Cold tap water from your home’s water system. 
2. Hot water only taps, with water warmed to near boiling in a tank stored under the countertop. 
3. Some countertop faucets offer both hot and cold water dispensers to one faucet connection. 
4. Filtered water faucets, provided by routing your home’s water through a filtering system and storing it under the sink until it is dispensed. 

Some systems may allow different combinations, such as allowing an extra stage to filter the water before boiling, so be on the lookout for the system that best suits your household. 

Hot Water On-Demand

An instant hot water dispenser prepares the water in advance, so the water will be held at temperature inside the water tank before serving. There’s no boiling on open flames or waiting on the microwave. The water is prepped in an insulated tank, out of the way, where pets and less-than-mindful family members won’t risk injury on a hot plate or gas stovetop.  

The water temperature can be set manually on most models, allowing you to control the setting depending on the kind of drinks you prefer. Whether the tank is programmed to hold steady at a warm 90 degrees Fahrenheit or a near-boiling 205 degrees, you simply hold your coffee mug under the tap and turn on the faucet. There’s no wasted energy boiling more than needed, no wasted time waiting on a fresh pot to boil, because the tap serves it up. Some models can provide up to 60 hot servings in an hour.  

 Touch, Touchless, and Manual Tap Faucets

A traditional, manual tap faucet operates with a simple knob-turn or by pressing down a lever. They are very accommodating and easy to operate, whether you’re multitasking with multiple glasses in hand, or worried about the challenges of a family member with arthritis. Some water dispenser faucets offer swivel spouts, useful for instances such as to reach a pot supported by the edge of the countertop. 

Other faucet designs incorporate the benefit of smart technology to create a hands-free, touch or touchless water dispenser. These taps operate by holding the cup under the faucet, or by touching the metal of the faucet neck. They may be electric or battery powered, and some designs connect to a smart hub to allow voice-controlled features. These smart faucets can connect to hot and cold-water systems or to filtered water.  

Can Drinking Water Faucets Provide Hot Water, Too?

An instant hot water dispenser requires a connected tank and protected lines for preparing and moving the heated water, while cold water taps are connected directly to the clean drinking water line. Some hot water tanks are set up with separate water lines and individual storage tanks to allow both hot and cold water dispensers, so look for these features specifically to make sure you choose the right system. 

Does a Drinking Water Dispenser Filter the Water? 

A drinking water tap is, at its most basic, a secondary faucet. For the benefit of filtered water, you will need to get a filtered water dispenser. These are an under-the-sink filtering system, some with a storage tank, similar to the instant boiling water dispensers. Look for filtering water dispensers to help remove lead and other impurities. Some instant hot water dispensers may offer filtering, so always check the model description to know if a filter is included or will need to be purchased separately. 

What’s the Difference Between a Dispenser and a Water Cooler? 

The right water cooler can provide hot, cold, and filtered water too, but they are entirely different systems. 

A water cooler: 

• Requires regular installation of heavy water bottles. 
• Requires bottled water deliveries. 
• May require a separate draining connection. 
• Takes up floor space. 
• Is easily knocked down. 

A water dispenser faucet: 

• Is located at the sink. 
• Connects to the plumbing easily. 
• Contains separate water tanks that automatically refill for filtered or hot water. 
• No bottles to change! 
• Provides trending faucet styles to match the decor of your home. 

With a drinking tap or an instant hot water faucet, the most challenging part is the initial setup. After the tap is installed, everything is ready just as you like it, whenever you need a refill. 

How Hot Does the Water Get with a Hot Water Dispenser?

With a built-in instant hot water dispenser, you get the water temperature that you set the heating tank temperature to hold. This can be anywhere from 160 degrees Fahrenheit to 210 degrees, with some instant boiling water dispenser tanks getting up to 212. The temperature is based on the heat within the tank itself.  

You can expect the water temperature to cool once it is dispensed, as most taps are an aerated faucet, and the water will naturally cool slightly when moved from the heat source. Some models will only reach 200 to 205 degrees, so for boiling water temperatures over 210, look for high performance water heater tanks that specify the higher temperatures. 

How Fast Does the Water Get Hot with a Hot Water Tap?

The heating time for a full tank of hot water can vary depending on the model you choose. It can take as much as ten minutes to heat up a full tank right after installation of the system. Once the setup is complete, however, the tank will remain heated and ready to deliver hot water.  

After setup, for most models, the water will be kept hot in the tank and will be ready on demand. Some models are capable of providing up to 60 cups of hot water in an hour, with all of them at the temperature set by the tank. It depends on the size of the hot water tank and, of course, the temperature that it is set to hold. 

Keep in mind that the water in the faucet lines may be cooler because it was not waiting in the heated tank. A good way to get the perfect hot cup of water is to let the faucet run for a moment before placing the cup under the stream, just to clear out the cooler water from the line. That will ensure you have the hottest possible water for brewing tea or coffee in your cup or carafe.  

Alternately, if you need to cool the water temperature a little for your drink, make sure to have the cup ready under the tap before you turn it on. The cooler water will mix with the hot water from the tank and bring it closer to a drinking temperature. 

Can You Make Tea with a Hot Water Tap?

Yes, you can make your favorite cup of tea with a ready-to-go hot water dispenser. The hot water tank has an adjustable temperature range, so you can easily set the dial to the temperature that your preferred hot drinks require for brewing.  

The recommended temperatures for most teas range between 170 degrees Fahrenheit to 210 degrees. Some herbal teas may require temperatures above 208 degrees, or as low as 90 degrees, both temperatures that most hot water heating tanks can be set to accommodate.  

If you’re curious about making the perfect cup of coffee with water from an instant boiling water tap, the temperature only needs to be set at around 90 to 95 degrees for most instant blends. For a pour-over coffee or French press, the ideal brewing temperature would be closer to 205 degrees.  

Where Can You Install a Water Dispenser? 

A filtered water faucet or instant hot water faucet should be installed at a sink. It will require a hole be cut in the countertop or sink deck, just as a full-sized faucet requires. For hot and cold dispensers or filtered water dispenser systems, plan to allow installation space under the countertop or sink for both the water tank and the filter cartridge kit. The other location requirement is that a water dispenser faucet must be placed to have easy access to the home’s water line.  

Some types of dispensers must be plugged into an electrical outlet that provides continuous power and is not controlled by a wall switch. If it is plugged into an outlet with a wall switch, the heating or filtering unit may be turned off unnoticed, which would require a reset and extra heating or filtering time when it gets turned on again. Make sure the location you choose allows these before beginning an installation. 

How to Install a Hot Water Dispenser

Another consideration is the installation itself. Many types of water dispensers are easy to install. The supplies and steps my vary by brand and model, so always check the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Before beginning any kitchen plumbing project, always remember to turn off the water supply where you will be working, and to protect the interior cabinet working surfaces. Then gather your supplies to have them at hand.  

Installation Tools 

• Dispenser faucet 
• Hot water tank 
• Hex tool 
• Filter & cartridge 
• Screwdriver 
• Level 

Different models may require additional materials, such as: 

• O-rings 
• Washers 
• Gasket 
• Wing nut 
• Mounting plate 
• Trim/escutcheon 
• Spacers 

Step-by-step Installation

1) Install the Faucet 

Drop the water supply hoses through the hole on the sink deck or countertop. The faucet base should be larger than hole. Use an escutcheon plate if needed to adjust the fit or to protect the surface. 

2) Install the Water Tank 

Most hot water tanks or filter kits should be mounted to the interior walls of the cabinetry under the sink. Measure to be sure that the supply hoses can reach the tank from the faucet installation point, and that the electrical cord from the tank can safely reach the electrical outlet.  

Mark the location of the tank’s mounting bracket before setting the screws in place to help ensure that the tank is mounted securely. The tank must be mounted level. Additional installs may be required for a separate filtration system. 

3) Connect to the Faucet 

The type of water dispenser faucet determines how many water supply lines will need to be connected. A hot and cold water dispenser, for instance, will have both hot and cold water lines connected to the faucet body. There should be no twists or kinks in the tubing to prevent water flow and backup issues. Make sure to connect the hot water line to the correct supply connection on the tank itself.  

4) Reconnect the Water Supply 

The type of connection methods required to connect the hot water tank or filtration system to the water supply will vary depending on the product. Connect either the plastic or copper tubing to the tank and then feed it to the plumbing connection. The tube will secure to the water supply usually with a ferrule and brass nut to seal it in place. Turn on the water supply and check for leaks. 

5) Run the Water Dispenser to Fill the Tank 

To check that the water dispenser faucet is working, run water through the faucet for at least 2 minutes. If it is a hot and cold water dispenser, run water through both lines with the separate handles. Both will still pour out cold water, but there should be free flow from both lines. Running the water will help fill the water tank as well as flush the lines. 

6) Plug in the Heating Tank 

Do not plug in the heating tank until there is a full tank of water to be heated. If the unit requires a grounded connection, be sure to properly ground the conductor.  

7) Set the Water Temperature 

The temperature can be set manually on some hot water tanks, so check the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow between 5 and 10 minutes for the water to reach the necessary temperature after the unit is set and plugged into the electrical outlet.