Need hot water fast? Are you ever tempted to hurry your kettle or coffee pot by starting it off with the hottest water from the tap? Sorry - you shouldn't.
We had often heard that it was bad to use hot tap water but didn't know if it really had any basis in good facts. But today the New York Times had this tidbit in their health section: The Claim: Never Drink Hot Water From the Tap. They say that hot water can dissolve contaminants in your pipes faster than cold water and it's best to only drink and boil cold water.
But, we say, but...
From what I understand, hot water doesn't get used as often and is therefore more likely to have sat in your (lead) pipes for a while before coming out of the tap. Thus it's worse to use hot than cold.
Before we bought our apartment, our inspector advised that we run the water for a few minutes before filling a kettle or glass, just so we got fresher, less leady water.
view Eliza's profile
I've heard that you don't want to use hot water as an ingredient (from your tap that is) because it's been sitting in your water heater tank, just getting hot and stale tasting.
view Zora 's profile
It is the Hot water heater that adds Minerals and suspects to the water. It does sit around and the process of heating and reheating can cause accelerated leaching of whatever.
Take a look inside an old hot water heater, then decide for yourself if you want to drink any water from it. You may decide not to even take baths anymore.
Remember heated chlorine is more caustic than cold chlorine.
Water is also a solvent and heated water is a better solvent.
view phauxtoe's profile