I have heard a lot of people complain about the UK tendency for having seperate hot and cold taps, because it makes it harder to get the temperature you want when you're running a bath, or whatever... so why is it like that? I can remember being warned not to drink from the hot water tap, because it was supposed to be bad for you, so could that be the solution? Or is there another reason? Perhaps we simply enjoy being difficult ;)
2006-08-26 07:25:54 · 21 answers · asked by Buzzard 7 in Food & Drink ➔ Other - Food & Drink
The cold water has been at a temperature that will discourage bacterial growth, so should be reasonably healthy. The hot water system has a storage cistern in the loft, the temperature of which will vary with the season, and may or may not be covered, so God knows what may end up in it. Drink the hot water at your peril. If installed to modern standards, the hot water should be safe, but the storage temperature in the loft will vary; in July, it will have been stored at over 30 degrees C. most of the time, and bacteria Will love that.
You can use mixer taps, but the traditional hot water system in Britain does not work well with mixers because the pressures on hot and cold are very different.
2006-08-26 07:52:46 · answer #1 · answered by ALAN Q 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The cold water tap is fed from the RISING main and has been treated to make it fit for drinking.
In older installations a FEEDER tank was situated in the loft and had a ball and c..k fitted to refill the tank when water was drawn off.
I once had the job of fishing a dead starling out of one such tank!
The water from the hot tap is therefore open to contamination.
With Combi Boilers the heating is similar to the old type 'Ascot' water heaters; water from the RISING main passes directly through the heating coil and therefore operates in a closed system.
Theoretically it should be safe to drink. I do know of some folk who fill their electric kettles from the hot tap connected to a Combi boiler without any ill effects.
MIXER taps should NOT be used on the old type installation and, if in any doubt with any system, as a precaution run the cold water tap for a short while to flush out any possible contamination.
N.B. The correct word has been used but will not be accepted by 'Answers.' The same device is fitted to toilet cisterns.
2006-09-01 06:54:16 · answer #2 · answered by CurlyQ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When indoor plumbing was first installed most homes had lead pipe. Lead leeches into the water and faster into the hot water. So that would be a health reason. By now the pipe, even in older homes should have been replaced so it is just based on the old idea that there could be lead in the water. Lead pipe has not been used for a few decades so there really is no reason not to drink from the hot water tap except the water may be hot and burn your mouth.
2006-08-26 09:41:28 · answer #3 · answered by 2mnykds 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It used to be that way in the U.S. also. We Americans don't really hold on tradition like the British do. People decided they liked the one sink faucet and we tend to embrace change a little quicker. I'm sure that it is changing in the U.K. but it might take a while. I have never heard of a health reason. It is possible in the past there were lead pipes for potable water. The heat could leech more lead from the pipe and cause more lead poisoning than from the cold tap, but the cold water would also be leeching lead and would be bad for you.
2006-08-26 07:34:43 · answer #4 · answered by damndirtyape212 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason for hot and cold faucets is simply to get hot and cold water separately. And, when you were told not to drink from the hot water tap is perfectly true, because there are particles in the water heater that could affect your good drinking water.
2006-08-26 07:45:11 · answer #5 · answered by skyeblue 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can't see a valid reason. We call it a mixer tap here in the Far East - it's so easy to use. N very few people here use separate hot/cold taps - seems so last-2-decades!!
2006-08-31 01:32:11 · answer #6 · answered by PikC 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not really. Most modern insallations these days will have mixer taps as standard. It's worth bearing in mind that a huge house building project was going on in England after WW2 and it was cheaper to mass produce one type of tap. which could be used on basins as well as baths.
2006-08-26 07:36:09 · answer #7 · answered by Stygian 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes its preferable to always drink from cold tap as the hot can be contaminated not injurious but a better idea, buy bottle water and keep in fridge very refreshing
2006-08-26 08:51:58 · answer #8 · answered by srracvuee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the UK, most houses have two water tanks, one filtered and the other open so flies and other bugs can get in. The hot water is drawn from the unfiltered tank.
Is it difficult to expect the best?
2006-08-29 00:24:10 · answer #9 · answered by Amanda K 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the truth is, some plumer guy screwed up and added 2 on buttons when only one was needed. from then on, the hot and cold taps were invented so that when the plumers or builders or whoever screwed up, they could just claim that its the hot and cold taps to cover their tracks! lol, no i seriousely dont know, im just answereing Q's that i think are fun. lol
2006-08-30 07:23:19 · answer #10 · answered by Stickie:) 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋