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Original poster

water softeners, boiling taps, and other gadgets - are they worth it?

48 replies

GeneralMelchetsMoustache · 18/12/2022 14:59

We're doing a new kitchen extension and I'm wondering about installing a boiling water tap (e.g. quooker) and a water softener, as we live in a very hard water area. DH thinks these are a waste of money and will just create a headache of ongoing maintenance. Anyone here have experience of these? Do they work? Do they last? Or are they more nuisance than they're worth?

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 18/12/2022 15:02

I love our boiling water tap in theory but in practice it breaks all the bloody time and is so expensive to fix.

Whitney168 · 18/12/2022 15:05

Water softener SO worth it, it’s not true. No more mucky shower screens!

We have a filter tap on our standard kitchen tap, which also has an extending hose - again, love it.

Boiling water tap not for me, makes horrible tea and I am a tea freak. Even my friend’s kitchen with a top end one (her husband is the ultimate gadget freak) has not convinced me otherwise.

NuffSaidSam · 18/12/2022 15:07

Love the boiling water tap and has not broken down so far!

Original poster
GeneralMelchetsMoustache · 18/12/2022 15:14

@mynameiscalypso and @NuffSaidSam - which taps do you have? Sounds like if I get one it should the one Sam uses!

OP posts:
FinallyFluid · 18/12/2022 15:15

Water softener all day long. We live in a very hard water area.

BackOnTheBandWagon · 18/12/2022 15:15

I personally wouldn't bother with a hot water tap - no experience but just don't think it'd get much use.

Water softener is BRILLIANT - especially if you have dry / sensitive skin. You don't get limescale build up on any of your appliances (washing machine etc), shower screens and taps are always clear, you can use less washing powder. What you gain in maintenance for topping up with salt, you lessen the maintenance in loads of other areas in the house

noworklifebalance · 18/12/2022 15:16

Re: water softener- where is it installed to work on the whole house rather than just the kitchen? Or do you need to install it in each room?

whoruntheworldgirls · 18/12/2022 15:25

Love my boiling water tap, mine is an Insinkerator.
It came with the house but if it broke i would be replacing it, dont miss waiting for the kettle to boil and also handy when cooking veg/pasta, speeds it up starting with already hot water.

mynameiscalypso · 18/12/2022 15:31

We've had two different brands. I think we had a Grohe one originally and then we had it replaced with a different brand although I'm afraid I've forgotten which one!

clarrylove · 18/12/2022 15:31

We recently stayed in a house with a hot water tap. Was horrible. It spluttered so splashed you with boiling hot water. Also made nasty tea and too hot for good coffee.

NewNameForXmas · 18/12/2022 15:32

Water softener every time ... we've had the same one for 30 years and it moved house with us. Installed on the main pipe so it does the whole house except drinking water filter tap, though I use softened water for the kettle. Saves gallons of harsh chemicals being used on shower screens etc and saves on soap, shampoo, washing powder and better for your skin. I would never be without one now.

OxanaVorontsova · 18/12/2022 15:34

We decided against boiling water tap because of cost and maintenance, as well as the fact we rarely boil a kettle! We have a bean to cup coffee machine with hot water facility and induction hob that boils our kettle in about 2 mins so no real need.

GingerPigz · 18/12/2022 15:35

Definitely get a water softener - it will extend the life if your other appliances. Used to have an instant hot water 'thingy' (wasn't a tap, was some sort of appliance from Virgin) but honestly prefer a kettle!

freshprincess · 18/12/2022 15:39

Don’t need a water softener here so can’t comment on that.

We had a qooker at work, and I loved it. It seems a bit scary at first, but once you’ve mastered turning it off and on, it’s no more dangerous than a kettle. It’s expensive though so it’s on the bottom of my nice to have list.

Oblomov22 · 18/12/2022 15:39

Had a Harveys water softener under the sink for the last 30 years. So worth it.

OddBoots · 18/12/2022 15:42

We have a Monarch Scale Out system, not quite the same as a softener and it doesn't need salt but does a similar thing in terms of preventing limescale build up in things - as we have a hot water tank a big reason for getting it was to make water heating more efficient but the lack of limescale to clean is a big bonus.

Dbank · 18/12/2022 22:56

A water softener made a huge difference, no scale marks on anything, probably save a bit by using less soap and no descaling products.

Running cost around £80 a year.

Wouldn't be without one in a hard water area. Modern ones take very little maintenance, ours emails you when it needs salt. (ecowater).

Not convinced about boiling water taps, never hot enough and I dislike the idea the they are presumably consuming power in stand by.

friskybivalves · 19/12/2022 04:13

We have both a water softener and a boiling tap and they are fantastic. The boiling tap has kept us all in hot water bottles throughout the cold spell - waiting for the kettle to boil would have taken about half an hour for five HWBs, let alone hot drinks to go with them - and the water softener under the stairs means an end to furry taps and smeary shower screens. It isn't big. About the size of a large picnic cooler thing for beers and stuff for a four bed house. Just have to throw a 10kg bag of salt pellets in it every month or so.

LadyGardenersQuestionTime · 19/12/2022 05:19

Love our quooker, use it multiple times a day, would never be without one again. And we drink gallons of tea.

ODFOx · 19/12/2022 05:56

We've had a qettle for a couple of months and will never go back to a kettle. It makes lovely tea and is so handy when cooking.
I hadn't thought of a water softener but am considering it based on these recommendations!

greenacrylicpaint · 19/12/2022 05:59

hate the boiling tap. (came with the house)

water flows so slowly and it's not quite hot enough for a cuppa. plus it fills up the cupboard below.

Scarecrowrowboat · 19/12/2022 06:06

We have a Quooker tap. 2 years not I think and there hasn't been any maintenance apart from filter change which took seconds. I love it because filter water tastes better and is better to put in coffee machines, car fountains etc. it saves you boiling a kettle over and over when you're putting 3/4 pans on hob. There are lots of other instances where it's useful to have a little boiling water but would be a faff to boil kettle. There are no flow rate issues with our tap. It's little slower on filtered but still seconds to fill a glass.

incognitodorrito · 19/12/2022 06:09

water softener makes a huge difference in hard water area. Quooker nice to have but not necessity also needs annual servicing and the cartridge things were quite expensive if I remember correctly.

Pictograph · 19/12/2022 06:09

We don't have a boiling water tap and not bothered about getting one, but the water softener is great.

Simonjt · 19/12/2022 06:12

We have a quooker, ita fantastic, we’ve had guests who have claimed they’re vile and make awful tea/coffee, none have realised they’re drinking quooker water rather than kettle water. Very easy to use, didn’t lead to an increase in electricity bills and never had any issues with it in the four years we’ve had it.