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

[GeneralMelchetsMoustache]

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?

We used to have a water softener (salt system) in our previous house, I loved it. BUT it uses 4 ls of water to make 1l of softened water (if I remember correctly), I couldn't live with that much water waste any more. Does anyone us an alternative that works?

I'd say yes get both. We do and I think they are worth it.

We have a vellamo hot tap. We've had it for 4 years, only needed to change the filter. It's at 98c as coffee should not be made with boiling water.

If it used 4 Litres to make 1 Litre there's something seriously wrong.

It should only use a couple of litres when it "recharges", which mine does every 3-4 days depending on usage.

I guess it's not your problem anymore!

Water softener is great. We are in a very hard water area so without one the limescale is dreadful.

I don't have a Qooker or other hot water tap and I am totally unconvinced about them. DH says they have one at his office which is always breaking down. I don't think we would bother with one.

I'm desperate for a water softener, it would be so much better for my hair and skin, not to mention make the whole house feel cleaner with reduced limescale. But I don't have space for one, though a pp saying theirs is under the stairs is interesting, because my stop cock is there, so that may be possible!
I got one for my mum's house a couple of years ago and it's so much nicer.

Re hot water tap - no thanks. I've used loads and find them just annoying. Not hot enough for black tea, too hot for green/other teas. I use a temperature controlled kettle so I can heat to eighty for green tea, ninety for coffee (which I don't drink anyway) and hot water bottles, a hundred for black tea.

I'm also thinking of installing a water softener - do I need a drinking water tap as well?
I've read that you can drink softened water but it is just the taste (and people like the taste of hard water?!).
Does anyone have a water softener without a separate tap and do you notice a difference in the water taste.

Water softener has changed my life. Would definitely recommend if you live in a hard water area. The only minor drawback is only water from the kitchen tap is drinkable and sometimes I just want to grab a glass of water from the bathroom. But that is minor to the advantages.

When we had ours installed - I think about 5 or 6 years ago now - it was definitely a requirement that one tap provided unsoftened water.

We drink the softened water, honestly can't tell the difference.

It's not the taste, it's the fact it uses salt to soften it - you'll give yourself a heart attack!

Soften water isn't soften by adding salt.

OK. How is it softened then and why does my mum have to buy massive bags of salt to refill her water softener?

I have both and love them. The water softener really helps with my hair and skin.
I have a Qooker and it gets used multiple times a day, mostly for tea and coffee, but also to get a quick start on cooking pasta. It's just great not to have to wait for a kettle to boil the water. I haven't noticed any difference in how my tea/coffee tastes, but I never measured the temperature of the water even when I was using the kettle....I am just happy with standard boiling water! It never broke, so zero maintenance so far, except for the change of the filter (about £50 once a year and super easy to replace). And it' doesn't splatter, I never hurt myself using it.
To be honest we were very skeptical and we genuinely thought we would never use it, but then it just became so practical it's absolutely amazing. No more kettles around, waiting for water to boil, descale, replace etc. I just put a tea bag in the mug and 2 seconds later I have tea. What's not to like?

We installed an Insinkerator hot water tap in 2013 which got to 96 degrees, was a great tap. We changed it last year for a Quooker. Would never be without it, it is boiling hot water so at 100 degrees. Other taps like the Insinkerator are hot water taps as they are not boiling and the difference is massive.

Our Quooker tap is an all in one so hot, cold and boiling water. Meaning I can turn on the cold water tap and activate the Quooker safety ring for the boiling water bit to get very hot water instantly. I use it to clean any pans I have used that do not go in the dishwasher. I don't have to fill a sink or run perfectly good drinking water down the drain waiting for the hot water to reach the kitchen.

Plus the obvious instant boiling water for cups of tea, filling pans for pasta or veg.

We have a Brita filter tap, plumber advised against hot water tap, as our area has very hard water.

We have a quettle , I was sceptical but if we move I would fit one again as a priority - it’s brilliant

I love my boiling water tap. Best decision I made. I will never go back to a kettle.

Ha ha, did you really think that it was softened by turning it into brine?

This is how Harvey’s water softeners explain it:

The twin-cylinders inside a Harvey™ Water Softener are filled with millions of microscopic resin beads. Each bead has a negative charge, while calcium and magnesium carry positive charges in water. This means that, as the calcium and magnesium passes through the resin beads, they are attracted to one another.

All that exits the water softener is pure, softened water, while the minerals stay behind in the beads. Sodium taken from the Harvey™ block salt completes the exchange.

The regeneration process uses sodium to detach the mineral build up from the resin. Sodium has a charge strong enough to take the calcium and magnesium away, but not enough to cling to the resin itself.

Harvey™ block salt is dissolved and the brine solution used to regenerate (clean) the resin tanks. This brine also provides the sodium needed to complete the exchange process during softening. Once removed, calcium and magnesium are flushed harmlessly down the drain. The Harvey™ Water Softener has a meter within it that judges when to regenerate, meaning there is no water waste, it runs at the most efficient cost and hard water will never enter your system.

The salt is used to release the calcium and magnesium from the exchange medium (usually resin) during the recharge cycle, the salty water goes down the drain.

Soften water does contain more sodium ions, which will vary with the hardness of the source water.

Here's a link if you would like to read more about the process

Water softener was a brilliant investment. Limescale is grim and it’s worth every penny not to have to deal with it. I grew up in a soft water area so had no tolerance for it.

It quite clearly says in the link you provided that sodium levels are increased by softening water. Did you read your own link?

I have a boiling water (3 in 1) tap by Quooker. It's brilliant I wouldn't be with out one. Had it here for about 14 months no problems, but better endorsement is I've had one in a flat i let out and no issues at all in five years.

Definitely a water softener. They make such a huge difference.

I also completely love our Quooker and hope I always have one. Filtered, sparkling and boiling water. We haven't had any issues and the only maintenance has been changing the filter once a year.

I do understand the PPs who mention ideal water temperature for tea (and no one was more surprised than me that the Quooker makes perfect tea). But those saying it needs to be a certain temp for coffee, if you're making coffee with water boiled either from a tap or a kettle, you're presumably drinking instant? In which case, the precise temperature of your water will make absolutely no difference.