An instant hot water dispenser tap gives you boiling or near boiling water from a tap on the sink, from a small insulated boiler hidden in the cupboard below. No kettle to fill, no waiting, and one fixture for tea, soup, pasta and washing up. Some models also deliver chilled or filtered water from the same spout. They suit homes, offices, guesthouses and clinics. Send one request and suppliers in your area quote you directly, installed. It is free and there is no obligation to accept.
What you are actually buying
A system has two parts: the tap, and the boiler under the counter. The boiler holds a few litres, keeps it near boiling and sends it up to the tap on demand. A boiler that is too small runs out when several people fill mugs. Choose by use:
- Boiling only: one hot lever. Cheapest and simplest.
- Boiling and cold: a second spout or lever for filtered cold water.
- Boiling, chilled and sparkling: a bigger system with a cooler and gas cylinder, more often fitted in offices.
Similar results come from a hot and cold dispenser, which needs floor space rather than a cupboard.
What to check first
Look at the cupboard under your sink. The boiler needs space, a plug socket and a cold water supply, and many sinks have a bin, pipes and a geyser feed in the way. A kitchen with a stone or granite top needs a hole drilled for the tap, which should be done by someone who has done it before. Ask whether the tap has a double-action safety lever, which matters in homes with children, and how much of the spout stays hot. Hard water also scales the boiler, so ask about a filter in front of it.
What drives the cost
Most of the price is the boiler and the filter, not the tap. Extras that add cost include chilled or sparkling water, a larger boiler, a water filter and a long installation. A plumber and an electrician may both be needed. Running costs are small, but the boiler stays warm all day, so a model with good insulation or a timer saves electricity. Cartridges need changing about once a year, depending on your water. Compare what each quote includes: the tap, boiler, filter, installation and a guarantee.
Getting quotes you can compare
Say how many people will use it, how much boiling water you need at peak, and whether you want chilled water too. Describe the sink, the worktop material and the space below, and send a photo if the supplier asks. Ask for installation to be quoted separately and for the guarantee to cover the boiler as well as the tap. If you also want drinking water filtered, see under-counter filters.
What to include in your request
- How many people will use the tap each day
- Boiling only, or boiling and chilled water
- Sink and worktop type, and space below
- Whether the water is hard or from a borehole
- Your suburb or town, and a photo if possible
Instant Boiling Water Taps for different sites
- Households: one tap at the kitchen sink for tea, coffee and cooking, replacing a kettle on the counter
- Offices and business parks: a boiling and chilled tap in the tea room, saving the queue for the kettle at ten o'clock
- Schools, crèches and colleges: a tap in the staffroom kitchen, fitted with the child safety lever, away from classrooms
- Clinics, practices and care homes: a tap in the staff kitchen for hot drinks and sterilising cups, with the filter changed on schedule
- Lodges, hotels, restaurants and events: boiling water at the sink in a guesthouse kitchen or a lodge's breakfast station
- Factories, mines and building sites: a robust tap in the canteen or a supervisor's kitchen, with a filter for hard borehole water
- Shops, gyms and refill stations: a tap in the back kitchen of a salon, gym or restaurant for staff drinks
- Farms, smallholdings and villages: a tap in a farmhouse kitchen, with a filter in front of the boiler to protect it from scale
Frequently asked questions
How much does an instant boiling water tap cost?
Is it safe to have boiling water on tap?
Do you install boiling water taps?
Does it work during load shedding?
Instant Boiling Water Taps by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg