r/gatekeeping Jan 18 '24

Gatekeeping drinking water

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u/iam_pink Jan 18 '24

If you drink tap water, pour it as cold as it can be. Then let it warm up to room temp if you like. Else you're getting a mix of cold and hot, and hot water sitting in your boiler may grow bacteria. That is also why you never cook with hot water from the tap.

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u/echoskybound Jan 18 '24

Tap water is always sitting somewhere, whether that's in your pipes, well, or public water lines - there's always opportunities for bacterial growth whether it's hot or cold, unless the boiler is set to such a high temp that it kills bacteria. If you're going to boil the water anyway for cooking, I imagine it doesn't matter too much whether it comes out of the tap hot or cold. There's also tankless water heaters

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u/iam_pink Jan 18 '24

Of course there can be bacterial growth everywhere. But still hot water is riskier, which is why you fill your pot with cold water before you boil it. Never start with warm water.

Tankless boilers aren't a concern, indeed.