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Installing an Instant Hot Water Dispenser
A watched pot never boils. But why watch a pot when you can get near-boiling water instantly from a faucet? An instant hot water dispenser is great for all sorts of applications, from making tea and hot cereal to freeing stuck jar lids. And this convenient add-on appliance is easy to install. Here's how you can get instant hot water at your house.
In addition to a few plumbing skills, you'll need a three-prong, grounded outlet under the sink to supply power. A standard 120-volt receptacle on a 15- or 20-amp circuit is fine, as long as the receptacle is not controlled by a wall switch. Note: If you're installing a new outlet under the sink, your local building code will probably require that you install a GFCI receptacle. |
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Step by Step
1. Choose a spot for the dispenser's faucet. If you have an unused mounting hole in your sink (perhaps hidden by a snap- or screw-on cover), placing the faucet is simple. If there's no free hole but you've got a sink sprayer you can do without, remove it and install the hot water dispenser in its place. You can also cut a new hole in a stainless steel sink with a bimetal hole saw (usually about 1 3/8 inches, depending upon the size of the faucet). We don't recommend drilling a cast iron sink, though; the risk of damage is too great. If you have a cast iron sink set in a laminate or solid-surface countertop, you can drill a hole for the faucet in the countertop.
2. Install the dispenser's faucet. Straighten the supply tubes attached to the dispenser's faucet (they're likely to be coiled from the packaging). Slip the mounting gasket over the tubes and up to the base of the faucet. Feed the tubes through the hole in the sink, and tighten the mounting bracket from below. (If space is tight, a basin wrench will make it easier to tighten a bolt.)
3. Attach the dispenser's tank to the wall. In most cases, you'll be attaching the tank (which weighs about 10 pounds when full) to the back wall of the cabinet rather than to the wall of the house itself. If the back of your cabinet seems too flimsy, use a reciprocating saw with a short blade to cut out a section, so you can attach the tank directly to the wall behind the cabinet. |
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Position the tank against the back wall so that the tubes from the dispenser's faucet can reach the connections on the tank. Mark the wall along the top of the tank with a pencil. Remove the tank and mark a second line 2 inches below the first. Align the bottom of the tank's mounting bracket with the second line, and use the screws provided to attach the bracket to the wall. Hang the tank on the mounting bracket.
Safety:
Don't plug the unit into a power source until the installation is complete and the tank is full of water. |
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4. Connect the tubes from the dispenser's faucet to the tank. Connect the copper and plastic tubing to the top of the dispenser tank with the couplings provided. Take care not to kink the tubing when you bend it. Attach extra copper tubing to the dispenser's water supply tube if your installation requires it. (Most units require 1/4-inch copper tubing; cut it to length with a tubing cutter.) Tighten these compression connections with an adjustable wrench.
5. Connect the dispenser to the cold water supply. If your faucet's cold water supply line is vinyl or copper tubing, you can use a saddle valve (also called a self-piercing valve because it cuts into the tubing and also functions as a valve) to tap into the cold water supply. Attach the saddle valve along the supply tube between the angle stop and the faucet. (Make sure it's within reach of the dispenser's tubing.) Once the valve is tight around the cold water line, turn the valve-handle clockwise (as far as it will go) to pierce the line. Hold a pail under the connection, and open the saddle valve for a few seconds to let water flush the system.
An alternative to the saddle valve is to replace the cold water angle stop with a 3-way angle stop, which splits incoming water between two branches. This will be your best bet if your supply lines are galvanized pipes. |
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Use the coupling on the saddle valve or the 3-way angle stop to connect the dispenser's supply tube to the cold water supply line. Tighten the connection with an adjustable wrench.
6. Fill the tank with water. Open the saddle valve or angle stop, and turn the dispenser's faucet on. Check the connections for any leaks as the tank fills. When water begins to pour out of the faucet, the tank is full. Check for leaks again.
7. Plug the dispenser into the three-prong, grounded receptacle. Adjust the thermostat on the body of the tank to set the temperature, and allow the water to heat. It should take about 15 minutes. Hot beverage, anyone?
TOOLS AND MATERIALS
Bimetal hole saw
GFCI receptacle
Basin wrench
Instant hot water dispenser
Heavy-duty drill
Saddle valve or 3-way angle stop
Reciprocating saw
1/4-inch flexible copper tubing
Tubing cutter
Adjustable wrench
Screwdriver
Bucket
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