Can drinking the water from the hot tap cause problems?

Question

Can drinking the water from the hot tap cause problems?

Answer 1

It depends on the source of the hot water. If you have a hot storage tank, then NO. If you have a combi boiler then the water comes straight from the mains and is heated just before it comes to the taps. The storage tank type has already been described by other answerers - the water comes from a storage tank in the attic and drink it at your peril!!

Answer 2

yes its bad because its not like cold when it comes trew the pipes only but hot goes trew your heater and alot of nasty S$#@ is at the bottom of that not to mention it usually gets a nasty white color. It would be okay though if you had the brita attachment on the faucet though

Answer 3

I don't know. I always drink water from the hot tap because i think it tastes better than our cold tap water, and my Dad always says it's not good for you because (in our area anyway), it still has chalk in it.

Answer 4

I wouldn't.

All the c**p that settles in the tank.  If you've ever replaced or drained a tank, you know of what I speak.

Answer 5

I wouldn....and neither would you if you saw your hot tank

Answer 6

Depends on the supply

Most houses are supplied with a direct feed to the cold tap in the kitchen so this is fresh for drinking and cooking with

Other than that  Cross your fingers

Answer 7

Water from the hot tap is ran from a different place from the cold tap. Its stored in the attic (in most houses) in a tank. My mum tells this story of how hers was blocked, then they found a dead rat in it.

so err... no I dont drink from the hot tap!

Answer 8

Depends.

The water from the HOT tap is usually water that has been stored in a hot-water heater tank.  They range from 5-50 or more gallons and are common in the  USA.  I have heard some of the older tanks could leach metals, minerals, or other materials into the hot water.  I don't think this is true for newer models.  Also, this "sediment" settles at the bottom of these tanks, and one could argue that the water is in fact cleaner by virtue of the "extraction".  

As far as combi-boilers, I have not heard of open tanks that animals can crawl into, and cannot comment from personal knowledge regarding them.  Possibly these are found in tenement buildings or other multi-family dwellings.

Also, some homes have  hot water on-demand (combi-boiler), using "instant heat" water heaters.  These are much more efficient, and cost more to install.  Using such a system, I doubt it would cause any problems.  Some are set up to provide whole home heating as well, using a circulation pump and a network of tubes or pipes in the home.

My issues are more along the idea of "taste". I find most tap water, (hot or cold) from most municipalities, tastes bad.  I would suggest filtering all drinking water anyways.

Answer 9

Only if your hot water doesn't come from a combi boiler, this water is taken from the mains and heated when the tap is turned on, it hasn't been standing in a header tank, which can have dead birds, bats and insects in it

Answer 10

Yes!

It's filled with some germs.

Answer 11

it depends on your plumbing system --- especially the water heater --- stuff builds up in the bottom it --

Answer 12

i have heard it can cause cancer but i don't think thats true

Answer 13

Yes, you can burn your lips on the tap.