Hot or Cold water to Boil water question

[NZDoug]

When doing the dishes by hand in the kitchen sink, with our single faucet tap expelling hot water from the mixer, my wife decides to fill the electric kettle to boil water for a coffee or pot of tea or whatever.
She insists on running the tap until cold water comes out then proceeds to fill the kettle.
Then I have to run the tap again to get hot to come out so I can finish the dishes.
I tell her that shes wasting heat energy and water by doing this.
She claims that there is a valid reason to use cold water for the kettle.
Whos right?

[SRL]

Every manufacturer of coffee, tea or just about any piece of equipment associated with making coffee or tea, will give you a reason why you should use cold water. Ooooo, more scary impurities might be dissolved in the hot water. They're all bunk, in my opinion.

Hehe, on my coffee maker (Bunn) it has a hot water reservoir. I have to put in cold water to push the hot water up and out through the filter basket. So I have to use cold water! Ironic. LOL

[kitchenelf]

Is it really worth being right if the autopsy reveals an electric coffee pot there?????

[Alix]

Many cities still have some lead pipes and that is the reason to use cold water. If you use hot water it can leach some lead from the pipes and carry it to the water you are about to ingest. You can use hot water for washing etc because you are not going to be drinking your dishwater.

If your municipality has completed removed all lead pipes you can tell your wife to fill with hot water, but until you know that for a fact, she is right.

[attie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alix Many cities still have some lead pipes and that is the reason to use cold water. If you use hot water it can leach some lead from the pipes and carry it to the water you are about to ingest. You can use hot water for washing etc because you are not going to be drinking your dishwater. If your municipality has completed removed all lead pipes you can tell your wife to fill with hot water, but until you know that for a fact, she is right.

All of our hidden in the wall pipework here is copper mostly soldered with lead in our older homes so we also use the cold water only to fill the jug method, mind you, I feel it's a bit of an old wifes tale but that's what we do.

[mike in brooklyn]

might your problem be solved by keeping a jar
of cold water in the fridge?
yes you are right - you are wasting energy as you described
and you are wasting water too.

[SRL]

Hmmm ... lead. That explains the why I've gained weight over the years!

[msmofet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitchenelf Is it really worth being right if the autopsy reveals an electric coffee pot there?????

[NZDoug]

Thanks all, for your informative replies.
I wont tell her Im right, just, Im not wrong.
Our water pipes are blue plasticky hose and its sometimes above ground, as it doesnt freeze here.
So one has to watch out for hoons, drunks and louts trashing it.
Also, our crappy city council patches one bit then the next bit blows under the road next to it, so one can always see the new big plasticky pipes going in,as the roads rip up in sequence.
I think the council workers enjoy working in my area.....

[justplainbill]

Hot tap water is generally considered to be less potable than cold tap water.