Plumbing - Under the Sink Water Heaters
Just about every homeowner is familiar with the following scenario: Go into the kitchen or bathroom. Turn on the hot water. Now wait. And wait some more. Then go play a round of golf and come back to get hot water. Ok, the last is a little exaggerated. But it often seems true.
Under-the-sink hot water heaters to the rescue!
For less than a couple of hundred dollars you can eliminate that problem. These small water heaters put hot water literally at your fingertips instantly. No more waiting a minute or three for hot water. Add up all that time saved over a year and you really could play a round of golf.
There are several different types.
One style is tankless. No, that's not 'thankless', that's the job of installing it. Thankless, but easy. They provide a simple mechanism that fits into your existing hot water supply and heats it on the way. It doesn't sound like such a thing could work, since the water has to be heated very fast. But they do.
Many have adjustable controls so you can determine how hot the water will be. That makes it easy to moderate their electricity use and ensure a margin of safety.
Under sink hot water heaters come in a different type as well: an under-the-sink tank. These are miniature versions of the hot water heater that supplies the whole house. In this case, however, they're almost always electric rather than gas or propane.
Which style uses the most electricity is hard to quantify, since it varies with use and design. Those that heat water on the way have to use a large amount of electricity all at once to deliver hot water before it reaches the spigot. The tank style has to keep the water heated continuously, but only requires a small amount at a time to do so.
They're installed much like an under-the-sink water purifier. Only in this case, they insert in the line that carries hot water. Water purifiers are designed to work only with the cold water supply. It is possible to combine the two functions and some units have two chambers that do double-duty.
Just disconnect the hot-water supply line underneath the sink. Sometimes it's attached with screw-tightening clamps similar to car radiator hoses. In other cases, it's attached via a squeeze clamp. Removing it may require a good pair of pliers.
If the hose has been attached for a long time, it will probably stick. Take care not just to jerk hard. You might split the hose off. That will leave you with a difficult job of scraping off what's left with a knife. Or, worse, you'll break off the hose nib. Instead, twist and pull moderately until you work it loose.
Clean out the fittings thorougly. Usually, any cleaning solvent that dissolves lime or copper oxide is good enough. Sometimes a little bit of gentle sanding is needed. Do a good job. A clean surface is key to a dripless finish.
Now wind a six inch length of Teflon plumber's tape around the nib, unless the clamp and nib are designed to seal without it. Never secure a hose with PVC glue or other adhesive. Someday you'll have to replace the hose. It can be nearly impossible to get it off without damaging the pipe. It would also make the job ten times harder and longer.
