I am currently looking for new faucets, starting with the bathroom. Right now, there is a common single-lever mixer, but in our case, the water is either hot/warm or cold and should not be mixed—or it would be pointless.
Is there another solution besides having two cold water taps connected separately to the respective pipes, since washbasins usually only have one hole?
Basically something like the old-style taps with turn knobs on the left and right, but without the turning handles. Maybe with push buttons?
It should be a bit modern. Also, you don’t want to have to turn the taps for ages until the strongest flow finally comes out.
I have also thought about sensor faucets, but I’m bothered by the batteries.
Somehow, I am missing the right term to search for (searching for “two-temperature faucet” or “faucet without mixer” returns no results).
Is there another solution besides having two cold water taps connected separately to the respective pipes, since washbasins usually only have one hole?
Basically something like the old-style taps with turn knobs on the left and right, but without the turning handles. Maybe with push buttons?
It should be a bit modern. Also, you don’t want to have to turn the taps for ages until the strongest flow finally comes out.
I have also thought about sensor faucets, but I’m bothered by the batteries.
Somehow, I am missing the right term to search for (searching for “two-temperature faucet” or “faucet without mixer” returns no results).
Why use an additional thermostat when you can directly set the temperature at the heat source? That would be redundant. Besides, you would need a mixing valve again where it doesn’t make sense. In other words, I would have to always heat the water to 60°C (140°F), which would be incredibly expensive, just to mix it down to 40°C (104°F) at the tap, only because I want 60°C (140°F) water twice a week...
If my husband showers at 3 a.m. with water at 42.5°C (108.5°F) and I find that too hot, I can quickly lower it to 40°C (104°F). The control is right next to the shower, and the digital display is there as well, so I can see at a glance what temperature the water is set to. No reason for a divorce.
If my husband showers at 3 a.m. with water at 42.5°C (108.5°F) and I find that too hot, I can quickly lower it to 40°C (104°F). The control is right next to the shower, and the digital display is there as well, so I can see at a glance what temperature the water is set to. No reason for a divorce.
Hello Elina, we handle it the same way as you... our domestic hot water is heated to washing temperature (about 45°C (113°F)). Storing hot water to then mix it down was never an option for us either. It was only a problem when using the bathtub, as we couldn’t fill it properly. But we’re not really bathtub people anyway. So the new house won’t even have a bathtub. However, I would never have thought to look for a special (probably expensive) faucet for this. A single-lever mixer is perfect for it... even though it’s called a mixer, you don’t have to mix. Just a maximum swing, and the max/min temperature is available immediately. Your request sounds complicated and expensive to set up... Best regards, Steffi33.
Sir_Kermit23 Jul 2016 15:18Hello,
Question for you, since you have experience in the field: how do you assess the risk of legionella? Or is it enough to occasionally raise the temperature to 60°C (140°F)? (Although the answer to my question probably depends on your technology)
Kermit
Elina schrieb:Okay, that explains it. So maybe mixing isn’t absolutely necessary after all. But what I don’t understand is: how fast is "instantly," and what technology achieves that? Or how can I find the post where it’s explained? Are we talking about some kind of tankless water heater? I just can’t imagine it working with storage. That’s what I thought of first.
(where the 60°C (140°F) are reached instantly
Question for you, since you have experience in the field: how do you assess the risk of legionella? Or is it enough to occasionally raise the temperature to 60°C (140°F)? (Although the answer to my question probably depends on your technology)
Kermit
Yes, it is an instantaneous water heater. We have two of them; one will soon be switched to a heat pump for hot water. You can set the temperature directly on the device, which is why I generally referred to the "heat generator." If I set the instantaneous water heater to 60°C (140°F), I get hot water immediately. With a storage tank, it would take some time.
I don’t see a risk of legionella here—not with the instantaneous water heater, and in our case not with the storage tank either, since it only holds 80 liters (21 gallons) and the flow rate is simply too high. The 80 liters of hot water are used up within two days. However, this storage tank also has a legionella protection switch that heats the water up to the maximum temperature.
I initially thought this could save energy, but after four years living in our own house with instantaneous water heaters, I’m beginning to doubt that. Our electricity consumption is around 3600 kWh per year, which includes hot water. Before, in the rental apartment, we used about 3000 kWh (hot water was provided by the central heating system), so hot water heating doesn’t really make up a large part of the energy use. I’ve actually become quite fond of instantaneous water heaters. Maybe we will skip the hot water heat pump after all.
I don’t see a risk of legionella here—not with the instantaneous water heater, and in our case not with the storage tank either, since it only holds 80 liters (21 gallons) and the flow rate is simply too high. The 80 liters of hot water are used up within two days. However, this storage tank also has a legionella protection switch that heats the water up to the maximum temperature.
I initially thought this could save energy, but after four years living in our own house with instantaneous water heaters, I’m beginning to doubt that. Our electricity consumption is around 3600 kWh per year, which includes hot water. Before, in the rental apartment, we used about 3000 kWh (hot water was provided by the central heating system), so hot water heating doesn’t really make up a large part of the energy use. I’ve actually become quite fond of instantaneous water heaters. Maybe we will skip the hot water heat pump after all.
Hello Elina, we have exactly the same thoughts about hot water heating. There are two of us, and we don’t use much hot water (only for showers and washing dishes, no baths). We also think that an instantaneous water heater should be much more economical than constantly keeping 100 liters (26 gallons) or more warm in a storage tank. Higher initial costs and significant space requirements also play a role. But everyone we ask just “shrugs it off” and says we would be paying way too much. I would really be interested in a calculation example showing from when it actually becomes cheaper to produce hot water with a gas boiler (with storage) instead of briefly using an instantaneous water heater. Best regards, Steffi33.
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