Marketing manager of Abode Leanne Adamson looks at the practicalities of hot tap specification – speed of delivery, safety and cupboard storage

Useful technology is fast becoming the norm in the modern kitchen, with hot water taps being firmly among their number.

As consumers increasingly look for functionality from their kitchen tap, steaming hot water taps are just about as far from a gimmick as you can get; they fulfil a need, so much so that in some parts of the world it is unusual for a kitchen not to feature one.

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It has been suggested in certain European countries, three in four homes have a hot water tap fitted.

When you consider that sales in the UK are not yet at 5% of the overall tap market, there is a long way to go before we reach saturation and enormous potential for retailers and designers to tap into.

Hot water taps may only equate to a small percentage of the market at present, but they have come a very long way quickly from the purely aspirational and expensive purchase that they once were.

Advancements in engineering and technology account for a large part of this, however economies of scale are now driving once high prices down to make hot water taps more affordable without any compromises.

Saving space

There are important practical points that consumers are likely to require reassurance over. One of the major considerations is how much space there is under the sink.

There needs to be enough room to house the boiler that heats the hot water for the tap but the consumer will also want space for storing kitchen essentials such as cleaning products etc.

Look for a tap with a compact boiler, to leave room for cupboard storage. And of course, with no kettle needed there’s more room on the worktop too.

Ensuring safety

Another hot topic surrounding hot water taps is safety, as with near-boiling water readily available on tap consumers naturally have concerns over scalding.

One of the great advantages of hot water taps is that they eliminate the risk of accidentally spilling large volumes of water. You don’t need to lift and tip heavy kettles, with this technology taking this safety one step further still.

Ideal for hands-free use, the patented Abode HotKey on the 4-IN-1 range can be attached to the front of the tap body to safely deliver steaming hot water in an instant.

But when not in use, it can be safely stored out of reach of children so there is no possibility of accidental activation of the steaming hot water function.

Of course, ensure products are compliant to current regulations. Look for instant hot water taps which are WRAS compliant in line with Part G(3) of UK Building Regulations.

For designers and retailers, it is important to cover the three s’s when discussing the addition of a hot water tap with their customer – speed, safety and space.

Explain how convenient a hot water tap can be and quash consumers’ safety fears.

Finally, show how they can free up space on the worktop whilst taking minimum cupboard space with a neat boiler.

Read more about the latest trends in instant hot water taps.