If you think about it, you will realize how many times you use hot water throughout the day.

A hot beverage is only one use. Hot water is also often run over a fresh jar so the top opens easier. Other uses are warming a baby food jar or an ice cream scoop, or cleaning a cheese grate.

Using hot water from the kitchen faucet this way wastes water and energy. Depending on how far your faucet is from the water heater, each time it’s needed you may have to run more than a gallon of water down the drain until the hot water finally reaches the faucet. This wasted water is replaced by cold incoming water from a water main or well that is well below room temperature.

After you turn the hot water faucet off, the hot water pipe is still full of hot water. During the winter, this slowly cools off and helps heat your house to some extent so it is not a total loss. During the summer, the hot water in the pipe creates a double cost, because it is additional heat that your air conditioner must remove from your house.

A hot water dispenser is a tiny tank-type electric water heater, located beneath your sink, with a spout near the faucet. These dispensers typically have a heavily insulated one-half-gallon water tank located under the sink. Combining the hot water in the tank with the output of the heating element, it produces enough hot water for about 50 cups per hour. Most have optional built-in water filters. Small countertop models that use bottled water and include a chiller are also available. These countertop models are usually rented from a drinking water company.

Hot water dispensers are convenient to use and easy to install. They have adjustable temperature settings, often from 140 degrees for cleaning and warming tasks to 190 degrees for coffee or tea. There generally is a temperature adjustment knob on the tank unit under the sink. They operate on standard 120-volt house power, so they do not require special wiring.

Whether these units will save electricity overall depends upon your hot water habits. Most hot water dispensers have 700- to 800-watt heating elements. They also operate on a thermostat, so the electric heating elements are on only when needed. As with any water heating device, set its temperature only as high as you need it. A lower setting requires less electricity to keep the tank warm.

If you do not mind waiting for a microwave oven to heat water each time you want coffee or tea, and if you do not otherwise use much hot water, installing a hot water dispenser will likely increase your utility bills. For example, being a single man who does not drink coffee, I have not installed one in my own home. On the other hand, if you use hot water often from the faucet and heat water on the stove, using a hot water dispenser can lower your utility bills.

A hot water dispenser also saves time and money when you’re cooking. Most cooking experts do not recommend using hot water from the faucet for starting rice or other foods. The reason is hot water standing and running through the pipes in a house is more likely to pick up chemicals or contaminants than cold water. Also, hot water from the faucet is probably only in the 120-degree range.

With the hot water dispenser tank located directly under the sink, picking up contaminants is not a problem because the pipe run is short, with all the plumbing included with the kit. When you plan to steam or boil foods, you can start with 190-degree hot water from the dispenser. This will reduce the stove-top cooking time of many foods and saves energy.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Michigan Country Lines, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit his Web site.