Why You Still Shouldn’t Cook With Hot Tap Water

Why You Still Shouldn’t Cook With Hot Tap Water

In older houses, hot tap water can contain small amounts of lead from the solder used to join pipes together. But even modern plumbing can leach chemicals into hot water, so the rule still applies.

Photo by Andrew Gustar

Heat makes things dissolve more readily, whether we’re talking about the flavorful compounds in tea leaves, or the chemicals that make up your water pipes. Research by engineer Andrew Whelton’s team has found that some brands of PEX piping release 100 times more of certain chemicals in hot water versus cold, and that some brands leach more than others. The chemicals aren’t necessarily dangerous, but some can change the water’s odor and taste, and others may exceed health limits set by some states. If you’re the type to play it safe, stick to cold water for drinking and cooking.

Is It Safe to Cook With Hot Tap Water? [Grist]


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.

At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


12 responses to “Why You Still Shouldn’t Cook With Hot Tap Water”