Clean water is essential to your health and wellbeing. Water will keep you hydrated and rejuvenated, whether hot, cold or at room temperature.
A water dispenser is one method of making clean water accessible. With a simple touch of a button, the appliance helps you refill your glass with hot or cold water. It’s pretty convenient.
That being the case, it is paramount that the water dispenser provides safe water.
So, is it safe to drink hot water from a water dispenser? The answer is a big YES! The water from a hot water dispenser is just the same as any other. It is heated for more than 95 degrees.
Is it Safe to Use a Hot Water Dispenser for Baby Bottles?
As aforementioned, hot water from a water dispenser is as good as any other. Note that this water is usually heated at more than 95 degrees.
Additionally, the refill bottles come with purified water, which is safe to use when preparing your baby’s food.
Using hot water from a water dispenser in your baby’s bottles comes in handy, especially when time is not on your side. The water is also of the best quality.
To maintain the quality of the water, keep the water dispenser clean to avoid mold and germ buildup. This way, you won’t have to worry about the quality of your hot water dispenser’s water.
Is Hot Water from a Dispenser Healthy?
Hot water from a water dispenser is healthy and ideal for cooking and drinking. If you maintain your dispenser well, you won’t have to worry about the quality of the water, whether hot or cold.
Note that just like any other appliance, a water dispenser requires regular maintenance. A poorly maintained dispenser will not only cause health issues but also feature a shorter lifespan.
You also should not worry about toxic chemicals leaching into your hot water since most water dispensers are made from non-toxic and food-safe materials.
Risks Involved in Using a Hot Water Dispenser
Discussed below are the risks involved in using a hot water dispenser. And although these units come with a few safety features, you still need to take extra precautions.
Some of the risks involved include:
- Burn Injuries
Most burn injuries from water dispensers are caused by the careless use of hot water. For instance, if you try to fill a bottle with a small opening with hot water, chances are, you’ll burn your hands.
With the small opening, it’s easy to miss the bottle and spill the water on your hands as you try to pour it in.
To avoid this issue, always place the bottle on the drip tray and pour the water.
- Injuries to Children
Of all hot water dispenser injury-related incidents, the most common occurs in kids. That’s why you need to be extra careful with the unit if you have children at home.
Children can turn on the hot water faucet and get serious burn injuries. You, therefore, need to ensure that you get a dispenser with a child safety lock.
You also need to maintain your hot water dispenser well since you don’t want leaking hot water to burn your kid’s delicate skin.
- Slipping Related Injuries
Some of the most serious injuries caused by hot water dispensers are slips and falls. This is a result of water that accumulates at the dispenser’s foot.
This water accumulates because of internal leaks or a leaking spigot.
Additionally, the water may accumulate because of an overflowing drip tray. Although the tray is easily detachable, some users fail to empty it, resulting in huge puddles at the bottom of the water dispenser.
- Germs
The spigots of a water dispenser are usually wet. Additionally, a lot of people touch the dispenser (especially in the office setting) daily.
This can lead to bacteria and germ buildup on the spigots. These germs can get into your body through the water.
To keep the dispenser germ-free, clean the outer parts of the dispenser every day it’s being used by many people. Ensure that you clean the spigots efficiently.
- Back Pain from Improper Bottle Lifting
You can injure your back when using a water dispenser. This is possible if yours is a top-loading model that requires lifting the water bottle for a refill.
That’s why you need to stick to the proper bottle lifting technique.
The best way to lift your water dispenser’s bottle is:
- Keep your back straight and get into a squatting position.
- Tilt the water bottle on one side and get your hand beneath it. Hold it from the brim using the other hand.
- Keeping your back straight, stand up.
- Once done, tilt the water bottle onto the dispenser.
You can also lift the water bottle by going down on one knee. To do so:
- Get down on one and place the water bottle on your leg.
- With your back straight, get up with the bottle still on your leg.
- After lifting the bottle, load it onto the dispenser.
Conclusion
Drinking hot water from a water dispenser is very safe. The water used in the dispenser is usually pure and heated to more than 95 degrees, thus clean, safe, and healthy for drinking.
You only have to worry about mold and bacteria buildup in the dispenser. As long as you keep the unit clean and germ-free, you’ve got nothing to worry about.