About cheap, compact electric heating taps

[phloaw]

As an alternative to traditional tankless heaters, aliexpress sells a variety of cheap taps incorporating a heater, for example:

US $20.2 49% OFF|ATWFS Instant Tankless Water Heater Tap Instantaneous Faucet Kitchen Water Heater Crane Instant Hot Water Faucet Digital EU Plug|hot water faucet|kitchen water heaterheater tap - AliExpress

This looks too good to be true, looking at the compactness and at the price. Hence I was wondering if anybody has any kind of feedback/opinion about such products, for example with respect to safety, durability, doing what they promise, or any aspect.

Thank you!
PS: I'm in UK, if that matters.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

In UK? I think it does matter.

What you present is a simple device, and cheap...cheap enough to try it out. The fact that it ships from Russia, Ukraine or China, well...that's up to you. If shipping is free, give it a go.

Here in the USA, some folks who want "instant hot water" for a cuppa install mini tanks under the sink. They generally are simple line voltage (110V here), and often are coupled to an air switch with the garbage disposal, so they "share the circuit" as it were. The air switch cuts out the tank, powers the disposal, and when you stop the disposal power returns to the tank.

Central heat and hot water is common here; less so in UK. On a recent trip to UK I was introduced to the most bizarre concept I'd ever heard of: "Electric Showers".

https://www.mirashowers.co.uk/showers/electric-showers/mira-sport-max-with-airboost-108kw
The thought of a 10kW, 220V electric device IN YOUR SHOWER is downright frightening. I sincerely doubt whether something like that would be legal in the USA. I think code came from smart mothers: "don't touch that electric switch when your hands are wet".

 

[Stephen Wade]

We have had electric showers in the UK for decades, I've never seen a headline "child electrocuted in the shower", ever. We have strictly regulated installers, and shower manufacturers produce safe, reliable products. Mira is one of the best selling brands.

Of course, that's not to say that a cowboy installer or clueless home DIYer couldn't install it incorrectly, and dangerously, if he did not read the install instructions correctly or did not have the skill to do the job. Our qualified plumber installed ours, and it works perfectly.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

We have had electric showers in the UK for decades, I've never seen a headline "child electrocuted in the shower", ever.

Oh, yes I understand that. Any professional here, and a lot of DIYers like myself have seen all manner of shoddy installations: some of the worst by those who should know better. Ungrounded outlets existed for decades, but that doesn't make them right. All of a sudden, tamper proof outlets (which are challenging to press a plug into) are all the rage and code here, as well as GFCI everywhere and AFCI/GFCI on special circuits such as dishwashers.

In the small B&B we stayed in, in Edinburgh in 2015, we had the joy of an electric shower. Poor pressure, low volume, and it wasn't hot enough--but it was fine, and the charm of the Inn and the locale in the city made it worth it. Give me central hot water, thank you very much. I don't know if its true or not but someone said the hot water in many places is gravity fed with no pressure, and that explains a lot.

But it took a local with some expat experience in North America to explain why such things have evolved, along with some other mysteries of UK plumbing such as a wholesale lack of mixing faucets. I remember being at the stadium in Peffermill watching the Lacrosse World Cup game, and stopped at the rest room. When I went to wash my hands, I was mystified that in a public restroom there was not mixing faucet. So I turned on the hot water...when over my shoulder some local yelled "the water is mighty hot" and he prevented me from 2nd degree burns. "How the heck do you get WARM water to wash your hands?" "Simple", he said. "put the stopper in the sink, and mix the hot and cold in the bowl..."

As if. Even before the Covid crisis, common sense would tell me not to mix water in a public sink!

But all this is gibberish backtalk. The OP asked about a tiny point of use hot water faucet. It's cheap enough to try, and even cheap enough to buy a spare. If it doesn't work out, there's little lost and a lot of knowledge gained. It's GS certified and UL listed which means it's been through extensively testing. If that kind of faucet thing appealed to me, I'd give it a go.

 

[Stephen Wade]

Oh, yes I understand that. Any professional here, and a lot of DIYers like myself have seen all manner of shoddy installations: some of the worst by those who should know better. Ungrounded outlets existed for decades, but that doesn't make them right. All of a sudden, tamper proof outlets (which are challenging to press a plug into) are all the rage and code here, as well as GFCI everywhere and AFCI/GFCI on special circuits such as dishwashers.

In the small B&B we stayed in, in Edinburgh in 2015, we had the joy of an electric shower. Poor pressure, low volume, and it wasn't hot enough--but it was fine, and the charm of the Inn and the locale in the city made it worth it. Give me central hot water, thank you very much. I don't know if its true or not but someone said the hot water in many places is gravity fed with no pressure, and that explains a lot.

But it took a local with some expat experience in North America to explain why such things have evolved, along with some other mysteries of UK plumbing such as a wholesale lack of mixing faucets. I remember being at the stadium in Peffermill watching the Lacrosse World Cup game, and stopped at the rest room. When I went to wash my hands, I was mystified that in a public restroom there was not mixing faucet. So I turned on the hot water...when over my shoulder some local yelled "the water is mighty hot" and he prevented me from 2nd degree burns. "How the heck do you get WARM water to wash your hands?" "Simple", he said. "put the stopper in the sink, and mix the hot and cold in the bowl..."

As if. Even before the Covid crisis, common sense would tell me not to mix water in a public sink!

But all this is gibberish backtalk. The OP asked about a tiny point of use hot water faucet. It's cheap enough to try, and even cheap enough to buy a spare. If it doesn't work out, there's little lost and a lot of knowledge gained. It's GS certified and UL listed which means it's been through extensively testing. If that kind of faucet thing appealed to me, I'd give it a go.

The faucet certainly seems amazingly cheap, which is why the OP seemed concerned that it may not be safe, or fit for purpose, but if those certifications are adequate, it looks like it would be a decent bit of kit for the money. I guess being 3Kw it would need a serious supply - would draw 12 amps at 250 volts, so only just under our normal domestic ring main maximum of 13 amps, and 13.63 amps at 220 volts, which would be over the limit. Might need a cooker style 30 amp supply? This is what we have for cookers and electric showers in the UK.

 

[Stephen Wade]

As an alternative to traditional tankless heaters, aliexpress sells a variety of cheap taps incorporating a heater, for example:

US $20.2 49% OFF|ATWFS Instant Tankless Water Heater Tap Instantaneous Faucet Kitchen Water Heater Crane Instant Hot Water Faucet Digital EU Plug|hot water faucet|kitchen water heaterheater tap - AliExpress

This looks too good to be true, looking at the compactness and at the price. Hence I was wondering if anybody has any kind of feedback/opinion about such products, for example with respect to safety, durability, doing what they promise, or any aspect.

Thank you!
PS: I'm in UK, if that matters.

One of the reviews on Ali Express I read said the heating elements don't last very long - 1 to 2 years was mentioned, but at that price it's hardly a problem. As long as they are safe....

 

[packardv8]

One of the reviews on Ali Express I read said the heating elements don't last very long - 1 to 2 years was mentioned, but at that price it's hardly a problem. As long as they are safe....

The friction of replacing a plumbing unit once a year is beyond "hardly a problem". I'd pay several times more money for a unit which lasted indefinitely.

jack vines

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

I guess being 3Kw it would need a serious supply - would draw 12 amps at 250 volts, so only just under our normal domestic ring main maximum of 13 amps, and 13.63 amps at 220 volts, which would be over the limit. Might need a cooker style 30 amp supply? This is what we have for cookers and electric showers in the UK.

Yeah, @Stephen Wade that electrical consumption bit is the "fly in the ointment". A typical small tank model (there are those from ISE and Bosch popular in USA) run 750w--1200w give or take depending on size. As I mentioned they are usually on a dedicated circuit shared with an air switch to an in sink disposal unit. If a home has a disposal, they have that dedicated circuit already.

Maybe the OP or folks in UK have 30A circuits at the countertop? We surely only have a 30A circuit on 220V lines for perhaps stoves, ovens and dryers...

 

[phloaw]

Thanks for all the replies, now I'm even less sure than before ;-)

Guess the key is that all the EU/UK safety standards won't apply for stuff coming through aliexpress (I heard that the buyer is the importer and this somehow makes this possible/tolerated). The point is that buying on internet one is never sure this is not the case, probably.