Is it illegal to fit a boiling water tap in France?
Sarah Bright-Thomas of Bright Avocats answers a reader query
Tap water temperatures are strictly monitored in France
Maxim Studio / Shutterstock
Reader Question: I am keen to put an instant boiling water tap in the kitchen, but my builder said French law on water temperatures prohibits this. Is this true?
Your builder is right. French law prohibits temperatures at the tap of more than 60C, due to possible burn risks, for example to children.
Standards set in 2005 limit domestic hot water temperatures in water heaters to between 50C and 60C for small heaters, and 55C and 60C for larger heaters.
It is still possible to scald yourself with 60C water, but the burn will not be as bad as with boiling water.
Your question relates to boiling water taps, where pressurised water is heated to above boiling point in a reservoir under the sink, and a mixer tap offers the choice of hot water or that which has reached 100C.
Read more: Six tips to save money on your boiler in France
While some popular foreign manufacturers, such as Quooker and Zip, provide such taps, the products are not legal in France.
Instant hot water heaters using electricity or gas, regulated to 60C maximum, are, however relatively cheap, popular and increasingly used in France.
An example is to provide hot water for a studio separate from the main house.
It is interesting to note that, until recently, electric kettles were seldom found in French houses.
In their place were various types of electric coffee machines.
If hot water was needed for other purposes - such as to serve tea to a guest - it was heated in a saucepan on the stove.
Read more: Chemical anomalies found in French tap water in study
