What is the Logic of a Pot Filler?

[tb001]

The worst setup is the pot filler in a kitchen having nice new hand-scraped hardwood floors.

That $ 30k+ insurance claim practically writes itself.

Hand-scraped hardwood floors in a kitchen is way dumber than a pot filler! Ask me how I know… We bought a house with both. The floors are now gone, but I do like my pot filler. Fwiw, I thought it was kind of a ridiculous thing until I lived in a house with one. Turns out I use it all the time.

 

[ERD50]

All this talk about lifting a heavy pot from sink to stove? Geez, if it is that much trouble once in a Blue Moon, just use a water pitcher and fill 2 Q at a time. With 2 pitchers (one filling while you dump the other), it won't even take any longer. Shorter in fact, if you can plan ahead a bit and pre-fill the 2 pitchers in between tasks, or while the stove is busy with other things.

-ERD50

 

[Jerry1]

I'm surprised you haven't had a leaky faucet. Maybe you have excellent water, minimal usage, or really high end faucets?

In the last 17 years I have replaced the cartridges in our kitchen sink, bathroom sink (twice), both shower cartridges, and both of our outdoor faucets. All are different brands and different designs. That's with very good quality well water and a whole house water filter to keep sediment out of our plumbing system.

For what it's worth, I have also replaced several cartridges and washers at my mom's house and my in-laws house. Both were on city water in two different cities. So it's not just me.

Moving parts eventually just wear out, especially soft parts like washers and gaskets.

Honestly, I lived in one house 26 years and the only faucet I replaced was an outdoor spigot. I guess I’ll count my blessings and be thankful.

Though, when they do leak, don’t they give you plenty of warning? I know when I sink leaks it may not be something you have to address right away, but with a pot filler, you would. Still, I just don’t see a leak being the biggest issue of a pot filler. I do, however, see no good reason for it. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to find something else to BTD on.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Pot filler is just a conversational item. Nobody today cooks where they need to fill up big and deep pots.

To me, it's just something else to leak.

Maybe with folks you know, but is NOT the case with my family. Chili, mendudo. chicken and dumplings to name a few; all use very large pots. Nonetheless, we still don't use the pot filler. Oh, and I don't think ANYONE who has visited us has mentioned it, so not really a "conversation item", either.

I get that the practicality of a pot filler seems absent, however, I’m not sure why there’s all this concern about a leak. I can’t remember the last time I had a leak in a modern faucet. I guess I’d want an easily accessible shut off valve no matter, but I really don’t think a leak is likely.

The more and more I see the comments about the leak concern, I have to agree. It's plumbing, it can leak. So could your a gas line. So could a sewage line. In all the faucets I have had over my life, I can think of TWO that leaked and needed to be repaired...and neither required tearing into a wall. So, is it a risk having a pot filler? Sure. Is it one worth worrying about? Not to the degree I am seeing in the comments.

/snip/ I understand it may be a "must have" in a modern house, just as trash compactor was years ago. I never used the compactor in the house I bought.

My parents had a trash compactor and used it religiously. My in-laws use one too and maybe others should consider using one since I often see that our neighbors can (and do) fill THREE 96 gallon trash containers EVERY SINGLE WEEK. I honestly don't know how people generate so much garbage.

 

[JoeWras]

Marketing.

Big kitchens need more stuff.

 

[pacergal]

I think they were popular several years ago.
I never saw the need for one, have a smaller kitchen where the stove is about 2 feet from the sink.

 

[JoeWras]

I should also mention that in one of my volunteer gigs, I had the "honor" of being asked to repair one of those style faucets in a commercial kitchen. The folding articulating arm popular in many of them has many failure points, and frankly is a PITA to try to repair.

Talking about faucets like this:

 

[Amethyst]

I often see that our neighbors can (and do) fill THREE 96 gallon trash containers EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

Probably big stuff, that wouldn't go into a compactor without being broken down first.

I honestly don't know how people generate so much garbage.

Two guesses:

They order a lot online, and aren't bothering to break down their cardboard boxes for recycling. Plus there's all that filler material - the chains of little air bags, the peanuts, etc.

Also perhaps they eat a lot of takeout, especially big pizzas.

 

[gamboolman]

We have one gallon Jugs and Pitchers, similar to pic below
They work just fine

 

[Physics Guy]

So, is it a risk having a pot filler? Sure. Is it one worth worrying about? Not to the degree I am seeing in the comments.

Even a very small chance of a leak can be significant if you see absolutely no benefit to the pot filler in the first place.

 

[RobbieB]

My stove is so close to my sink, I could use the sprayer to fill the pots on the stove.

 

[EvanC]

The cook likes it. And I would never know if it leaked because the housekeeper would call the plumber.

I have a very wealthy friend that has a gigantic kitchen that is simply there for show.
The cook uses a utilitarian kitchen behind the show kitchen. I am really not kidding.

 

[Rambler]

We had a pot filler at our last home, and we will have one at our next home (in process). We bought a small home to stay in while our new home is being built, and it does not have a pot filler.

Did we ever use the pot filler at our last home? NO

Will we use the pot filler at our new home? NOT BLOODY LIKELY

So why are we putting one in? The new neighborhood is a luxury neighborhood, as was our previous neighborhood. The problem we had when selling our last house was that it was in a lux neighborhood, but the original owners only ordered a bare minimum of the lux options. So, when we went to sell it, it wasn’t quite up to the level of luxury of the neighborhood. That made it harder to sell. Two other homes with the same floorplan went up for sale within a couple days of ours, and the other two sold in hours, while ours took weeks and sold for much less.

So, when we went to plan the lux options, we decided we’d better make it at least up to neighborhood snuff, otherwise it may be hard to sell. Thus, we have a pot filler (along with probably $100k of other options that will rarely, if ever, be used by us). We did want to live there because the floorplan is great, the neighborhood is great, it is a gated community, and our floorplan includes an RV garage, which we sorely missed when we gave up our two acres of paradise in California to move to AZ a few years back.

 

[meleana]

It seems many high end kitchens these days have pot fillers, basically a water faucet right above the stove. To me this seems like a problem waiting to happen. Eventually that faucet is going to leak and you'll end up with water on or in your stove. Maybe some stoves have associated drains to deal with this?

I also don't understand the advantage of filling a pot on the stove that you still have to move to the sink to drain? Either way you're still having to lift the pot, only it's now full of boiling hot water.

Maybe it's me, but it seems like a silly thing to have in a kitchen. Still, I'm curious if anyone here has a pot filler and what pro's and con's you have with it? I have no interest in ever having one, just curious...

I totally agree! I said this when they first came out. Stupid idea.

 

[Delawaredave5]

There is little "logic" - just something for materialistic spouses to covet and be jealous of others that have.

I met a person one time who was miserable because their kitchen did not have two dishwashers - and her neighbor's all had them.

 

[drcha]

The idea is that a tall pot won't fit under the sink's faucet to be filled. But most of us who are retired probably do not have a pot that tall because we are not cooking large amounts.

 

[jpeter1093]

I never heard of such a setup before now. I will have to look and see if I can find some pictures.

Just walk into any Chinese restaurant; they all have them over their woks

 

[ugeauxgirl]

DH and I both thought the pot filler idea was stupid. We did read about a self filling coffee pot which sounded intriguing for about 30 seconds. We rejected it on the same grounds that y'all did. Leak potential plus the coffee pot that could do this would be expensive and difficult to replace...

 

[Cerys]

I don't want or need a pot filler. First, I hardly ever cook any more and if I do it's just small amounts for one or two people. Second, I have no problems carrying whatever water I need, since I have little to no arthritis in my shoulders and hands.

I have known women who loved having one, though, due to severe arthritis that made carrying such a pot from the sink, excruciatingly painful.

But then, I never asked them how they emptied the pot. That's a good point. Next time the topic comes up, I'll ask how they plan to empty the pot.

Most people have a spaghetti pot said actually has a colander in it. So not unlike a double boiler, when the water is boiling and you throw the pasta in it cooks, and when you lift the top part out, the colander, it actually drains the hot water back into the boiling water pot. You still have the issue of pouring the water out, but you have the ability to wait until the water is cold.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/st...-piece-pasta-pot-set/5598323?categoryId=12593

 

[imnontrad]

The answer is, it depends. Have you ever thought what the weight is of a 5-10 gallon pot full of water?

 

[old medic]

I love that restaurant store. In stead of one of those plastic, cheap looking, utility sinks, we got a stainless steel sink from them to put next to our washer/dryer. See below.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/st...with-faucet-24-x-24-x-12-bowl/522CS124FW.html

THANKS.... you just helped me spend money...

 

[Retired Expat]

Having cut way back on carbs, and my waistline, huge pots of boiling water are hardly common in my house. More importantly as a chef, is that the technique to make pasta has changed to using much less water, even cooking pasta in a skillet instead. It creates a much starchier water and needs much less salt added. The starchy pasta water is great in sauces and for cooking. The days of using 2 gallons of water to cook a box of pasta are over so a pot filler is kind of useless.

I do make a lot of soup however but outside of the restaurant can’t imagine making such a big pot that I couldn’t fill it at the sink and bring it to the stove. Good exercise too!

 

[Retired Expat]

Just walk into any Chinese restaurant; they all have them over their woks

Commercial kitchen woks have a drain at each gas burner. So as well as unbelievably high temps, so you can rinse out your wok right there and drain away the water. The secret to great stir fry is that intense heat. Home stoves can’t get anywhere near the 100,000 btu range of a commercial wok. https://www.hotelrestaurantsupply.com/pdfspecs/IMP0305A.pdf

 

[JoeWras]

Having cut way back on carbs, and my waistline, huge pots of boiling water are hardly common in my house. More importantly as a chef, is that the technique to make pasta has changed to using much less water, even cooking pasta in a skillet instead. It creates a much starchier water and needs much less salt added. The starchy pasta water is great in sauces and for cooking. The days of using 2 gallons of water to cook a box of pasta are over so a pot filler is kind of useless.

For Hell's Kitchen fans, I can hear Gordon Ramsay saying: "You donkey, you don't need a pot filler to make a <expletive> proper risotto!"

They "fry" the rice, and although the pasta is par-boiled, they finish it in a saute pan. The pot filler is used in the kitchen behind the kitchen.

 

[USGrant1962]

The answer is, it depends. Have you ever thought what the weight is of a 5-10 gallon pot full of water?

Wow, 5-10 gallon pots for home use?