Running water to dispenser tricky part of installation

: I drink a lot of tea and would like to install an instant hot water faucet. I have a cap covering a hole in my kitchen sink, so it should fit nicely there. How do I install it?

A: There is a little more to it than sticking it into a hole. Obviously, you need to run water to it.

Instant hot water dispensers deliver more than just heated fluid — the water is near boiling. It’s perfect for tea, coffee or a hot meal.

Since the hole is already there, the job is easier. Without it, you would need to drill through the sink or counter.

Some dispenser faucets have an escutcheon that goes over the hole. Some faucets also are secured to the sink (or counter) from underneath by way of a toggle nut, and others screw into place after removing the faucet handle. Either way, you will have to uncoil the copper water supply tubes coming from the bottom of it before you install the faucet.

Now you will make the connection to the water supply. The dispenser kits usually don’t include a valve for this, but they suggest using a saddle valve. I hate being saddled with them, as they punch a hole in the supply pipe. Plus, they often clog and leak.

Instead, replace the angle stop valve, which is supplying the kitchen faucet, with a valve that has two nipples, using the second for the hot water dispenser. Use a compression fitting with a ferrule and connect the long copper tube to the valve.

Before you hook up the water tank, put a small bucket in the cabinet under the dispenser so that the copper pipes will drain into it. Slowly open the water supply valve to flush out any debris in the tubes.

Next, you have to mount the water tank to the wall. The water supply tubes are not very long, so you have to mount the tank underneath the faucet or very close to it. Hold the tank to the wall and mark a line where it should go. The tank will mount to the back wall of the cabinet, underneath the dispenser’s faucet. The tank weighs about 10 pounds when filled, so you have to hang it from the bracket supplied in the kit. Making sure the lines are not kinked or otherwise restricted, screw them into the top of the tank with the hardware provided. Tighten the fittings finger tight, then turn them with a wrench.

Turn the water supply valve on and depress the faucet’s handle. You will hear a hissing noise as the tank fills with water. Once the water comes out of the spout, the tank is full. Check all of your fittings for leaks and tighten if necessary.

Finally, plug in the dispenser. Make sure a switch does not control the outlet you are using. The outlet must give continuous power so that you will always have hot tea at the ready. If you plan on running a new outlet under your cabinet, make sure it has a ground fault circuit interrupter.

Michael D. Klimek is a licensed contractor and president of Pro Handyman Corp. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: questions@pro-handyman.com. Or, mail to: P.O. Box 96761, Las Vegas, NV 89193. His Web address is: www.pro-handyman.com.