Does SavingStars need hot water or will warm tap water do?

Warm tap water should still get it going, though I don’t think it works quite as well as really hot water. Mine foamed up fine with what comes out of the sink, just took a bit longer before it settled down.

Hot water matters more than people here are making it sound. I tried warm tap water once and the foam barely got going, so I went back to heating a mug in the microwave before dumping it in. Wasting a dose on lukewarm water is worse than taking two minutes to heat it.

Warm tap water is fine for regular maintenance. I’ve been using it that way for a few months on my kitchen sink, and it still foams up and clears the slow drainage. The really hot water seems to help more when there’s a proper clog, but for keeping things fresh, I don’t think it’s wasting a dose. Boiling a pot every time sounds like a hassle for no real gain.

Mine foamed up okay with tap water that was hot but not boiling, though I did run it a bit longer before flushing. If your water heater’s set low it might take a couple extra minutes to get going.

I’ve actually had the opposite happen. Warm tap water got a decent foam going for me, but I used it on a bathroom sink that was only draining slowly, not fully blocked. Maybe it depends on how gunked up the drain already is.

Hot water is doing more than just dissolving the powder, it helps soften whatever grease is clinging to the pipe walls. Warm tap water might still get the fizz going but it won’t loosen the gunk nearly as well, so the foam has less to grab onto. I’d say if the drain is already slow, warm water is a waste of a dose. If it’s just a maintenance thing and things are flowing fine, warm is probably fine. The instructions say hot for a reason though, it’s not just about activating the powder. You don’t need boiling, just hot enough that it’s uncomfortable to hold your hand under. Your tap should get there, most do.

My tap never gets properly hot either, so I just let the warm water run for a couple minutes before I add the powder. Gives the pipes a head start and the foam still shows up fine. I do leave it sitting closer to half an hour when the water is only lukewarm, mostly because I wander off anyway. The one time I used cold water by accident it barely did anything, so there is a line somewhere. Warm is fine in my book.

Warm tap water has been enough for me, though I did notice the foam fizzles out quicker than with really hot water. Left it sitting for the full 20 anyway and the drain still cleared up. Honestly the temperature seems less important than just giving it time to work.

Warm tap water worked fine on my kitchen sink last month.

Warm tap water is what I use because boiling a pot for a drain is ridiculous. It foams up and does the job on my bathroom sink, so I’m not losing sleep over the temperature.