If you’re boiling water – start with cold.

It may be tempting to save some time by using hot tap water to cook with – but it’s a bad idea. 

Homes built before 1986 are likely to have lead pipes and fixtures. Even lead-free pluming may have up to 8 percent lead in there. Over time, that plumbing corrodes and when we use the hot tap, it releases more of those harmful elements.

The EPA advises us to use only cold tap water for consumption, which includes drinking and cooking. This is especially important if you have young children in the house, as kids aged 6 and under are most at risk from lead.