Buying a Second Home on the Côte d'Azur? Here's What Hard Water Means for Your Kitchen

Yes, tap water throughout the South of France is strictly regulated and entirely safe to drink, meeting rigorous French and EU health standards. However, because much of our water travels through the region's famous limestone geology, it is incredibly dense in minerals. While not harmful to your health, this high mineral content gives the water a distinctly heavy, chalky taste. Many residents also notice a strong chlorine smell, which local municipalities use to keep the water sterile as it travels through the sun-warmed pipe infrastructure. To make this go away, we offer various filtersolutions on our website.

The stunning limestone cliffs and hills of Provence and the Côte d'Azur look beautiful, but they mean our groundwater absorption is packed with calcium and magnesium carbonate. Water hardness here frequently measures well above 30°f (French degrees), classifying it as "very hard" to "extremely hard."

In your kitchen, this means rapid, aggressive limescale build-up. Without specialized filtration, you will notice white crust forming on your taps within days, cloudy film on glassware, and scale choking the heating elements of your appliances—which dramatically cuts down their lifespan and increases energy bills.

Standard kitchen taps succumb to the South of France's heavy scale and our boiling and filtered water systems aren't - in this case - any different. This is the reason why we tell our clients to have a watersoftener installed. Not only does it allow you to stop suffering from limescale but washing your hair will never feel the same.

Selecting the right Quooker is actually quite simple. It comes down to three choices: the tap, the tank, and whether you want chilled or sparkling water.

1. Pick your tap model
Quooker has several designs, each with its own benefits.

• Flex – includes a pull‑out hose for extra reach.
• Fusion – boiling and mixer functions combined in one handle.
• Round or Square – choose the shape that fits your kitchen style.

2. Choose the tank that fits your household
The tank determines how much boiling water you have instantly available.

• PRO3 – 3 litres of boiling water; ideal for most households.
• COMBI – provides both 7 litres boiling and 15 litres hot water if you don’t have a hot‑water line nearby.
• COMBI+ provides 7 litres of boiling water and unlimited hot water. This boiler requires a hot water supply
  
  

3. Decide if you want chilled or sparkling water
If you’d like chilled or sparkling water straight from the tap, add the CUBE.
This requires a CO₂ cylinder and a filter, which are easy to replace.

4. Optional extras

• Anti‑limescale solution (recommended in hard‑water areas)
• Matching soap dispenser
• Your preferred finish (stainless steel, black, gold, etc.)

In short:
Choose the tap design you like, select the tank size that matches your usage, and decide whether you want chilled or sparkling water with the CUBE. From there, you can add any extras you prefer.

Yes. Quooker systems are designed to fit both new and existing kitchens. Models like the Flex, Fusion, and Front are "all-in-one" taps that replace your existing mixer tap, meaning no additional holes need to be drilled into the worktop.

All Quooker taps utilize a "push-push-turn" movement on the textured ring (bezel) at the base of the spout. This movement is intentionally counter-natural to prevent accidental activation by children or guests. For the CUBE (chilled/sparkling), operation involves a "push-wait-turn" for chilled water (blue LED) or a "push-turn" for sparkling water (flashing blue LED).

Every Quooker tank is equipped with a HiTAC® (High Temperature Activated Carbon) filter. 1 This filter significantly improves the taste and smell of the water by removing chlorine, bacteria, pesticides, and other organic impurities. Note that the HiTAC filter is a purification filter, not a descaling (limescale) filter.

Yes. Unlike many competitors that dispense water at 95-98°C, Quooker is the only system that delivers true 100°C boiling water. The internal 108°C pressurized environment is critical for ensuring the water is still boiling at the point of delivery, which is essential for the perfect cup of tea and for killing bacteria.

A Quooker system consists of a vacuum-insulated tank located in the kitchen cupboard connected to a specialized tap on the worktop. The tank acts like a thermos flask, keeping water under pressure at a constant temperature of 108°C. This ensures that when the water is dispensed and the pressure is released, it reaches your cup at a true 100°C boiling point.

Yes. Most people opt for the Fusion or Flex models, which handle everything: cold, hot, and

100°C boiling water from a single spout. If you love your current tap, you can get a standalone Nordic boiling-only tap to sit alongside it.

This is the #1 concern. Quooker uses a "push-push-turn" electronic handle that is difficult for children to operate. Also, unlike a kettle that can tip over, the tap is fixed. The water comes out as a fine spray (aerated) rather than a solid stream, so if you accidentally touch it, you have time to pull away before a serious burn occurs.

Surprisingly little. Thanks to the high-vacuum insulation, the standby power consumption is roughly 5 pence per day. It is often more energy-efficient than boiling a kettle multiple times a day.

Yes – every Quooker tap comes with a built-in HiTAC filter inside the boiling water tank, which enhances the taste of the boiling water. This carbon-based filter effectively removes contaminants and impurities, absorbing chlorine, pesticides, and organic pollutants to deliver water that looks, smells, and tastes fresher.

If you have a Cube or Cold Water Filter installed, your drinking water will be filtered as well.

Please note: The HiTAC filter is not designed to remove limescale. For more details on limescale filtration, click here.

Yes – typically, it is, depending on the age of your unit. The CUBE is compatible with all Quooker systems manufactured after October 2017.

The Quooker CUBE should be equipped with an active carbon filter and a hollow fibre filter. Together, these filters effectively remove bacteria, chlorine, chemicals, and pesticides, resulting in water that tastes and smells fresher. This AC + HF filter has to be bought separately

Tank Model: PRO3

• Capacity: 3 Litres
• Best For: Standard households (instant boiling water)

Tank Model: COMBI

• Capacity: 7 Litres
• Best For: Large families or small offices.

Tank Model: COMBI+

• Capacity: 7 Litres
• Best For: Kitchens with no hot water feed (heats all your kitchen water).
  
  

At a minimum, you require:

• A standard 13-amp (or 230V Schuko in Europe) grounded power socket. (Two sockets are required if adding a CUBE).
• Access to a cold water supply and a waste connection.
• A minimum inward water pressure of 2 bar is required for optimal performance.

• PRO3 Tank: 47–50 cm height, 15 cm diameter.
• COMBI/COMBI+ Tank: 49–58 cm height, 20 cm diameter.
• CUBE (Chilled/Sparkling): 50 cm height, 22.3 cm width, 34 cm depth.

Note: Always allow an extra 8 cm of height for the hoses connecting to the top of the tank.

You need three main things:

• Space: A standard 600mm sink cupboard is usually plenty, but the tank (PRO3, 7L, or Combi) takes up a chunk of that "under-sink" real estate.
• Power: A standard 13-amp power outlet. If you add the CUBE (for chilled/sparkling water), you’ll need a second outlet.
• Pressure: You generally need a minimum of 2 bar incoming water pressure for the system to perform well.

If you're handy with a wrench and have some plumbing experience, yes — Quooker provides excellent installation videos. That said, most customers prefer professional installation: our own installers are specially trained to install and maintain Quooker, Grohe, BWT and other systems, which helps keep your warranty fully intact and ensures the COMBI valves are balanced correctly.

The CUBE is an optional extra tank that provides chilled and sparkling water. It sits next to your boiling water tank. If you drink a lot of bottled sparkling water, it’s a game-changer; if not, it’s an expensive add-on that takes up more cupboard space.

If your Quooker’s sparkling water has lost its fizz, it’s time to replace the CO₂ cylinder.

To do this, simply unscrew the empty CO₂ canister from the white plastic holder at the top by turning it counterclockwise. Next, remove the plastic wrapper and red cap from the new CO₂ canister, and then screw it into the holder clockwise. You'll hear a slight hiss as you tighten it—continue until no more gas escapes.

New CO₂ canisters are available in a set of four.

If you live in an area with hard water, such as the French Riviera, limescale may have built up at the end of your tap, causing reduced water flow.

Try removing the nozzle and taking out the aerator. Soak it in a small cup of white vinegar for about one hour, then rinse away any remaining limescale and reassemble the tap.

If the issue persists, there may be limescale inside the tank, which will need to be cleaned.

We can take care of this for you — simply contact our Service Team by clicking here.

Yes — every current Quooker tap can be ordered as part of a complete new system with a PRO3, COMBI or COMBI+ reservoir; the right choice depends on your household's hot water needs, not the tap model. If you're combining this tap with an existing (older or second-hand) Quooker reservoir, compatibility isn't automatically guaranteed — connections, hoses, electronics and LED plugs can differ per generation, and switching reservoirs may require extra parts such as a mixing valve or inlet combination. Contact us with your tap's type number and year and we'll confirm compatibility.

The system is relatively low-maintenance, but in hard water areas, the tap’s aerator (the nozzle at the end of the spout) should be descaled at least every 6 months. This involves unscrewing the nozzle and soaking the aerator in white vinegar for an hour. For internal maintenance, the HiTAC filter should be replaced approximately every 5 years, often combined with a professional internal descaling of the tank.

A rapidly flashing red light indicates a technical fault. Most issues can be resolved with a "reset": turn off the power at the tank, unplug the LED cable, wait 10 seconds, reconnect everything, and turn it back on. If the light pulses slowly (the "heartbeat"), the system is in standby and functioning normally.

If you live in a hard-water area, limescale is the enemy.

• HiTAC Filter: Inside the tank; usually needs replacing every 3–5 years.
• Scale Control Plus: An external filter for very hard water areas that needs changing every 6–12 months depending on usage.
• Water softener: Over time, hard water leaves chalky mineral deposits (limescale) inside your pipes, boilers, and appliances. A water softener removes these minerals, extending the lifespan of your dishwasher, washing machine, and coffee machines.
  
  

Yes. Because of its patented vacuum insulation, the tank uses only 10 watts of power to stay on standby—roughly the same as a small LED bulb. It eliminates the common habit of "over-boiling" a kettle, ensuring you only use the exact amount of water required.

The CUBE accessory provides chilled and sparkling water. One CO2 cylinder provides approximately 60 litres of sparkling water. In all regions, empty cylinders are returned to Quooker in sets of four for recycling and refilling, making it a sustainable alternative to plastic bottled water.