Hot water tank volume
The volume of the hot water tank provided in the device.
This parameter describes the maximum amount of hot water that the cooler can produce in one run, without interruption or with minimal interruptions. When this amount is exhausted, you will have to wait until the water in the tank heats up again to a sufficient degree; the waiting time depends on the heating capacity (see below). At the same time, the volume of hot water tanks in modern devices is usually several litres, and it is extremely rare to drain this volume entirely — usually, small portions of 200-300 mL are required. Therefore, this tank plays the role of a buffer — when the user drains the next portion of water, water from a bottle or a water mains is added to the tank; such an admixture does not particularly affect the temperature in the tank, however, for an additional guarantee, the heating system immediately turns on. Thus, if the consumption does not exceed the heating capacity, the temperature of the contents remains practically unchanged.
Cooling performance
The performance of the cooling system installed in the device, in other words, is the amount of water that can be cooled per hour. In coolers, it is usually indicated for water at room temperature — about 20 °C, in models with a connection to the water mains (see "Water loading") — for 15 °C (this is the average temperature of cold water). Accordingly, when deviating from these indicators, the actual performance may be slightly more or less (however, such deviations must be very significant for this to become noticeable).
This parameter determines two main points. First of all, it characterizes the maximum flow of cold water that the device can handle and the recommended breaks between use. For example, if a user needs to collect 2 standard 200-gram cups and the cooler specifications state a cooling capacity of 2 L/h, this means that the cooler will cool 400 g (0.4 L) of water that has entered the tank, for 0,4/2 = 0.2 h, that is about 12 minutes. However, the need for such calculations arises mainly with high water consumption, which is very close to the claimed performance.
Also, knowing the cooling rate and the volume of the cold water tank (see above), you can determine how long it will take to cool the tank filled with water at room temperature. Such situations arise during the first use of the device, as well as when draining the entire volume of the reservoir. So, if in the above example, the volume of the tank is 3 litres, then 3/2 = 1.5 hours...will be spent on cooling it. However, you can use water earlier, if a slightly elevated temperature is not critical.
Water supply control
A water supply control method is provided in the device; in other words — the design of the switch is responsible for turning on and stopping the feed.
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Cup pressure. A system that turns on the water when a glass or other container is brought to the tap. The control body in such systems is usually a special spring-loaded lever that covers the spout on the sides and bottom like a frame. When the user brings the container to the spout, its edge presses this lever, starting the water supply; to stop the feed, it is enough to slightly move the container toward yourself, returning the lever to the neutral position. This method is extremely simple and intuitive, making it easy to use. The disadvantage of such systems can only be called inconvenience when pouring large volumes of water — it can be tiring to keep the frame pressed for a long time. At the same time, in many models, this drawback is eliminated due to the presence of an alternative mode, when the water is turned on by raising the lever towards itself: the lever remains in this position until the user manually lowers it, which eliminates the need to keep the container tightly pressed .
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Buttons. Water supply control by buttons or keys on the device body. Such controls may have a different design and method of operation: for example, in some models, water flows as long as the button remains pressed; in others, it can be fixed in
...for continuious pouring. Also note that the buttons, in contrast to the cup pressure systems described above, are not directly connected to the taps. It allows you to create multi-mode devices (see "Water supply"), in which both hot and cold water flows through one spout — depending on which button is pressed. Due to this, it is possible to slightly reduce the dimensions of the cooler body. However, most devices of this type still have separate taps for each type of water.
— Levers. Water supply control with a lever, usually mounted directly on the tap, from above. Such control is in many ways similar to pressing with a glass described above, adjusted for the fact that you need to press the switch not with the edge of the glass but with your hand. In some situations, it is more convenient — for example, if you need to draw water into a container with a narrow neck, which would be inconvenient to press the lever under the tap.Locker
The type of locker provided in the design of the device.
The locker is found in coolers with floor placement (see "Type") and top installation of the bottle (see "Water supply"). The options might be:
— Normal. The simplest locker in the form of a compartment with a door that does not have any additional "features like a cooling system or an ozonizer and is designed exclusively for storing various things. In such a compartment, you can keep, for example, a supply of tea, coffee and sugar, cups etc.
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Refrigerator. A locker that is a full-fledged refrigerator. It is found exclusively in models that use a compressor cooling system (see "Cooling type") — only this design provides sufficient performance to also cool an additional compartment. The volume of the refrigerator, usually, is small — about 15 – 20 litres; but even such storage can be very useful — for example, for perishable products in hot weather, or for cooling drinks.
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Ozonator. Locker equipped with an ozone generator. Ozonation is one of the most effective, convenient and safe methods of disinfection: it destroys almost all known bacteria and viruses. However, ozone itself is poisonous to humans, so care must be taken when using this function. Nevertheless, ozonizers usually have a hermetically sealed working compartment, and the ozone itself disintegrates within a f
...ew minutes and turns into ordinary diatomic oxygen — the one that people breathe. This function may be useful primarily for processing tableware and cutlery — for example, if they have been idle for a long time, they are not dirty, but bacteria could develop on the surface.