|
Most ice and water dispensers today combine the production of nugget
or compressed nugget ice with the dispensing of that ice and water.
Models storing as little as 9 lbs up to 150 lbs of ice are generally
available, with most using an ice maker that produces
between 200 and 700 lbs of ice a day. Most have separate chutes
for water and ice. Most models are available with either air-
or water-cooled ice production. one manufacturer offers models with
a Satellite-fill maker that can be located 20 feet or more from the dispenser.
Ice and water dispensers provide a high level of sanitation since
no one touches the ice as it is produced and dispensed. Open bins
are no longer allowed for on-floor hospital applications and many
corporate facilities are now eliminating open bins from their break
room and vending areas because of sanitation and security concerns.
Configurations
Most manufacturers offer more than one model configuration in a
particular capacity to meet the varied needs within a facility.
Configurations include:
- Countertop
- Wall mount
- Freestanding or floor model
- Undercounter
Click
here to see examples of ice and water dispensers.
Applications
- Healthcare - Countertop, wall mount and freestanding ice and
water dispensers are heavily used in healthcare - on the patient
floor, in specialty areas within the facility, as well as doctors’
lounges. The ice produced in these dispensers has become “the
ice of choice” for healthcare and is preferred over cube
ice because it is chewable, will not chip teeth and is less likely
to cause choking.
- Foodservice - Countertop, freestanding and undercounter models
can be found in foodservice cafeteria operations, often placed
outside the serving area for customers who want water only.
- Corporate break rooms and pantries - More and more office buildings
and corporate campuses are replacing their bottled water service
with ice and water dispensers in their break rooms, vending areas
and conference rooms. When equipped with an in-line filter, ice
and water dispensers using building make-up water can deliver
refreshing, good-tasting water at a fraction of the cost and with
none of the inconvenience of storing and changing bottles.
New features
- Infrared dispensing - Available in many models, infrared dispensing
can reduce the risk of cross-contamination because it eliminates
contact between the container and dispenser. Instead, an infrared
sensor “sees” the presence or absence of a container
below the chute and uses this information to automatically start
and stop dispensing. While it is important for healthcare applications,
it should also be considered for applications where refills using
the same cup will be common, such as in employee break rooms.
Click here
for more information on infrared dispensing.
- Chilled water - Another new feature available is a chilled water
accessory to deliver refreshing, chilled water even when ice is
not dispensed into the cup. Most ice and water dispensers dispense
ambient water, counting on the ice to chill the water in the cup.
In the summer months especially, the ambient temperature of the
incoming water could be as high as 70° or 80°F. For those
customers who want water only and no ice, the chilled water option
will drop the water temperature by as much as 30° and deliver
a refreshing, same as bottled, offering.
Sizing ice and water dispensers
There are some general rules of thumb for determining what size
dispenser is required. Ice required for each serving will equal
the size of the average cup or container in oz x .40. Therefore,
someone filling a 32 oz carafe would, on average, use about 13 oz
of ice. Add a 20% “safety factor” to this number to
accommodate changed usage patterns or growth.
Sizing ice and water dispensers for cafeterias with heavy traffic
during certain times of the day presents some additional factors
to consider. Because a maximum of 360 people an hour can physically
use a dispenser without creating a bottleneck, one very large dispenser
may provide adequate capacity but not be able to physically serve
the number of people required. To find out how many dispensers are
needed, divide the number of patrons expected to want ice and water
during the lunch or dinner rush by 360 and then size that number
of dispensers based on the average cup size to be used.
Click on the appropriate link below to see
our ice and water dispenser sizing recommendations for different
applications.
|
