Touchless Dispensers Designed for High-Hygiene Environments

Clean water accessibility is increasingly becoming a necessary element for today’s environment. The means by which that water is distributed is equally critical; often the delivery point becomes a hidden carrier of contamination in hospitals, clinics, schools, foodservice establishments and public facilities. Traditional water dispensers use a button, lever or pad which is touched hundreds of times by hundreds of people per day. Bacteria, viruses, and pathogens transfer easily from person to person. Our touchless dispensers are the optimal choice for any application where hygiene is essential.

Seamless, crevice-free surfaces meet NSF/ANSI 61 hygiene standards

It is extremely important how the surface of the dispenser is constructed when dealing with infection control. Cracks, seams, screw heads and textured surfaces all have a tendency to host bacteria which survive cleansing. Most traditional dispensers have numerous crevices to accommodate hidden water flow that can cause biofilm to form. Biofilm can be impossible to clean from the contours and crevices using traditional methods. In our dispensers, the surfaces are smooth and crevice-free, providing no hidden nooks where contaminants can hide. The dispensers are manufactured using smooth pieces of material joined with as few seams as possible and wherever seams exist they are either sealed and water-tight or designed to drain properly.

These dispensers are not only NSF/ANSI 61 hygienically certified—a standard that governs materials of water-contact surfaces in commercial dispensers, but they are also geometrically certified. Every edge, curve and connection on the dispenser has been specifically tested for cleanability and to prevent any possibility of holding or breeding contaminants. For those involved in facility management at a medical institution or in a foodservice environment this certification is assurance that a hygienic dispenser can serve as a complement, and never a failure, of a sanitation program. The smooth outer surfaces also make wiping down quicker and more effective – a single sweep of the dispenser's face will remove any contamination present, something that is simply impossible with contoured controls.

Antimicrobial surface materials resist bacterial growth between cleanings

No matter how stringent a cleaning schedule, gaps between cleaning events inevitably occur during which contamination can re-enter. In high traffic environments the time between cleaning and sanitation events could easily span hours or even days. The touchless dispenser incorporates an antimicrobial additive directly into the material itself. The components of the material actively kill growing bacteria, mold, and mildew on contact.

For heavily populated settings like school cafeterias, doctor’s waiting rooms, or an office break room, the dispenser is always safer than its predecessors and the quality of water drawn is guaranteed regardless of cleaning schedule, so long as a filter replacement notification is active. Since the material of the dispenser is the contaminant control, rather than an applied coating, it will never wear off or degrade over the lifetime of the dispenser. Numerous tests verify that this material has superior capabilities at limiting bacterial growth to unprotected materials. This offers an extra level of assurance for those caring for high risk individuals, like immunocompromised individuals or infants.

Filter replacement alerts notify users before water quality declines

Even the most hygienic dispenser is only as good as the quality of the water it produces. Without changing a filter that has become clogged and depleted, a hygienic dispenser could in fact become a haven for bacteria. It is not uncommon for a dispenser to fail its maintenance duty if not properly monitored. When a filter is not properly replaced, the user may experience a slight alteration in water taste and odor and draw water that is potentially hazardous.

The notification alert for filter replacement would be simple and easy to understand by any user; for example, an LED would pulse slowly, giving notice that the filter is approaching the end of its life and would glow bright red or change to a different color when it is time to be replaced immediately. Some more advanced dispensers could feature a digital readout to accurately reflect the remaining life of the filter as a percentage. The use of these types of alerts enables facility managers to more easily manage the routine maintenance that a dispenser requires, thus preventing any user complaints, and avoiding unexpected unit shutdowns.

Beyond the three features outlined above, there are other critical components that our touchless dispensers offer for environments that demand extreme cleanliness. Capacitive or infrared sensors, not just motion sensors, allow for the full touchless experience; the user does not have to approach the dispenser. A low flow aerator on the spout limits splashing, keeping the surrounding area clean. Ultra-low power consumption will cut down on utility costs in high usage settings. Aquatal can also supply completely integrated systems that can include pre-filtration, reverse osmosis or UV sterilization units, making your water system fully hygienic.

Aquatal is dedicated to bringing its customers innovative and user-friendly products that are coupled with unmatched after-sales support. Whether your business is an architecture firm specifying a hospital, or a company seeking to provide a higher caliber customer experience; our touchless dispensers meet every need. They have been constructed with smooth, solid surfaces, certified hygienic to NSF/ANSI 61, and are coated in an antimicrobial agent that continues to kill harmful microbes even between cleanings. Informative and user-friendly filter replacement alerts ensure that your water is always at its best. Touchless delivery is no longer a feature, it is an expectation.