Bottled-water dispensers are not only office appliances nowadays as they have been widely used at home. Have you ever considered their safety and performance when using them?
In its first-ever test on bottled-water dispensers, the Consumer Council tested 12 models with prices ranging from HK$ 298 to HK$ 4,900.
Most of the tested samples complied with the major safety requirements but improvement is needed in aspects like insulation, protection against electric shock, construction and stability in some of the samples.
The test revealed that 3 samples were equipped only with slender power supply cord. Sharp edges were found at the entry point of the power supply cord in two samples which could cause damage to the power cord.
Insulation is another item of concern. The insulation spacing for the transformer, circuit board, or heater terminals of some models were below standard. Plastic material used for some models was also not satisfactory in respect of resistance to heat and fire.
Two problems were found in the construction of one tested model. Its drain holes were smaller than the required dimension and traces of water were found inside after water was poured over the appliance.
On stability, 2 models, when fitted with 19-litre water carboy, failed in the 10 degree inclination test. Suppliers stressed that the water dispensers have to be fixed on the floor or attached to the wall, but neither fixing device nor installation instruction was supplied when the Council purchased the samples.
Energy efficiency performance of water dispensers is another issue that users have to note apart from safety. The test showed that electronic hot / cold type dispensers in general consumed less energy when compared with samples with compressors. For hot/cold type samples with compressors, energy consumption could range from 0.92kWh to 2.4kWh a day even if not put to use. Consumers are advised to unplug the power in the night time or turn off the cooling device in winter time.
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