How to clean a water cooler. Disinfecting a water cooler: sequence of work and useful tips. Three rules to remember

From this article you will learn:

• Why is water cooler disinfection important?
• What are the stages of water cooler disinfection?
• What preventive measures should be taken to reduce the need to disinfect the water cooler?

The water cooler must be disinfected and serviced regularly. It doesn’t matter how intensively it is used, at home or at work. Only by carrying out timely sanitary treatment can the proper quality of water be ensured and the preservation of its beneficial properties.

Why is water cooler disinfection so important?

Solid appeared in the water intake brown coating? We can say with 100% confidence that it will also be in the hot water tank, which you will not be able to check yourself. When plaque occurs, the risk of burning out of the heating element, the main heating element in the cooler, increases. Therefore, such visible changes signal that the cooler needs preventive maintenance or at least disinfection.

Do you think that if the cooler is functioning and the device has not burned out, then it is not necessary to replace it before it breaks down? The problem is that in some dispenser models it is impossible to change the heating element separately. Therefore, you will have to replace the heating element along with the hot water tank. The cost of such repairs is much higher than the cost of standard water cooler disinfection.

Since the container with liquid is not tightly connected to the dispenser, pathogenic microbes easily penetrate into the water tank and multiply there. All this leads to negative consequences, which can only be prevented by disinfecting the device.

In a situation where the cooler for a long time is not in use (during the storage period, when the dispenser is standing without using water), then stagnation begins. In such conditions, bacteria multiply as actively as possible. This means that disinfecting your water cooler is not only necessary, but mandatory.

Sanitation needed for:

• removing scale from the heating element;
• removing deposited salts from all elastic parts of the cooler sealing elements - valves and gaskets;
• disinfection of pipes, tanks inside the device, hot and cold water taps.

How often should you disinfect your water cooler?

As a standard, water coolers should be disinfected every 6 months. You should not hope that if the bottle lasts for a long time or the cooler is rarely used, then sanitization is not required at all. This opinion is fundamentally wrong, because no one has repealed the laws of nature: active proliferation of microbes occurs in stagnant water. As a result, the quality of such a liquid deteriorates sharply, which is easy to determine even organoleptically.

Another misconception: when the bottle is filled with water from a natural, clean source, it is not necessary to disinfect the water cooler. In reality natural water contains a large number of trace elements and minerals. As they settle in the cooler, they create scale on the main heating element - the heating element.

Disinfecting the water cooler quarterly is required if the device is used in hospitals, schools and kindergartens, warehouses or factories (where there is a lot of dust). And also if the dispenser is equipped with a refrigerator or experiences increased loads when many people use it.

DIY water cooler disinfection: preparatory work

Anyone can disinfect a water cooler with their own hands. Preparatory stages consist of the following actions:

1. Remove the cooler plug from the socket.
2. Remove the container with water.
3. We wait until the hot water has cooled completely. We drain the water from the device through the taps. To drain the remaining liquid, remove the plug from the valve. For different cooler models, it may be located at the bottom or on the side of the case. We tilt the device left and right so that not a drop of liquid remains in it.
4. We disconnect the drip tray, unscrew the taps and other removable parts. When dismantling, take into account the configuration of your cooler model.
5. Depending on the complexity of assembling the product body, you may need a screwdriver to further work with the device.

Do you disinfect your water cooler yourself? Do not forget that the removable parts of the dispenser should be cleaned manually. Do not put them in the dishwasher or use a steam generator. To disinfect these parts, simply wash them with dishwashing detergent and rinse well under running water.

Disinfection of a water cooler in 3 stages

Cooler disinfection is divided into the following steps:

1. We disinfect the cooler by cleaning it plastic panels and detachable structural elements.
2. We remove the accumulated scale.
3. We rinse the dispenser with water - twice for half an hour.

Disinfecting your water cooler yourself will take you two hours.

For this you will need: a new sponge and brush, latex gloves, dishwashing liquid. And also 0.05 liters of disinfectant (a solution of soda and water in a ratio of 1:50 is suitable, or any disinfectant solution, which can be purchased at a hardware store or pharmacy), 0.05 liters of descaling agent (you can use citric acid - 250 g per two liters of water), disinfectant detergent, a bottle of water (tap water will do), wet and dry wipes.

If you have a dispenser with electronic cooling, which has two tanks - for cooling and heating water, we carry out sanitation in both of them.

Disinfecting a water cooler from bacteria

• This treatment is carried out when replacing an empty bottle with a new one.
• Before you begin disinfecting your water cooler, wash your hands. Disable the water heating button. We disconnect the dispenser from the network, then wait for the hot water to cool down. You can start work in a quarter of an hour.
• We disconnect the bottle by sharply lifting it. We remove water from the hot and cold faucets, then open the rear drain holes to drain the remaining liquid. We work carefully and carefully so as not to get burned, because the water in the cooler may still be hot. The drain plug for a desktop dispenser is located at the bottom, while for an electronic cooler, two drain plugs are located at the back.
• Attention! Do not break the order when draining the liquid: first open the taps, and only then the drain hole.
• We remove the bottle receiver by turning it counterclockwise. If in your cooler model you can remove the water inlet only from top cover, use a screwdriver. Next step: pour water in such a volume as to bring it to the top edge of the tank. It is recommended to use bottled water to clean the cooler. You can take it from the tap, but the washing procedure at the last stage must be performed with purified water.
• Pour 50 ml of disinfectant solution into the tank (one teaspoon of soda per glass). Open the taps - this will fill the tank faster. It will take some time for a continuous stream to flow from the taps. This means that the tanks have been filled, therefore, the taps can be closed.
• The water in the tank must be mixed, evenly distributing the disinfectant. For the water cooler to disinfect, you need to wait half an hour. Under no circumstances should the taps be removed before the specified time has elapsed, since there is water in the tank. Otherwise, the liquid along with the disinfectant will flow through the taps.
• Using a sponge and brush, we clean the inside of the water intake, as well as wash the separator, cooling tank and watercourses at the bottom of the tank.
• Every ten minutes, drain 200-300 ml of solution through the tap and return it to the tank. We repeat this action three times within half an hour. In total, you will need about a liter of solution for such flushing of pipelines.
• After half an hour, drain the disinfection solution from the reservoir.

We begin to disinfect the disposable parts of the dispenser: upon completion of the sanitization of the cooler, we wash the water inlet, and after removing the scale, we wash the taps, pipelines and drip trays. The pipelines are located between the tank and the taps. We disconnect the taps by unscrewing them counterclockwise.

We begin cleaning the pipelines only if the cooler is heavily soiled. We use a sponge and brush with a special antiseptic dishwashing detergent. Then we rinse the pipelines with water and install them back.

Depending on the cooler model, the water receiver can be solid or consist of five separate components. In the latter case, do not forget the sequence of disassembling this unit.

We clean the removable parts of the device before washing it. When removing the tap, do not forget that they come with external or internal thread. If the tap has an internal thread, then unscrew it after disassembling the cooler.

So, the crane is disassembled into parts. The next step is to clean it with a brush and an antiseptic. We use a brush to clean the watercourses of the taps. Then wash the front panel of the device case - under the taps. Be careful not to scratch the faucet inside or outside, as this will cause it to break: water will drip and scale will quickly form where the scratches were.

Before installing the taps in place, we must wind the fum tape strictly clockwise onto the threads under them. This will prevent water from leaking through the tap thread.

Removing scale

• We fill the tank with heated water, a total of two liters will be needed. Pour 50 ml of descaler into the tank (citric acid is suitable: 250 g per two liters of water). If the volume of the tank is large, then increase the amount of solution.
• For half an hour, turn on the dispenser in water heating mode: set the red hot water button (on the back of the cooler) to the ON position.
• Every ten minutes we release approximately 250-300 ml of hot water through the tap and add it again to the tank. We repeat the procedure three times within half an hour. Approximately the same effect can be achieved in another way: once a quarter of an hour after turning on the cooler in the hot water heating mode, pour the heating tank through the tap: drain a liter of hot water and return it to the tank.
• Remove the solution and set the button to the OFF position.

Let's start removing dirt from the surface of the cooler. We wet the plastic with a damp cloth to remove the biofilm that protects microbes from the body. If you skip this step, then used for disinfection chemical agent will act on biofilm without harming bacteria.

Biofilm is a collection of microorganisms on the surface of something, such as coolers, rubber, and other materials used as gaskets.

It is best to use a dishwashing detergent that does not contain chlorine to sanitize the surface of the cooler.

How to disinfect a water cooler so that bacteria on its surface are killed? It is important that this procedure occurs when room temperature, and the disinfectant applied to the surface has had time to take effect.

We wash the plastic parts of the device using an antiseptic dishwashing detergent, then wipe all parts dry: bacteria do not multiply in a dry environment.

Use a damp cloth to wipe the cooler, as well as the rear case parts and the power cable.

The final stage of self-disinfection of a water cooler is rinsing.

• To flush the system, you will need from five to ten liters of purified water - it all depends on the cooler model. The flushing will consist of two half-hour cycles.
• Fill the tank with water to the top edge and let it sit for half an hour.
• Every ten minutes, drain 200-300 ml of liquid through the tap and send it to the tank. We repeat the procedure three times within half an hour. In total, this flushing will require draining approximately one liter of liquid.
• The next washing cycle is to pour a new portion of water and perform similar actions.
• We drain the water from the hot and cold taps and install the water inlet in place.
• Place a label on the back of the device indicating the date when the water cooler was sanitized.
• We wash our hands and install a new nineteen-liter bottle, removing the protective film. Do not use damaged bottles as water may leak. If you see a crack on the container, pull it sharply, remove it from the cooler, mark it in some way (for example, by wrapping it in film) and contact the supplier - the defective bottle will be replaced with a new one.
• We connect the device to the power supply. We wait for the water to heat and cool. Disinfection of the water cooler is completed, the device is ready for use, and the water is ready to drink.

Preventive measures

Periodically, the cooler must be cleaned and disinfected both inside and outside to prevent scale build-up and the appearance of heavy dirt. The water quality will be good, mold and unpleasant odor will not appear inside the device.

If you decide to disinfect the water cooler yourself, then follow these recommendations:

• parts of the device located outside - taps, drip receiver, front panel, bottle connection ring - wash frequently as they are constantly in use. By regularly cleaning these external parts, you will prevent plaque from forming on the internal components of the cooler;
• You should not disinfect the water cooler yourself if you cannot assemble it after disassembling it;
• You can start cleaning only when the cooler has completely cooled down;
• Before installing the bottle, you should disinfect its neck and dispenser needle with a cloth soaked in alcohol. Don't forget to wipe side surfaces bottles, removing the protective plastic film;
• wash your hands thoroughly before installing the bottle, this will prevent harmful microorganisms from getting into the water;
• Do not immerse the device in water to speed up its cleaning, as the wiring of the device will be damaged;
• prohibited from using dishwashers and steam generators for disinfecting water coolers, since the operating principle of this technology is based on increasing pressure and high temperatures;
• aggressive detergents - gasoline, kerosene, acetone, chlorine-containing concentrates - should also not be used.

Where to buy a water cooler

The Ecocenter company supplies coolers, pumps and related equipment to Russia for dispensing water from bottles of various sizes. All equipment is supplied under the “ECOCENTER” brand.

We provide the best price-quality ratio of equipment, and also offer our partners excellent service and flexible terms cooperation.

You can see the attractiveness collaboration, comparing our prices with the cost of similar equipment from other suppliers.

All our equipment meets the standards established in Russia and has quality certificates. We deliver dispensers to our customers, as well as all the necessary spare parts and components in the shortest possible time.

Almost everyone who has bought a water cooler in Moscow is faced with the concept of “cleaning” the cooler, or at least guesses about it. Why clean? To answer this question, take a look at the simple Electric kettle After six months of use, you will be horrified. Walls and a heating element will be covered with solid salt formations, colloquially called “scale”. Scary? Can you imagine what you're drinking from?

In this article we will try to give recommendations on how to carry out an expensive procedure for sanitizing a service center, but, attention, at YOUR HOME or in the office. We immediately warn you that in no way do we want to accuse the specialists of obviously “sloppy” work, no - it’s just that you will always carry out the procedure for yourself with better quality and with maximum results. If you are offered sanitation “in half an hour” and at your place, do not agree, it will not give any result. Undoubtedly, self-hypnosis from such work will remain, but the cooler will not be CLEANED.

What is sanitation? By this concept we mean cleaning heating and cooling tanks from salts and minerals accumulated in them and other sediments that arise during operation. According to the regulations, we recommend this operation at least once a year, and if possible - two or three times a year.

To carry out sanitization you will need a clean bucket, 10 liters clean water and 25-50 grams of citric acid or cleaning agent household appliances from scale, it can be purchased at any hardware store for “three” kopecks. You will also need to take an empty bottle and remove it from it plastic cover. There are only TWO options for removing the cap from a water bottle. The first and simplest: pull the tab on the side and, with a little force, “pull off” the lid. The second, a little more advanced (the lid will remain intact): you need to place the neck of the bottle along with the lid (simply turning it over) into a mug or glass of boiling water, the lid will become soft and can be easily removed without spoiling.

Pour warm water into the bottle (you can use it from the tap) and stir in descaling agent or citric acid. We put on the cover removed at the previous stage. We install the resulting solution on an office water cooler for a standard bottle. Then we connect the device and gradually (over 6-8 hours) pour out 1 glass at a time until the bottle runs out. In order to drain the diluted solution from the device, we will carry out the following steps: first, disconnect the water cooler from the power supply, then unscrew the drain plug located on the rear panel and “empty” the floor-mounted water cooler with cooling through the drain hole. Now that the hardest part is over, you need to get rid of the solution that remains on the walls of the tank. To do this, you need to place a bottle of clean water on the cooler and drain the water from the taps in a volume of 20-40 liters. The entire procedure will take you about 10 hours, but you will be sure that you did everything correctly.

It is important to remember that carrying out sanitary maintenance work will save you from unplanned expenses, and your device will definitely thank you.

Ecolife Group cleans and sanitizes water coolers in accordance with SanPiN requirements.

Rospotrebnadzor specialists warn: if a cooler or mechanical water pump is not properly cared for, it can cause harm instead of benefit. Cases have been described in which mucus, mold, colonies of bacteria and inorganic impurities were found in water storage tanks. And then drinking water from a cooler can cause intestinal infections. Examples are poisoning and acute intestinal infection of 26 children in the Orlyonok camp in the Chelyabinsk region, mass poisoning of students in educational center No. 1452 in Moscow.

We enter into contracts for full service(quarterly, annual, perpetual) devices drinking water supply on the most favorable terms for the Customer. Based on the results of the service, a Work Completion Certificate is issued.

Our services:
1. Sanitation of water coolers (from 10 pcs), including:
- Cleaning
- Disinfection, ozonation
- Washing
2. Cleaning the internal tanks of the cooler with descaling
3. Prevention and repair of coolers
4. Installation of flow coolers (purifiers)
5. Service maintenance purifiers, filter replacement
6. Installation of drinking fountains

OUR SERVICES

Sanitary treatment coolers	Cleaning and descaling in coolers	Installation and service purifiers	Service drinking fountains

Cost of sanitizing and cleaning coolers

The cost of installing a purifier or fountain depends on the installation conditions, which are assessed by our specialist upon departure, directly at the location specified by the Customer.

SanPiN requirements for drinking water in schools

Drinking regime in schools is regulated by standards SanPiN 2.4.2.2821-10 with changes for 2016 for schools.

According to clause 1.3-1.4. Sanitary rules apply to all educational organizations and are mandatory for all citizens, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs whose activities are related to... education and training of students.
According to clause 8.3-8.6 General educational organizations provide water that meets hygienic requirements to the quality and safety of drinking water supply. ...the drinking regime of students is organized in accordance with sanitary and epidemiological requirements.
According to clause 13.1 Supervisor educational organization is responsible person for the organization and complete implementation of these sanitary rules.

In some cases, liability may arise for Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation Production, storage, transportation or sale of goods and products, performance of work or provision of services that do not meet safety requirements.

Therefore, when using a cooler for drinking water supply, you must follow recommendations of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and instructions from cooler manufacturers, including:

Regularly sanitize coolers in specialized service centers. It is recommended to sanitize the cooler at least once every 6 months.
- In premises with an increased risk factor (hospitals, schools, child care institutions), it is recommended to carry out sanitation.
- IN production premises(workshops, factory floors, warehouses) sanitation is recommended at least once every 3 months.
- Sanitizing the cooler involves disinfecting the cooler from germs, descaling the cooler and washing the cooler.
- Cooler prevention should be carried out strictly by specialists
- For disinfection, you must choose only certified disinfectants, approved for use in Food Industry, officially registered in the Russian Federation and having instructions for use.

Our company’s specialists have the necessary qualifications, experience and certificates to perform all necessary work for installation, cleaning and maintenance of coolers and other drinking water supply devices.

Drinking water options

Cooler at school - maintenance, cleaning, disinfection of the cooler

Purifier (flow cooler) at school - maintenance and repair

Drinking fountain at school - installation, maintenance, filter replacement

Maintaining household appliances at the proper level of cleanliness will help us extend their service life and not harm ourselves due to poor environmental conditions. Among the great variety of devices that help us in the household and make our existence easier, there are some that you don’t see very often at home, but there are more than enough of them in offices.

Widespread use of water coolers

As you probably already guessed, today we will talk about water coolers, or more precisely, about how to clean a water cooler without the help of specialists, on your own. There are no difficulties when carrying out this kind of work at home, the main thing is to follow a simple algorithm of actions.

Pure water

IN Lately Many people use coolers not only at work, but also place them at home. This is a completely normal solution if heavy water flows from the tap, with a large number of various impurities and minerals that the filter cannot remove. In this case, using a cooler allows you to always receive clean and fresh bottled water.

However, the water will remain this way until the cooler itself becomes dirty, so you should not wait until a green coating or white scale forms on it, you need to clean the device regularly. If you focus on sanitary standards, then they advise carrying out general cleaning of the device once every six months, and you need to wash and outer part. Special attention It's worth paying attention to the grille at the back of the cooler, where the condenser is located. The largest amount of dust accumulates on it.

For home use the optimal cleaning cycle, according to many housewives, is 1-2 months, during which time a decent amount of dirt will already have accumulated in the device, which is worth removing if you don’t want to drink dirty water with microbial flora. Bacteria still get into the cooler through roundabout routes, most often when installing new bottles.

Correct installation of the bottle on the cooler

To clean and wash the cooler at home, you need to decide when to replace the next bottle. We remove the empty container and do not put a new one in yet. Then you need to disconnect the device from the network and wait a little until the water in the hot liquid container cools down. We drain the water, completely emptying the device, first from the hot tap, then from the cold one.

To clean the cooler from dirt we will need the following equipment:

• dishwashing composition;
• containers for detergent composition;
• sponge and brush to remove dirt;
• rags or napkins for cleaning;
• rubber gloves to protect hands.

To wash and disinfect the cooler, you can use a composition based on a special detergent, which is sold in a hardware store, for example, the Bior brand. But at home it is permissible to use folk remedies, cheap and simple.

Citric acid does an excellent job of removing scale and disinfecting, and also has a pleasant smell and taste, so we will use it to prepare the cleaning solution. The consistency is as follows: for 5 liters of water 100 grams of acid. Check that there is no water left in the cooler system, drain it completely.

Cleaning the device

The best place to start cleaning your cooler at home is from the taps. They are easy to remove, which makes our work much easier. To clean faucets, we use regular dish soap, a rag and a brush to thoroughly rinse the insides. Try to get into all the hard-to-reach places, because that’s where most of the dirt accumulates.

After thoroughly rinsing the taps of the detergent, wipe them dry with a rag or napkin and install them back on the device. At the next stage, we are cleaning the drip tray, which is located under the taps. It can be easily pulled out and disassembled, so no difficulties are expected. We wash the containers using the same dishwashing liquid.

The taps can be easily unscrewed from the cooler

To remove the device for securing the bottle to the device, you need to turn it counterclockwise. We also take it to the bathroom and wash it thoroughly using dishwashing detergent and a sponge. Then, through the water hole, pour the prepared citric acid composition into the system. It is necessary to fill all containers of the device with this liquid.

To check how full the containers are, simply open the tap. If the stream is weak, then the containers are half empty, and vice versa, with a strong stream you have filled them to the end.

To remove scale we need to boil lemon solution in a hot water container. Therefore, we connect the device to the network and look at the hot water indicator. As soon as it goes out, the device can be turned off, the lemon solution has boiled. Now you need to leave the cooler turned off for several hours, ideal overnight, during which time the containers will be well disinfected, and the scale will move away from the walls. Do not forget to warn your family about your procedures with the cooler so that they do not get drunk with the detergent composition.

Later required amount time, drain the infused liquid through the taps. Now we need to rinse the containers from any remaining lemon mixture. To do this, we fill them out again plain water and drain through the taps. As before, to completely fill the system, we will need to pour 4-5 liters of liquid. Do not use the drained liquid for anything, just pour it into the toilet, it contains too many residual contaminants.

Small device for family use

Now you can assemble the device and prepare it for everyday work. Be sure to close the drain valve while installing the bottle receptacle in place.

External processing

Having reassembled the water device, you need to prepare it for operating mode, for which it would not be superfluous to wipe it also from the outside.

While the device is not connected to the network, using a damp cloth and soap solution, you can treat its body. Pay special attention to the back of the cooler, where it usually accumulates. greatest number dust, .

When the device is washed with outside, you can install a fresh bottle and start the device. To have access to good, clean and hot water, we just need to wait until it boils.

If you haven't washed it off well enough cleaning composition, then at first there may be a slight lemon taste in the water. However, as you use the device, it quickly goes away.

As you can see, cleaning the cooler yourself is quite possible, and very simple. This procedure will not bring any difficulties. Do it with monthly regularity, and you will always drink clean and high-quality water.