November 25, 2003

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Water, water everywhere

Like many offices around the world our floor shares a water cooler. It's tucked in the pantry with a (free) Coke manchine, fridge, microwave and something resembling coffee. The water cooler gets used a lot as it provides both filtered cold water for those following the 8 litres a day regime plus hot water for various teas and concoctions. Inevitably though in office such as this the water quickly runs out and someone has to replace the tank on the top. I've seen people go in, drain the water tank of it's last drop, get frustrated, stare at the full tank on the ground, turn and walk away. Now these tanks are moderately heavy and there are plenty of men and women who probably feel it's going to be too much. But as a parent I can tell you these tanks weigh less than a one year old, so it's hard to see why anyone under the age of 80 can't lift one about 4 feet to replace the empty old one.

So I've done the right thing and replaced the tank (this being the second time in two days I've done this. No, don't thank me. It's just part of my community service and should help for my review). What amazes me more is the water in the tank is at room temperature. Yet as soon as I put it in the cooler and get some water for myself it's cold. Immediately. Not even 15 seconds later. It's instantly cold. How does that happen? The only other time I know this happens is when the hot water runs out in the shower.

Instant cold water. Small things are amazing me today.

posted by Simon on 11.25.03 at 10:28 AM in the




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Comments:

Oh Simon, Simon. Lucky you are not a nuclear physicist.The water coolers have a small probably 500ml reservoir for each form of heat just so that you can get instant correwct temperature water.. The tank on top refills the reservoirs.

posted by: da on 11.25.03 at 10:40 AM [permalink]

Nice try Da. The reservoir is completely empty when I do this. There is not a drop of water left in the tank or cooler.

posted by: Simon on 11.25.03 at 10:59 AM [permalink]

Careful:

Lifting water cooler bottles!

posted by: shaky on 11.25.03 at 11:11 AM [permalink]

Well that didn't work.

http://www.llnl.gov/es_and_h/lessons/LiftingWaterCoolerBottle.html

posted by: shaky on 11.25.03 at 11:12 AM [permalink]

of course there is water. It is just that you can't see it. Look at the profile of the cooler and work out what is between the hole at the top and teh tap at the bottom. Reason that no wat er comes out when the bottle is off is probably a safety device to stop boiling the water away or freezing the reservoir to ice.

posted by: da on 11.25.03 at 11:38 AM [permalink]

I'm sure there is a small amount of water still inside the machine!

What frightened me about putting those big containers into the water cooler was the realization that they are carried around Hong Kong and left by the side of the road before they arrive in your office. They are often filthy when they arrive, and then you put them straight into the water cooler...

posted by: Chris on 11.25.03 at 04:08 PM [permalink]

Free Coke machine?! I bet it has Coke in it, too! You bastard! :p

posted by: Pixy Misa on 11.25.03 at 08:41 PM [permalink]

Da/Chris: I have done the measuring, and I am telling you there is no extra reservoir. It's one of those "Believe it or not" things.

Pixy: it's a curse as well as a blessing. Sometimes I have to carry two Cokes at once!

posted by: Simon on 11.25.03 at 09:35 PM [permalink]

Where do you find these links Shaky?

This sounds so familiar - I used to always be the one replacing the water cooler in my office and I was the bloody MD!

posted by: Phil on 11.25.03 at 10:01 PM [permalink]

Have you ever considered that there's a cooling/chilling chamber/coil in the cooler?

posted by: Da Goddess on 12.18.03 at 02:30 PM [permalink]




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