Keeping Water Cool

I'm looking to find a way to develop something like an office water cooler. Our goal is to have cold water (32-40°F) after every dispersion. I understand that the first few dispersions will be close to the temperature of the water that was just put into the water tank, but what are different ways that I can cool the water and keep it cool?

I thought about an ice bank, but for the water to freeze (especially if it's room temperature water), it can take quite a while. This will not be convenient for this application as we want this water to be available pretty much at all times (much like an office water cooler that can give hot or cold water on command).

I read up on how the office water coolers work, but I still don't quite understand it!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you so much!

Sounds pretty simple to me. Have a small refrigeration unit, small tank and water circulation pump. Circulate the water so the tank is always at a stable temp and on demand, deliver from the tank.

Dave
Generally, I will not give you the answer to your question, but I **will** guide you into discovering how to solve this yourself.

[QUOTE=PinkertonD;345]Sounds pretty simple to me. Have a small refrigeration unit, small tank and water circulation pump. Circulate the water so the tank is always at a stable temp and on demand, deliver from the tank.

Dave
Generally, I will not give you the answer to your question, but I **will** guide you into discovering how to solve this yourself.[/QUOTE]

That would be simple, but this is something we would like to put into production, so that may cost us more than we would be willing to spend as not many people would purchase it.

I don't quite understand how a refrigeration unit works, so I wouldn't really know where to start in making my own.

You probably want to look into "Thermoelectric Cooling" google it.