Hot and cold water dispenser and method

1 . A water dispenser for dispensing at least hot water for hot drinks, comprising:

a water inlet;

a hot water tank, connected to said water inlet via a first connection, for storing water from the water inlet;

a water heater associated with said hot water tank for applying heat to water in said tank;

a hot water outlet for dispensing hot water;

a controller for operating said water heater to ensure that water dispensed from said outlet is at a temperature suitable for a hot drink, the controller being configured with first, second and third operational modes, said first mode being a weekday mode wherein water is heated and replaced when dispensed, said second mode being a Sabbath operational mode, and said third mode being a weekday festival operational mode, wherein, in said second mode and said third mode, at a predetermined time prior to a Sabbath onset time, said tank is filled and heated, and over a duration extending from said Sabbath or festival onset time until a Sabbath or festival end time, and a water temperature in said tank is maintained by operating said water heater at predetermined intervals, wherein said first connection is controllable to be closed between said Sabbath onset time and said Sabbath end time to prevent addition of cold water to said tank over said duration, said first connection being controllable in said third mode to be open, to allow addition of cold water to said tank over said duration;

a mechanical tap for said hot water outlet, and

a sensor for detecting a tank empty condition of said hot water tank, wherein said second, Sabbath, operation mode comprises a function to stop operating said heater under said tank empty condition, in said third operational mode, said first connection being automatically controllable to open, during a festival day which is a non-Sabbath day, to allow addition of cold water to said tank over said duration, said first connection subsequently being closed in said third mode, during said festival day which is not a Sabbath day while said cold water added to said tank is fully heated by said heater;

a cold water outlet, wherein said hot and cold water outlets respectively have electrically actuated taps, and wherein said second and third operational mode comprise disabling said electrical actuation, thereby leaving hot and cold water mechanical taps.

2 . The hot water dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said first connection is closed during said third mode, during said festival day which is not a Sabbath day, while water in said tank is being heated by said heater.

3 . The hot water dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a cold water outlet, said cold water outlet having a mechanical tap.

4 . The hot water dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a cold water outlet, wherein said hot and cold water outlets respectively have electrically actuated taps, and wherein said second and third operational modes comprise disabling said electrical actuation, thereby leaving hot and cold water mechanical taps.

5 . The hot water dispenser of claim 4 , further comprising a solenoid associated with said cold water mechanical tap to disable operation of said mechanical tap.

6 . The hot water dispenser of claim 5 , wherein said solenoid is configured to disable said cold water mechanical tap other than during said Sabbath operation.

7 . The hot water dispenser of claim 5 , wherein said controller is part of a smart building control system.

8 . The hot water dispenser of claim 5 , having a user screen, the controller being configured to display information on said screen.

9 . The hot water dispenser of claim 5 , further comprising a chilled water dispenser.

10 . The hot water dispenser of claim 9 , further comprising a soda attachment for carbonating cold water prior to dispensing.

11 . The hot water dispenser of claim 10 , wherein said second, Sabbath operational, mode comprises a function for carrying out carbonating of water at predetermined intervals.

12 . The hot water dispenser of claim 5 , further comprising at least one tank for flavored water.

13 . The hot water dispenser of claim 5 , further comprising an attachment location for a beer barrel, the attachment being below the level of a dispensing tap, and a pump for pumping beer from the barrel for dispensing, and further comprising an intermediate tank above said level of said dispensing tap, said pump configured to operate when in said second and third operational modes to pump beer to said intermediate tank.

14 . The hot water dispenser of claim 5 , wherein said hot water tank comprises a thermostat for controlling water temperature, said water temperature in said tank being maintained without reference to operation of said thermostat over said duration in said second and third modes, by including in said second and third modes a first function that causes signals from said thermostat to be ignored and a second function that switches on said heater at predetermined intervals.

15 . The hot water dispenser of claim 5 , wherein said third, Festival, operation mode comprises a function to fill said tank upon detection of said tank empty condition.

16 . The hot water dispenser of claim 1 , wherein said sensor for detecting a tank empty condition comprises a float.

17 . A Sabbath and festival hot drink dispensing method comprising:

determining a Sabbath or festival onset time and a corresponding end time, thereby to carry out dispensing in first, second and third modes, said first mode applying at all times except between said Sabbath and festival onset times and their respective end times, said second mode applying between a Sabbath onset time and said corresponding end time, and a festival mode applying between a festival onset time which is not also a Sabbath and said corresponding end time;

prior to said Sabbath or festival onset time filling a tank and heating water in said tank such that at said Sabbath or festival onset time the tank is full with water at temperature for dispensing hot drinks;

in said second and third modes, following said Sabbath or festival onset time, disabling electrical operation of hot and cold water outlets to leave mechanical operation of said hot and cold water outlets, and applying heating to said tank at predetermined intervals;

dispensing said hot water upon user operation of a dispensing control;

detecting a tank empty condition; and

in the case of said second mode, on a Sabbath day, ceasing to apply said heating; and

in the case of said third mode, on a festival day that is not a Sabbath day, automatically filling said tank with cold water and fully heating said cold water in said tank while disabling said mechanical operation of said hot water outlet during said full heating of said cold water, wherein said tank empty condition is detected from the height of a float in the tank.

18 . The hot drink dispensing method of claim 17 , further comprising, in said second mode, preventing intake of cold water into said tank between said Sabbath onset time and said Sabbath end time.

19 . The hot drink dispensing method of claim 17 , wherein said method is carried out as a part of a smart building control system.

20 . The hot drink dispensing method of claim 17 , comprising displaying Sabbath compatibility information in association with said dispensing.

21 . The hot drink dispensing method of claim 17 , further comprising carbonating and dispensing cold water, the method comprising carrying out carbonating of water at predetermined intervals in said second and third modes between said respective onset time and said corresponding end time.

22 . The hot drink dispensing method of claim 21 , comprising detecting said tank empty condition from the height of a float in said tank.

23 . A hot and cold water dispenser comprising:

a water inlet;

a hot water tank, connected to said water inlet via a first connection, for storing some of the water from the water inlet;

a water heater associated with said hot water tank for applying heat to water in said tank;

an electrically operated cold water outlet for dispensing cold water;

an electrically operated hot water outlet for dispensing hot water;

a controller for operating said water heater to ensure that water dispensed from said outlet is at a temperature suitable for a hot drink, the controller being configured with first, second and third operational mode, said first, weekday, mode, in which water in said hot water tank is heated and dispensed, and said hot water tank is refilled as needed, said second, Sabbath mode, in which said water inlet is closed, and electrical operation of said hot and cold water outlets is disabled to leave mechanical operation thereof, and said third, weekday festival mode, in which said electrical operation of said hot and cold water outlets is also disabled; and

a mechanical sensor in said hot water tank for detecting a tank empty condition of said hot water tank, wherein said second, Sabbath, operation mode comprises a function to stop operating said heater under said tank empty condition, and said third, festival, operational mode comprises a function to fill and heat said tank and disable said mechanical operation of said hot water outlet during said heating, wherein said mechanical sensor comprises a float in the tank and said tank empty condition is detected from the height of said float in said tank.

24 . The hot and cold water dispenser of claim 23 , wherein said mechanical sensor comprises a float.