SELECTABLE FILTRATION WATER DISPENSER

1 . A water-dispensing device comprising:

a source water intake;

a spigot arranged downstream from the source water intake;

a first common line downstream of the source water intake;

a second common line downstream of the first common line and upstream of and in selective fluid communication with the spigot;

two or more branch lines, each of the two or more branch lines being connected to the first and second common lines, at least one of the branch lines including one or more enhancement filters configured to provide additives to water traversing the respective branch line;

a flushing line arranged downstream of the two or more branch lines and upstream of the spigot, the flushing line being in selective fluid communication with the second common line via a flushing valve;

a flushing pump; and

a controller configured to:

(i) commence a flushing operation by opening the flushing valve and actuating the flushing pump to draw water from the second common line into the flushing line,

(ii) determine whether flushing of the second common line is completed, and

(iii) upon determining flushing of the second common line is completed, close the flushing valve and deactivate the flushing pump.

2 . The water-dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

(iv) receive a water selection corresponding to one of the two or more branch lines,

(v) determine at least one of:

a) whether the received water selection matches a previous water selection, or

b) whether a time elapsed since a previous dispensing operation exceeds a threshold, and

(vi) perform the step of commencing the flushing operation in response to determining that the received water selection does not match the previous water selection or the time elapsed exceeds the threshold.

3 . The water-dispensing device of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to, after the step of closing the flushing valve and deactivating the flushing pump, commence a dispensing operation, including routing water through the one of the two or more branch lines corresponding to the received water selection.

4 . The water-dispensing device of claim 1 , further comprising a conditioning element in the form of one of a chill tank or a water heater.

5 . The water-dispensing device of claim 4 , wherein the second common line includes a conditioning line between the two or more branch lines and the conditioning element and a dispensing line between the conditioning element and the spigot.

6 . The water-dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

(iv) determine whether a dispensing operation for dispensing water through the spigot is completed, and

(v) perform the step of commencing the flushing operation in response to determining the dispensing operation is completed.

7 . The water-dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein one of the two or more branch lines is a bypass branch line that does not include any enhancement filters.

8 . The water-dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the flushing line includes a check valve located downstream of the flushing valve.

9 . The water-dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more branch lines includes a branch valve configured to selectively place the respective branch valve in fluid communication with the first common line.

10 . The water-dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the additives include at least one of minerals, electrolytes, alkalinity, vitamins, fluoride, caffeine, flavors, or combinations thereof.

11 . A method of operating a water-dispensing device having a source water intake, a spigot, a first common line downstream of the source water intake, a second common line downstream of the first common line and upstream of the spigot, two or more branch lines connected to the first and second common lines, at least one of the branch lines including one or more enhancement filters configured to provide additives to water traversing the respective branch line, a flushing line downstream of the two or more branch lines and upstream of the spigot, a flushing valve, a flushing pump, and a controller, the method comprising:

performing a dispensing operation, by the controller in response to receiving a water selection corresponding to one of the two or more branch lines, by routing water from the source water intake through the first common line, the one of the two or more branch lines corresponding to the received water selection, the second common line, and the spigot; and

performing, by the controller, a flushing operation including:

(i) opening the flushing valve and actuating the flushing pump to draw water from the second common line into the flushing line,

(ii) determining whether flushing of the second common line is completed, and

(iii) upon determining flushing of the second common line is completed, closing the flushing valve and deactivating the flushing pump.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

after receiving the water selection and prior to performing the dispensing operation, determining, by the controller, at least one of:

a) whether the received water selection matches a previous water selection, or

b) whether a time elapsed since a previous dispensing operation exceeds a threshold; and

performing, by the controller, the flushing operation before the dispensing operation in response to determining that the received water selection does not match the previous water selection or the time elapsed exceeds the threshold.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining, by the controller, whether the dispensing operation is completed; and

performing, by the controller, the flushing operation in response to determining that the dispensing operation is completed.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the two or more branch lines includes a branch valve, and wherein the routing of water by the controller during the dispensing operation includes opening the branch valve of the one of the two or more branch lines corresponding to the received water selection.

15 . A water-dispensing device comprising:

a source water intake;

a spigot arranged downstream from the source water intake;

a common line downstream of the source water intake;

two or more branch lines, each of the two or more branch lines being connected at one end to the common line and at an opposite end to the spigot, at least one of the branch lines including one or more enhancement filters configured to provide additives to water traversing the respective branch line, each of the two or more branch lines having a branch valve configured to selectively place the respective branch valve in fluid communication with the common line; and

a controller configured to:

(i) receive a water selection corresponding to one of the two or more branch lines, and

(ii) in response to receiving the water selection, open the branch valve of the one of the two or more branch lines corresponding to the received water selection.

16 . The water-dispensing device of claim 15 , further comprising a conditioning element located upstream of the spigot, the conditioning element being a chill tank, and wherein each of the two or more branch lines includes a respective serpentine coil within the chill tank.

17 . The water-dispensing device of claim 15 , wherein one of the two or more branch lines is a bypass branch line that does not include any enhancement filters.

18 . The water-dispensing device of claim 15 , wherein the additives include at least one of minerals, electrolytes, alkalinity, vitamins, fluoride, caffeine, flavors, or combinations thereof.