by Fern Shaw | Nov 1, 2013 | Water Boilers
AquAid have a new kid on the block. It’s very stylinnnnng. Its debuts just in time for the colder climes approaching the U.K. at warp speed Mr Sulu. Before I wax lyrical about how styling this little marvel is, here’s the nitty gritty tech spec. stuff:
What is its name? It is called The AquAid Instant Boiler
Features and Options
- Upmarket, stainless steel design
- Dispense point on worktop, boiler hidden underneath
- Electronically controlled for constant temperature of 95 degrees
- Mains fed
- Rapid draw off 7 litres
- Minimum hourly output 28 litres
- Minimal steam escape
- Early warning intelligent diagnostics with LCD display
Now you may be thinking that by me expounding all the wonderful attributes of this nifty 7ℓ stainless steel boiler, this means I’m so bedazzled by its sleek design and efficient lines that I am automatically denigrating our other water boilers. I’m not. Truly.
It’s just that we believe in a place for everything and everything in its place. Which translated to efficient speak means we have a variety of water boilers with capacities ranging from 3 ℓ through to 12.5ℓ , so the 7ℓ wedges in there capacity wise rather neatly.
I rather like the stainless steel design too – very Bauhaus / Danish modern / à la mode at present. I think.
Also note the ‘minimal steam escape’ feature. This means that when the AquAid Instant is at its constant percolating temperature of 95C°, which is just so warm and toasty, you won’t have great gobs of sweaty-making steam blorting out at you – which is especially welcome when you’re dispensing your 10th cuppa of the day.
Drink up, keep hydrated, and have a coffee, tea, or ………… hot drink of your choice on AquAid why don’t you.
by Fern Shaw | Oct 14, 2013 | Health and Hydration
Yes, yes, I know we blather on about water conservation and that the long, hot summer (‘tun tun de dun’ – Style Council) has passed us by, but this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t maintain water saving ways throughout the year. Hopefully, if we teach ourselves and our families these rather nifty ways, the benefits will be with us for generations to come.
- Bedtime drinks for you = morning watering for plants – A night-time glass of water is a healthy habit and in the morning you can use the left over water to top up your house plants or throw it on your shrubs, good for you, good for the plants, good for your wallet and good for the environment
- When filling the bath put the plug in immediately and adjust the temperature as it fills rather than waiting to get the water coming out of the tap to the right temperature.
- Bathe young children together.
- Steam vegetables instead of boiling. They will be more nutritious and you will use less water and less electricity or gas to cook them.
- Rake and aerate the lawn every year so that water gets down to the roots of the grass instead of sitting on a hard matted surface and evaporating off.
- Fit a pistol grip nozzle on your hose pipe so water only comes out where and when you need it.
- Insulating your pipes can stop bursts in the winter; will cut your hot water bill and means that you get hot and cold water from the tap much faster.
- Rinse your razor in the sink – Put a bit of water in the sink to rinse you razor rather than using a running tap.
- Don’t waste the water from your veg – Water used to boil veg can be used for gravy or soup, or once cool, can add nutrients to your pot plants.
- Fill the kettle whilst you wait – Sometimes you have to run the tap to get hot or cold water (lagging might cut the wait time). Use this water to fill your kettle or keep a watering can by the sink for houseplants.
- Mulch, mulch, mulch – Mulching helps keep soil moist, it reduces evaporation by up to 75% and it adds organic matter to the soil. You can make your own using leaf litter or bark.
From our side, we take a 3-pronged approach (actually there are more ‘prongs’, but all good things and all that):
- Keeping you happy, healthy and hydrated by making drinking water available to you at the press of a button;
- Ensuring that the water that we deliver to you and replenish is from a good source and;
- Keeping it as local as we can – meaning that you should be able to find an AquAid branch close to you out of 32 branches available nationally.
by Fern Shaw | Aug 30, 2013 | Health and Hydration
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
The term ‘running water’ has so many permutations as to be almost infinite. Running water can mean wastage. It can mean advancement in the distribution of water. It can also, as wise old Winnie-the-Pooh said above, teach us patience. As we know, patience is ha ha, not my strongest suit.
There are many schools of thought as to who first invented piped in water for bathing, I came across this while researching the running water topic:
Ancient Baths
Roman Baths
The Romans were famous for their baths, and they brought them even into Gaul and Britain. While Roman manors often had their own smaller private bath-houses, the Roman public generally frequented relatively inexpensive public baths. By the peak of their popularity, they included hot and cold rooms, and medium-temperature lounging rooms with a variety of extra services such as food, wine, exercise and/or personal training being offered. At different points in the history of Rome, baths were gender segregated by place or time, while at other times the bathing was mixed. (Fagan, Bathing in Public in the Roman World)
Judaic Ritual Bathing
Ritual bathing is also part of ancient (and modern) Jewish culture. Ritual cleansing baths (mikvot) from the classical period have been found in archaeological digs at multiple sites, including Masada.
The distinctive nature of mikveh structures causes them to be regarded as archaeological markers of Jewish communities at classical and medieval sites. A mikveh dating from around 1150 has been uncovered by archaeologists in Bristol, England (Aldous, p. 27), and another in Cologne, Germany dates from around 1170 (http://www.thetravelzine.com/ejht3.htm).
Early Christians
In the 4th and 5th centuries CE, ‘fathers of the Christian Church’ such as Clement and Jerome condemned excessive attendance at the public baths, and attendance for pleasure. Because bathhouses had mixed facilities, church authorities condemned women’s attendance at mixed gender bathhouses.
Eastern cultures
Roman-type baths were continued and/or re-established in Islamic countries through the medieval and Renaissance periods, and bathing was endorsed by Islamic writers. The hammam, referred to in modern times as the ‘Turkish Bath,’ was a major feature of Islamic culture, and preserved the Roman traditions of cleaning the body first, then soaking and socializing. Due to the Islamic religious requirements for frequent washing (when water was unavailable, dust or dirt could be used for ritual ablutions), baths and washing equipment remained popular. Some historians believe that the habit of the baths return to Western Europe from the Middle East with the Crusaders, but documentary evidence suggests that the resurgence of public baths in Western Europe may have been more a function of political and economic stability.
Japanese baths are of similar if not greater antiquity. Western writers claim that the soaking baths of Japan originate from the extensive use of Japanese hot springs. From A Short History of Bathing before 1601
Fascinating stuff. So, whether running water means wastage (tighten that tap!) or a gently burbling (not burping!) brook that teaches you Tao type patience, remember that we don’t recommend, nor suggest, that you use the AquAid water from source (3 of them, mind you) for bathing (yes, I know it’s been hot), but rather to refresh and hydrate your children at school and your staff in the office. As we all know, drinking sufficient water keeps you healthy both inside and out – it will even keep your skin looking plumped up and ramp gorgeous (even if you’re not into that type of thing). Cheers!
by Fern Shaw | Jul 26, 2013 | Charity, Health and Hydration
AquAid is all about water, hydration and water coolers, and most importantly, supporting sustainable charities.
Kidney Research UK is all about funding research aimed at finding better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for kidney disease. They have over £10.1 million invested in research at any one time, awarding grants to doctors, nurses and researchers across the UK. They also campaign for better patient access to renal services and are dedicated to raising awareness of kidney disease.
As AquAid is constantly looking at ways to increase awareness about how important keeping our vital organs hydrated is, we chose to supply this year’s Kidney Research U.K. London Bridges Walk with a rather fabulous bank of bottle fed water coolers – to keep the energetic walkers well hydrated! This amazing walk covers a route of approximately 7 miles, and takes you over some of London’s most famous bridges.
There were 1 190 people who took part in this year’s event on 14th July 2013 and understandably, with the glorious sunny weather, there was many a thirsty walker whose eyes lit up when they saw the cool drinking water.
The event was a great success and they were joined by celebrities Nina Wadia and Nadia Sawalha, both well known for having starred in the popular soap EastEnders, along with DJ Oliver Scott from Star Radio, Cambridgeshire and fitness instructor Julia McCabe.
Have water, will walk!
by Fern Shaw | Jul 24, 2013 | Health and Hydration, water cooler, Water Coolers
Too Much Salt (High Sodium Levels)
The most common form of sodium imbalance is a blood sodium level that is too high. Excessive blood sodium levels mean that your body lacks enough water to cope with the amount of sodium it contains.
Contrary to popular belief, the primary cause of high blood sodium levels is not consumption of too much salt, but dehydration (not enough water intake).
Lack of adequate water intake is a very common condition in the United Kingdom due to the fact that most people fail to drink enough water each day, while also eating foods that are high in sodium. Other possible causes of dehydration include diarrhoea; vomiting; fever; excessive sweating (particularly during hot weather); abnormal kidney function; diabetes; head trauma or surgery involving the pituitary gland; imbalanced calcium and/or potassium levels; sickle cell disease, and use of drugs such as corticosteroids or diuretics.
When the amount of sodium in your body becomes too high, your body’s blood volume increases. When this happens extra fluid accumulates in the space surrounding your body’s cells. Such an accumulation of fluid around your cells can cause a variety of problems.
The most common symptoms of high blood sodium levels are confusion, depression, fatigue, fluid retention, irritability, lack of coordination, muscle cramps or twitching, nausea, restlessness, and general weakness.
Another common symptom of high sodium levels is oedema, which is characterized by swelling of body tissues, especially in the feet and ankles.
More serious symptoms of high sodium levels can include changes in blood pressure and heart rate, coma, seizure, and death.
A check-up by your physician is necessary to determine if you suffer from high blood sodium levels. If you are found to have this problem, then by all means you should avoid eating salty foods. But you should also beware of drinking salty beverages, such as sports drinks. And you should also increase your daily intake of water, especially following exercise or if you are taking medications.
It really is up to you to ensure that you take as best care that you can of the rather marvellous body that you’ve been given. If you’re already doing so, bully for you – perhaps you can share your knowledge with others less in the know.
So be especially careful in this heat, remember to keep hydrated and spread the water word as you’ve gathered around the water cooler.
