Zip HydroTap Arc Plus & Cube Plus

Filtered sparkling water on tap represents a growing proportion of HydroTap sales - over 60% for Residential. Sparkling water functionality is a positive driver of HydroTap recommendations but not all consumers have a good experience. Research showed dissatisfaction with spluttering, inconsistent flow and level of fizz. The design challenge was: How do we improve HydroTap Arc & Cube sparkling water delivery experience so that it addresses key identified consumer pain points while enhancing the design aesthetics. The biggest challenge was to identify factors that were affecting HydroTap Arc & Cube taps sparkling water delivery to then be able to design the right solutions.

A multi-functional team across AU/UK reviewed all aspects across tap design, installation and functionality. Significant amounts of testing, root-cause analysis, and trials were conducted to to identify the specific drivers of the issues experienced and the most effective solutions. Hoses were upgraded from a 'D' shape to round cross-sectional to minimise turbulence that led to bubbles exploding on their way out thereby causing spluttering . An aerator was added in the outlet spout improving sparkling water delivery quality. The tap was re-designed to fit the new aerator and round hoses in the outlet spout delivering a more balanced, modern design aesthetic.

The re-designed Arc Plus and Cube Plus was initiated to address user experience pain points identified in consumer research. As a result of the changes made, feedback is that the sparkling water delivery experience has been noticeably improved. HydroTap can play a key role in helping consumers reduce their environmental impact by eliminating the need for single use plastics. The re-design delivers on our strategy to grow the category by driving penetration into advanced benefit technology that customers value. HydroTap Arc/Cube Plus were designed and manufactured at Zip Water’s factory in Condell Park, Western Sydney supporting local manufacturing and jobs.

Other features to improve the sparkling water delivery experience included moving to a fixed lever position for tight installations, fixed height, changes to the installation instructions and manuals, and addition of kink resistant colour coded hoses for accurate installation which can impact the delivery experience of sparkling water. HydroTap Arc Plus and Cube Plus are powered by G5 technology in the under-bench system that features: -Addition of antimicrobial protection impregnated into key water paths for enhanced hygiene. -100% water efficient air cooled technology. -New smarter interactive user interface makes it easier to find and customise HydroTap settings. -Customisable energy modes and usage settings for personalisation and sustainability. -New CO2 level indicator in sparkling models. -New 'Quiet' mode with intelligent fan speed automatically adjusts the fan speed between 100, 75 & 50 percent making the under-bench system quieter during low use. -Energy saving settings with ON/OFF timers to set the times your HydroTap will be used either weekly or daily. -Sleep modes reduce power consumption if the tap has not been used for 2 hours. ‘Sleep when it’s dark’ function puts your HydroTap to sleep when lights have been turned off.