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Aqua Optima Aurora hot-and-cold dispenser: UK versions, capacity and upkeep

Identify Aurora hot-and-cold, hot-only and chilled-only versions, understand the chilled reserve, and match Evolve+ filters and care to your serial-label code.

By Better Home Water editorial teamUpdated October 2026Sources

Identify the Aurora version before comparing features

Aurora is a range name, not a reliable promise of both hot and chilled water. Aqua Optima lists hot-and-cold, hot-only and chilled-only appliances, alongside separate coffee products. A seller’s shortened heading or a photograph of a similar black housing is not enough to identify which functions you are buying.

The Amazon product selected here is the hot-and-cold Aurora listing advertised at 3.8 litres. It uses a replaceable Evolve+ cartridge. That is cartridge filtration with temperature control, not reverse osmosis. It does not have an RO concentrate stream, and it should not be chosen on the assumption that every electrically powered purifier treats water in the same way.

Check functions separately from the range name
Version description	What to confirm	Do not assume
Hot and cold	Heating plus a chilled reserve	All stored water is already chilled
Hot only	Exact heating presets and controls	Built-in refrigeration
Chilled only	Cooling and recovery specification	A hot-water function
Coffee appliance	Its own model and manual	The dispenser maintenance sequence applies

View product image on Amazon ↗

Hot and chilled cartridge filtration

Aqua Optima Aurora hot-and-cold dispenser

A refillable hot-and-cold cartridge-filter dispenser, distinct from Aurora hot-only, chilled-only and coffee versions.

Capacity / pack: Advertised 3.8L total · 0.8L internal chilled reserve
System / cartridge: Evolve+

Good forHot drinks and chilled glasses from one appliance.

Watch forThe 3.8L listing is not 3.8L of immediately chilled water; it is not an RO system.

Choose it for portioned hot drinks and a small chilled reserve without RO plumbing. Identify the serial-label code before using any maintenance instructions.

View on Amazon ↗Hot-and-cold listing with Evolve+ filter; check model label and bundle.

Before checkout, compare the selected variation, included filters, UK plug and manufacturer model. A bundle may change cartridge count without changing the appliance; a different version may change the controls and care routine. Keep those two types of variation separate.

Use the serial-label family to find the right manual

Aqua Optima’s downloads page divides hot-and-cold manuals by label codes including FTN-UK, FTN-UKA, FTN-UKAV, FTN-UKAVI and FTN-UKAVK. Read that code from the appliance label, with the unit safely switched off and cool. Retain the matching manual alongside the purchase information rather than relying on the first PDF returned by a search.

The distinction affects more than presentation. The UKA Rev3 manual specifies a vinegar descaling procedure, while UKAVK Rev9 specifies a citric-acid procedure and includes additional heater and chiller rinse guidance. Their chemical quantities, controls and discharge temperatures are not interchangeable. Use our model-specific descaling guide only after matching the code.

If the supplied manual, online download and appliance buttons do not agree, ask Aqua Optima to identify the correct revision before starting a maintenance programme. Do not guess a button combination or reset an indicator simply because an older video shows it working on a similar fascia.

Separate total capacity from the chilled reserve

The selected retailer listing uses 3.8L as a capacity headline. The hot-and-cold manuals identify an internal chilled tank of around 0.8L. That small reserve is the useful figure when planning several consecutive cold glasses. It is not correct to describe the full advertised total as 3.8 litres of immediately chilled water.

Three 250ml glasses use 750ml, close to the nominal internal reserve before allowing for how the appliance replenishes and cools during use. A large bottle or a group of people can therefore create a recovery period. Check the actual version’s cooling instructions and the incoming and room temperatures, rather than promising a fixed cold output throughout a long serving session.

For hot water, the cited manuals offer selected temperatures between chilled and boiling settings, with portion choices from 200ml to 1000ml. Match the vessel to the selected portion and leave headroom. The temperature display is a control setting, not a measurement of the drink after it enters a cold mug. Keep hands clear of the outlet and use the supplied lock as directed.

Plan the whole operating space

Measure the body, the projecting outlet and drip tray, then the room needed to lift the tank and open the lid. Check mug height at each tray position. A litre-sized receiving jug for maintenance may need more space than the cup you use daily, so test that arrangement before deciding where the appliance will live.

Ventilation clearance is part of the installation footprint. UKAVK Rev9 calls for at least 100mm from the rear wall and right side in its placement diagram; follow the diagram for your own version. Avoid boxing the chiller tightly beneath shelves or obstructing side vents with towels, containers or another warm appliance.

The hot-and-cold unit combines heating and chilling. Do not use a single cooling-power figure copied from a product table as the complete appliance rating or an annual electricity estimate. Read the electrical rating label and compare real operating modes. Our dispenser versus kettle guide explains how to compare energy fairly.

Budget for Evolve+ filters and the required care

The appliance manual’s Evolve+ schedule is 100 litres or approximately 30 days, whichever arrives first. At four litres per day, 100 litres is reached in 25 days; a monthly reminder alone would not cover that usage. Count all filtered water, including hot drinks and bottle filling, rather than only glasses served chilled.

View product image on Amazon ↗

Evolve+ replacement supply

Aqua Optima Evolve+ · 6 pack

The Evolve+ replacement family for compatible Aqua Optima jugs and dispensers. Check the device instructions and whether one cartridge or a pair is installed.

Pack: 6 cartridges
Family: Evolve+
Limit: 100L / 30 days

Good forMaintaining a confirmed compatible Aqua Optima device.

Watch forDevice instructions and paired systems can change the replacement calculation.

For a PerfectFit BRITA jug, check the compatibility key is included and follow Aqua Optima’s fit guidance. Do not assume any oval cartridge will work.

View on Amazon ↗Six Evolve+ cartridges; check the compatibility key.

Price multipacks by cartridge and calculate the number required for your demand. Twelve thirty-day intervals cover 360 days, so a full 365-day year may need thirteen cartridges even before a volume limit brings changes forward. The running-cost calculator can help compare pack prices using the applicable interval.

Prepare and fit each cartridge using the appliance manual and Evolve+ preparation guide. Cleaning the tanks, emptying the drip tray, completing rinse prompts and descaling the heater are additional responsibilities. After a holiday, follow the exact version’s drain and restart sequence; a new filter alone does not refresh water left in internal reservoirs.

Common questions

Are all Aurora dispensers hot and cold?

No. Aqua Optima also lists hot-only, chilled-only and coffee versions. Check the exact function description, model label and supplied manual.

Is the advertised 3.8L all chilled water?

No. The hot-and-cold manuals identify an internal chilled reserve of around 0.8L. The larger listing capacity is not an immediately chilled serving quantity.

Which replacement cartridge does the selected Aurora use?

Aqua Optima Evolve+. Follow the appliance manual’s 100-litre or approximately 30-day replacement limit, whichever is reached first, and its filter preparation steps.

Can I use one Aurora descaling recipe for every model?

No. The UKA Rev3 and UKAVK Rev9 manuals specify different solutions and procedures. Find your label code on the manufacturer downloads page first.

Does Aurora remove dissolved salts like RO?

Do not treat it as an RO substitute. Its cartridge system targets specified taste and scale concerns; a hot-water setting does not establish membrane filtration or suitability for unsafe source water.