Important differences between Water Dispensers
Today there are many alternatives to the old-fashioned bottled water cooler. Years ago, it was common to call a local bottled water company to rent a water cooler and arrange for delivery of 5-gallon bottles of water to your door. But lifting and storing the heavy bottles (40 lbs each) is a hassle for both businesses and homeowners, and the consequence of delivery trucks driving tons of water bottles around a city all day is a major cost to our environment.
Instead of buying the bulky 5 gallon bottles (or even cases of smaller single-use plastic bottles) you can get rid of the bottles altogether with a bottleless (or bottle-free) water cooler. These products are designed with filter systems and connect directly to your tap water supply. Most models dispense cold and hot water, but you can even find coolers that provide ambient and even sparkling water (also known as carbonated water).
Unlike their bottled water counterpart, you’ll never run out of water with a bottle-less water cooler. Other common terms for these appliances are filtered water cooler (or dispenser), bottle-free water dispenser, and even drinking water appliance. Regardless of the what it’s called, if you can connect to the water supply and get rid of the ugly plastic bottles, you’ll be helping yourself and the environment at the same time.
Benefits of Filtered Water Dispensers
A water cooler that connects to your tap water supply is super convenient and also lower cost than bottled water. If you’re a business that doesn’t want delivery trucks tying up their docks, or personnel running water bottles around their facility, the filtered water cooler is a proven solution. Homeowners that don’t want to lift and store bottles, and who want to avoid paying bottle deposits and delivery fees also enjoy the benefits of the water cooler being connected directly to their water supply.
In addition to the above advantages, perhaps the biggest beneficiary of bottleless water coolers is the environment. Eliminating bottled water deliveries reduces greenhouse gas emissions by keeping delivery trucks off the streets. Replacing single-use plastic water bottles with refillable water bottles is also a great way to help our landfills and oceans.
Installation
Most bottleless water coolers are connected to the water supply with a ¼” plastic water line. Every kitchen or office breakroom with a sink allows the possibility of a connection at the cold water valve under the sink, or to the water supply that is located behind the refrigerator (if your refrigerator has an automatic ice maker). If you’re considering a countertop version of a bottle-less water cooler, you can route the plastic water tubing from under the sink and behind the cabinets to the location of the water dispenser.
If your water dispenser includes filters, read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to flush the water filters and prepare them for use. Other common installation items include filling water tanks and turning on the hot water system. Always read the warnings and cautions that are included with your drinking water appliance.
Maintenance of Bottleless Water Dispensers
Common maintenance items include cleaning the drip tray and faucet, as well as replacing the filter according to its rated capacity. Filters are typically tested and rated for a certain time period and amount of water used (gallons or liters), after which they need to be replaced. In some cases, with tap water that has high sediment or dirt load, the filters may need to be changed more frequently.
Other maintenance items may include the hot water system and periodically descaling the tank (removing mineral deposits).
At verykul.com you can easily find online videos for Maintenance and other items.
Water Cooler Durability
Like any kitchen appliance, a drinking water system should be carefully researched prior to purchase. Read the online reviews from customers and pay attention to the quality and features that are specified on the company’s website or at the retail store. Lower priced water coolers typically require more maintenance and will have a shorter lifespan, resulting in costly replacement every 2-4 years.
An excellent measure of the quality of the appliance is the warranty period – if the water cooler only carries a 1-year warranty you will need to know how to get access to spare parts after the warranty.
For products with a 3-year warranty, you can be confident that the company can easily supply you with parts for many years of trouble-free use.
Also check to make sure there is technical support provided, either by the retailer or online.
Sparkling Water Dispenser
Due to the recent popularity of sparkling water, one of the latest features introduced is the ability to dispense Sparkling Water directly from the drinking water cooler. Instead of using a soda-maker (like SodaStream or Arke), these newest bottleless water coolers use your tap water supply, then filter and chill the water, and carbonate it… all automatically. Just press a button to enjoy freshly filtered, chilled sparkling water at the touch of a button.
Look for water coolers that also provide you with an easy way to change the CO2 cartridges and when empty, to send them back to the manufacturer for convenient refills delivered conveniently to your home or office.
Buy a Bottleless Cooler Today
By learning about the differences between water coolers, you can better understand and appreciate the benefits of bottleless vs bottled water coolers. As a convenient source of cold, hot, and ambient water – or even sparkling water – you’ll soon be enjoying the latest kitchen appliance that delivers healthy refreshment for your office or home.
