How to choose the best office water cooler? This is a question we often get asked and to be honest there is no definitive answer. There are a number of questions to answer in order to identify the correct water cooler for your needs.
- How many staff will have access to it on a daily basis?
- Where do you want to site it?
- Will your staff need to fill up sports bottles?
- Are the aesthetics important?
- Do you have a location in mind?
The first hurdle to consider is to choose between a bottled and mains fed water cooler. For the purpose of this article we are making the presumption that your company has more than 10 staff thus making a mains fed water unit the cheapest and best option.
First let’s point out some simple prerequisites when it comes to finding a suitable cooler and there are even some water coolers to avoid at all costs.
Avoid exposed taps!!
Water coolers with exposed taps can often pose a bacteria risk. It is inevitable that people in the workplace will re-use small plastic bottles by filling them up at the works water cooler and returning to their desk to consume it’s contents. This process is repeated throughout the day. The use of these bottle is not advised. What tends to happen is that the user will insert the tap inside the bottles neck to re-fill. This causes saliva transfer from bottle to tap, in turn contaminating the tap, leaving bacteria present for the next dispense.
These types of water coolers are often the cheapest available to buy and rent. If your decision about a new water cooler is driven purely by price then why not speak to your supplier? If you offer to extend your rental period from 36 to say 48 months, they might be minded to improve their offering with a water cooler with better specification.
How many staff will have access to the office water cooler on a daily basis?
It’s important to ask about the “throughput” of your new water cooler. An average water cooler can dispense around 12 litres per hour. This is suitable for up to 15 members of staff. If you have more than 15 members of staff on site you have two choices, either request another cooler or consider a high use water cooler. You can find an example of a high use water cooler here.
Floor Standing or Table top?
Next you need to decide on a location. Mains fed water coolers no longer need to be installed into the office kitchen. They can be installed pretty much anywhere in your office as long as there’s a power supply within 2 metres and water supply somewhere on the same floor. If you do decide that the kitchen is the best place then consider a table top cooler. Table top water coolers will free up some much needed space inside your kitchen as they fit right on top of the kitchen worktop. Coolers which are installed into the main office space are normally floor standing versions. We supply all sorts of floor standing coolers and you can find the whole range here.
Are looks important?
If your cooler is situated in the office away from visitors then the aesthetics might not be too important. If this is the case and you feel you don’t need to pay for the latest designs at a premium price then consider the Winix Series 5 Water Cooler. The Winix 5 Series is a mid range water cooler which still offers great hygiene and a built in cup dispenser.
You can find an example of a high use water cooler here.‘’ and ‘’We supply all sorts of floor standing coolers and you can find the whole range here.’’the Winix Series 5 Water Cooler. The Winix 5 Series is a mid range water cooler which still offers great hygiene and a built in cup dispenser.’’ and ‘’You can find the spec sheet and the brochure for the Elite Here.