Choosing the right drinking fountain or water cooler

28 February 2024

Shopping for the right drinking fountain or water machine to fit your business needs?

Chosing the right water drinking fountain can be refreshing, pun very much intended!

It can also be quite stressful and just plain confusing, if you take into account all the different types and brands of drinking fountains or water coolers, such as Oasis, Elkay, Haws to name just a few; it can be a bit overwhelming if it’s your first time shopping for such. 

One does not shop for a water cooler or a drinking fountain every week, it’s safe to say it’s a long-term investment, an important one, thus you’ll want to be sure of your final choice. 

Here are a few pointers to help you figure out which drinking fountain or water cooler would be the best for your business:

1. TYPE:

Drinking fountains or water coolers come in many different models and configurations:  simple, double, triple, adult and/or children, manual activation or entirely automatic with motion sensor activation, wall-mounted or free-standing, bottle-fed or water supply line connected? Do you need to add a bottle filling station to further discourage the use of single-use plastic bottles? Think about your immediate needs, but also long-term down the line.

2. WATER:

Do you need filtered water? Do you need a water cooler? Would you like to also be able to offer hot water?

Or go a step further and offer sparkling water with a water cooler like the S4 CT from LULIA Some like the KUPA flavored fountain can even offer different flavors to add to water, including beneficial additives like electrolytes and allow the user to create custom-made beverage personalised to the user’s desire. With so many options, do your homework and evaluate all the possibilities before you make your final choice. 

3. DRINKING FOUNTAIN LOCATION:

Think about the drinking fountain set up, where you want it to be located. Measure the space you planned for it, whether it’s a countertop water cooler or wall-mounted drinking fountain. You will want a space that will allow easy access if you want to encourage people to use it. Once measured, you can start looking at models that will fit well within the space planned for it. If you plan to have it connected directly to a water supply line, plan ahead and look for a space where water lines are easily accessible, same for electrical. All this will help you better determine which water fountain or water cooler will be a good fit. 

4. DURABILITY:

Water drinking fountains or water coolers can be made with different materials and components, like stainless steel, ceramic or special anti-bacterial alloy and much more. Take it all into account depending on what the equipment will be used for, because materials and components influence how the drinking fountain will fare in time, especially if you are looking at an outdoor drinking fountain where it will be exposed to all kinds of weather conditions. 

5. MAINTENANCE:

No one wants a fountain that will be difficult to clean, especially not in a business setting. Look for models that have easy access to parts that need to be cleaned or serviced. The newest models are designed to reduce mildew and bacteria growth, so it keeps the cleaning to a minimum. Make sure the company you buy from is reliable and offers good repair and maintenance service; reliability is key.  

6. BUDGET:

Before establishing a budget for such a purchase, it is paramount that you first get a good idea of what the cost can be. Now that you have done your due diligence and have a better idea of what you need, check both, the most expensive that corresponds to your needs and the cheapest also, so you have a good idea of the price range for what you are looking for. If you need to sacrifice something, you’ll have a better idea of what, once you know what they cost. It will be easier to set a reasonable and realistic budget so you aren’t just pouring money down the drain! 

If your business requires more than one drinking fountain or water cooler, remember you can usually negotiate volume pricing.

While these points will certainly help you get your head around shopping for a drinking fountain, these are just a few tips. Don’t hesitate to contact us and talk to one of our specialists to discuss your needs and requirements, so your investment in a water drinking fountain is the best one for your business. 

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