Office water dispenser buying guide

10/12/2021

How to choose the right water dispenser for the modern workplace?

Choosing a water cooler for your office may sound as simple as ordering your morning coffee. However, there are many factors like space available, water options needed, cost and sustainability of the machine. With such wide range of options and factors to consider, it can be difficult to know exactly which water dispenser is the best fit.

At Waterlogic, we understand that trying to find the best water dispenser supplier might not be on the top of your ‘to-do’ list but making the right decision can have a big business impact.

What are your options when buying a water dispenser for your office?

When looking at all of the options available it is important that you keep in mind the needs and requirements of your office and the employees who will be using the water dispenser on a daily basis.

Though there are many features and options available, there are 2 main categories of water dispenser available in the market - Bottled and Bottle free.

Bottled

Bottled water coolers are a portable system that require the replacement of water bottles on a regular basis. You may have seen them in the reception at your hairdressers or at your local gym.

The advantage of having a bottled water cooler is that you can move the system anywhere that has an available plug socket. In addition, the short-term cost of a bottled water cooler may be less than a bottle free system.

However, when calculating your long-term investment, make sure you take into consideration the cost of all the extra bottles you’ll need, the storage cost associated with these bottles and also the environmental impact plastic bottle use and delivery can incur.

Bottle free

Bottleless water dispensers are plumbed into your building’s water supply and use the water already being fed to your office building, which means supply will never be stopped due to running out of bottled water.

You’ll also never have to wait for bottled water deliveries or store large 5-gallon water bottles, and you’ll remove the need to physically change heavy bottles every few days.

Waterlogic bottle free water dispensers also include patented filtration technology keeps your water great tasting and free of unwanted bacteria. In fact, our Firewall® technology purifies water up to 99.9999% bacteria-free and 99.99% virus-free. For added peace of mind, the dispensers’ key surfaces are integrated with *BioCote® technology, a silver ion additive that inhibits the growth of odour and stain causing microbes, such as bacteria and mould, keeping the dispenser fresh and clean.

Compare our plumbed-in water coolers

What are the different water dispenser options?

Once you know which type of water machine is perfect for your office, the next step is to choose the types of water that you and your colleagues will prefer.

The variety of water options your workplace requires may be the most important factor to consider to make sure you choose the perfect water dispenser. You need to ask yourself three questions:

1. What will the dispenser be used for?
2. Where will the water dispenser be located?
3. How many people will use it daily?

What will it be used for?

For example, if your workforce will be using the water cooler for making coffee or tea as well as cold drinks, you will need to consider a hot and cold water dispenser. If you’re working in very warm environment or have a large team, then a machine that dispenses high volumes of ice cold water might be the way to go.

Where will it be used?  

Workplace factors to consider when choosing a water cooler for your office environment. 

We strive to help customers choose the best water solution for their office and with almost 30 years of experience in supplying workplace hydration solutions to organisations across the globe we’ve encountered every question you can think of.

To help you choose the perfect solution for your office take a look at the answers we provide to questions to consider.

What water dispenser is right for my office?

As already covered in this guide, the first place to start is to understand what water options are most appropriate for your office based on what it will be used for. You will need to decide which of the water options are most suitable for your office, from our selection of Cold, Ambient, Hot, Boiling and Sparkling. You will also need to decide whether you require a freestanding water dispenser or countertop water cooler model, as well as whether your businesses is more suited for a bottle free or bottled dispenser.

Compare our different water coolers

Where is the best place to put my water cooler in my office?

A water dispenser can be installed in almost any location in an office. The easiest and most popular areas are the kitchen, break room or conference room. Ensure that your office building has a mains water supply that can be connected to the unit.

Whichever type of solution you always need to think about the following to make sure you choose the best location:

• Do I have enough space to put the water cooler in this area?
• If people are walking back and forth to the cooler will this create an issue?
• If I am going to choose a bottled water cooler, do I have sufficient storage space for replacement bottles?
• How far will people have to walk to reach the water cooler

Will the water cooler block any walkways?

Waterlogic coolers are designed to look modern and add to the aesthetics of an office. However, if you choose a bottled cooler you need to consider if it’s more traditional design will detract from the aesthetics of your environment? This is of particular importance if your office is client facing.

Are water coolers hygienic?

It’s no surprise that sickness can travel through an office very quickly, meaning working days are lost and productivity decreases.

Water coolers, like any touch activated system, can easily pick up germs if you have a large number of people using them. This is why Waterlogic have integrated hands-free dispensing to prevent the need for users to touch any buttons or dials, minimizing the risk of spreading germs.

All Waterlogic dispensers are fitted with high performance filters that address taste and remove sediment, chlorine and other contaminants, and we also have patented Firewall UVC technology thoroughly purifies water all the way through to the dispensing nozzle.

Find out more about Firewall UVC technology

Is it best to rent or buy a Water Cooler?

There are benefits to both. If you buy a cooler you will own it outright, however you’ll have to pay the total cost upfront, and then pay for any service and maintenance costs in the future. Alternatively, if you rent a water cooler from Waterlogic this will come with the added benefit of regular servicing and maintenance which is included in your monthly rental fee.

How many people can use a cooler on a daily basis?

Don’t forget to consider whether your employees AND customers will use the water dispenser.

If your water cooler is to be situated in an area that will be seen and used by customers, there are two things you need to consider. Firstly, how many customers are likely to use it every day? If you only have a bottled cooler will your supply match demand? Secondly how will the aesthetics of the cooler design match your place of work?

Someone has no doubt put a great deal of thought into how your customer facing spaces look and feel and Waterlogic have a range of premium and modern bottle free systems that will fit in perfectly within stylish working environments. The last thing you want in a reception area is a water cooler that sticks out like a sore thumb. Our product finder can help you discover the best option for your requirements.

Did you know?

Contrary to popular belief, water doesn't stay fresh forever. Within a bottle, due to bacteria growth, water will start to stagnate after only a few days and therefore if your water bottle is not changed regularly you risk people drinking unhygienic water source. 

With Waterlogic choosing the right water cooler is easy.

Join thousands of Australians who drink Waterlogic pure water every day. Since our beginnings in 1992, Waterlogic has grown significantly, fuelled by technology and innovation. Many companies may profess to being experts in water coolers, but our history speaks for itself. Waterlogic have nearly 30 years’ experience in working with organizations like yours and, as we do nothing but provide water coolers, ensuring you make the right choice is our primary focus.

Waterlogic specialises in bottleless water coolers and are trusted by over 100,000 businesses worldwide, including offices of all shapes and sizes. Our success is down to the fact that we make it as simple as possible for you to choose the right water cooler to meet your needs.

Why choose a Waterlogic dispenser?

1. Choice

Waterlogic offers a wide variety of mains-fed and bottled water dispensers to suit the needs of any workplace environment. Whatever your size, requirement, or space availability, Waterlogic have a stylish solution to meet your needs.

2. Technology and Innovation

At Waterlogic we are always striving to deliver the most highly purified, best tasting water available to our clients. This has led to us integrating market leading technology such as our patented Firewall® purification and BioCote® product surface protection. Firewall® technology safely purifies water up to 99.9999% bacteria-free and 99.99% virus-free, and is also 99.999% effective in eliminating COVID-19 from your drinking water. *BioCote® inhibits the growth of odour and stain causing microbes, such as bacteria and mould, keeping the dispenser fresh and clean.

Find out more about BioCote® product surface protection

3. The Environment

Waterlogic systems are designed with the environment in mind. We remove the use for plastic bottles and we’re also one of the few providers that have been awarded the internationally recognised carbon reduction label. Promoting hydration, good health, sustainable and responsible business practices, and raising awareness of plastic pollution and energy efficiency mean a great deal to us. These are the driving forces keeping us focused on why we do what we do, ensuring we meet the needs of our community and the needs of our planet too.

4. Vertically integrated provider

We are the only vertically integrated water cooler provider in the industry. We design, manufacture, distribute, install and service each of our water dispensers, ensuring you receive unparalleled product quality and highly response Total Care service. We have locations throughout Australia to provide a local service on a national scale, and we provide hassle-free installation, servicing, and maintenance from our expert technicians.

5. Our Service Guarantee

Every Waterlogic rental agreement comes with:

• Free delivery to your chosen location
• Installation by one of our own trained service engineers in Metro areas
• Annual service with all parts and labour included
• Full call out and repair service
• Replacement unit if a repair cannot be undertaken on site
• No additional charge; labour and parts all covered in your monthly rental cost.

Water cooler jargon buster

Along the way to choosing your perfect water cooler, you might hear many terms and phrases you’ve never heard before. To avoid confusion, we’ve compiled a list of Water Cooler Jargon:

Carbon Filtration

Carbon filtration is the most effective way to remove small and large particles, contaminants, chlorine and bad tastes and odours, while keeping in the naturally occurring minerals that are essential for a good hydration. We use carbon as it’s the ultimate filter; its porous nature grabs hold of impurities from pesticides and lead to petro-chemicals and microscopic cysts. So you’re left with clear, fresh, great-tasting water.

Did you know? 

Different local water conditions need different filtration combinations. Call us and we'll help you find which one you need. 

10 Micron GAC

The GAC in these filters stands for Granular Activated Carbon, and these are the first line of defence against bad taste, odour and colour.

1 and 10 Micron CBC

CBC filters contain a solid carbon block designed to remove most contaminants, bad taste and odors; in particular: chlorine, sediment, lead, rust, cysts, asbestos and other water impurities.

Reverse osmosis (ro)

Reverse Osmosis does a better job at filtration than even carbon can manage, removing dissolved particles such as acid, salts, nitrates, pesticides and arsenic. However, it can be too good, as it sometimes also removes naturally occurring beneficial minerals too. So we’d only recommend using RO if your water source is unknown or is known to carry contaminants.

Firewall®

Firewall® UVC technology safely purifies water up to 99.9999% bacteria-free and 99.99% virus-free, neutralising cysts, viruses and bacteria like Legionella, Salmonella, E.coli, Hepatitis and Rotavirus that might get into the system and compromise the water quality.

In-tank UV

As the name suggests, this uses a UVC light in the tank itself, that targets water-borne microorganisms such as fungi and algae. The in-tank sanitizing system ensures water is exposed to the right amount of UVC light to maintain the microbiological purity of the water.

BioCote®* product protection

Key parts of the dispenser, such as reservoir and dispensing area, including drip tray body, cold faucet, and user interface panel), are all protected by BioCote®* technology against odor and stain causing microbes.

UVC Water Purification

UVC light destroys the DNA of bacteria, viruses and cysts, attacking it at its core, so it’ll deactivate/kill pathogens like E. Coli, Salmonella and Hepatitis, among others.

Hands-free

This technology allows a user to operate a Waterlogic dispenser without the need to touch any buttons or dials, minimizing the opportunity for germs to spread. We provide foot pedals as well as completely touch free infra-red modules for safer access to fresh hydration.

Point of Use (POU)

A point of use water dispenser is connected to your existing mains supply of water, which removes the need to purchase and store large plastic bottles. It provides an unlimited, instant stream of water free from contaminants and chlorine.

COVID-secure

Waterlogic’s patented Firewall technology has long been recognized for its ability to purify water up to 99.99% virus-free and 99.9999% bacteria-free. Firewall has also been rigorously tested against the human form of COVID-19 by a team of microbiologists from the University of Arizona, and tests have shown the technology to be 99.999% effective in eliminating COVID-19 from your drinking water. We offer the world’s first COVID-secure range of UVC water coolers, to provide you with purified water that is both safe and great tasting.

Next steps

We hope this guide has provided the information you need to make the right decision for your organization. If you require any further information or would like to see how Waterlogic can provide your organization with the perfect water cooler we’d love to talk to you.