Aquastream - What you should know when choosing a watercooler for your office

So, you are considering getting a watercooler for your office or factory. Take a few moments to help you make this important decision.

There are 4 main types of watercooler on the Australian market today

Free-standing bottled watercoolers

Advantages – lowest initial cost, no installation required, portable, no drain required

Disadvantages – replacing expensive and heavy bottles of water

Point-of-Use watercoolers

Advantages – lowest ongoing cost, no drain required

Disadvantages – requires a plumbing connection, not easily relocated

Drinking water fountains/bubblers

Advantages – drink on the go, more robust,

Disadvantages – more expensive, not easy to relocate, drain required

Underbench watercoolers

Advantages – hidden from sight, space saving,

Disadvantages – more expensive

Who will use the watercooler?

Specific watercoolers are better suited to specific applications. Will it be office staff wanting to refill glasses and water bottles from a tap? Factory staff needing a 5 second drink at a bubbler without a cup? Customers waiting in the reception area? Will children or disabled persons need to use the watercooler?

How many watercoolers do you need?

If you have a large office or separate factory and office lunchrooms, you may need 2 or more watercoolers. It is important to look at the usage and application of each watercooler on it’s own. One watercooler may be next to a convenient water supply and have high usage – perfect application for an automoatic system. Another cooler may need to be in a localtion with low usage and far from a water supply. Why not mix and match and choose the best watercooler for each particular application

How long will the watercooler be needed for?

Do you own your own premises? Do you have a 5 year lease on the premises or is the lease just about to expire? For short term applications, bottled water may be the preferred option. If you anticipate you will require the watercooler for more than 12 months, an automatic watercooler may be the way to go.

How much water will you use?

Based on our experience, the average person drinks 5 litres of water per week at work. Do a rough calculation on your own staff numbers. If you have 3 or more users and will be using more than 1 15 litre bottle of water per week, it may be more beneficial to switch to an automatic watercoolers.

What is your budget?

Your budget plays a key role in determining which watercooler option is right for you. Initial rental and setup costs for a bottled watercooler are normally well under $200 per unit. Initial purchase and installation costs for an undersink system can range from $800 to $5000.00 depending on the size and options such as chilled only or boiling and chilled.

It is also important to look at ongoing costs such as filter replacement and servicing.

Warranty?

Warranty plays an important part in your choice. Generally most good quality water systems will be supplied with a 24 month warranty. If a company is not prepared to stand behind their product for 24 months, should you?

Installation site?

There are many considerations to take into account when installing a water system for your premises. For example;