Water Cooler Options
If the thought of an endless supply of hot and cold water at the touch of a button sounds like a wonderful timesaver, you're right. Here's a rundown on the differences between bottled and bottleless water coolers.
Bottled Water Coolers
With a bottled water cooler, you sign up for the delivery of bottled water. Bottled water delivery services, available nationwide, conveniently bring bottled water of all sizes straight to your door. It is not necessary for you to be home. The delivery service will leave your water bottles in the location of your choice while picking up your empty bottles. You will be given a delivery calendar so you will be aware of your scheduled delivery dates.
You will need a proper storage area for the bottles. Make sure to keep the bottles out of direct sunlight and place in a cool, dry, chemical-free area. If stored properly, water in 3- and 5-gallon containers has a shelf life of two years. Smaller containers which are made with a thinner grade of plastic have an optimal shelf life of about 6 months (but remain drinkable for two years). The thinner plastic is more permeable to outside odors, hence the shorter shelf life.
Bottled water coolers are operated by either thermo-electric or compressor units. Thermo-electric units are silent and the most cost-efficient to operate but are not for use in very hot environments. Compressor units, on the other hand, are very powerful and produce colder water, even in the highest temperatures. Both types can dispense cold, room-temperature, or hot water, depending on the particular brand and model.
If you are looking for an easy way to keep your bottled water germ free then you should investigate the new germ-free bottled water coolers. These allow for sanitization of tank and removable dispenser, thus ensuring you contaminant-free water.
For convenient storage, optional bottle storage units can hold up to three 5-gallon water bottles.
Bottleless Water Coolers
A bottleless water cooler is an independent unit which hooks up to your home or office water supply and thus requires no water bottles. Also known as a point-of-use water cooler, it obviates the need for periodic deliveries and continual storage of new and used bottles. In addition, you have no heavy bottles to place in the machine when the old one is emptied.
Any qualified plumber can connect the machine to your cold water line, whether you have your own water filter or not. Bottleless water coolers feature built-in water filtration systems which require semi-annual filter replacement. Bottleless water coolers utilize compressor units to keep the water cold. Specific models offer various choices between cold, hot, and room-temperature water.
For a detailed description of water coolers, please refer to our article, The Consumer’s Guide to Water Coolers.
