How to Choose the Best Water Dispenser for Your Home or Office
Water dispensers and coolers are a great addition to
all homes and offices because they provide fresh water for all your
beverage needs, whether you want to drink chilled water to cool
down during the summertime or even hot water for soup and coffee
during the colder months. However, there are many different features
and options to choose from when deciding which water dispenser best
suits your needs. Read this guide to learn how to choose the best
water dispenser for your home or office.
Do you want hot or warm water?
Nowadays, the best water dispensers are built with
two separate tanks to house the water at different temperatures.
Most of the time, these stainless steel, rust-free water tanks house
only hot and cold water. However, models like the
Clover B7B
serve warm, room-temperature water instead of hot water. This unique
feature prevents any accidental scalding, making these units perfect
for family areas where children are always present. However, a warm
and cold water dispenser is only suitable for you if you want to
keep a constant supply of ready-to-drink room-temperature water; if
you want to be able to cook noodles and soups, you would be better
off with a regular hot and cold water dispenser.
Choosing a countertop versus a freestanding water dispenser
After deciding which type of water your home or
office needs, you may be faced with the decision of choosing between
a freestanding water dispenser and a countertop water dispenser. Most
people decide to stick with a freestanding water cooler when the
unit is used for offices with many employees or homes with limited
counter space. On the other hand, many have recently started
switching to smaller countertop units to save space, especially in
the kitchen.
Countertop water dispensers usually measure about half
the size of their freestanding counterparts, so you can easily place
them on tables and desks as well! A common myth about countertop
water dispensers says that these units actually take up more space
because they use smaller water bottles, thus needing more frequent
bottle changes. However, this is not true: most countertop water
dispensers are able to use 2-, 3-, or 5-gallon water bottles,
similar to the freestanding models.
The most important decision: bottled or bottleless?
Though many water dispensers use water bottles as a
source of water, a relatively new option has since been introduced
that helps you save money and provides you with cleaner water: bottleless water dispensers. These units, also called point-of-use
water dispensers, connect directly to a pipeline for a constant flow
of clean water to serve water immediately without
the use of any plastic bottles. As a result, these
water dispensers make sure you don't have to ever worry about running out of
water again! Additionally, point-of-use water dispensers don't rely
on plastic bottles, which can deteriorate over time and affect the
taste and quality of the water you drink. Though bottleless water
coolers may be a little more costly during the initial installation,
they save you more money in the long run because they have no need
for any plastic bottles.
What else would you like to find on your water dispenser?
Brands like NewAir, Clover, Avanti,
Vitapur, and
Greenway also offer other options and features with their water dispensers,
including:
Ice maker: One of the best water dispensers on the market, the
NewAir AI-400SB also delivers ice in only seven minutes and
provides up to 28 pounds of ice per day!
Analog clock: Greenway water dispensers show you the current
time at a glance.
LED night light: A few water dispensers offer a convenient
LED light, making them perfect for nighttime use.
Cleaning reminder light: You'll know exactly when to clean
your water dispenser when the cleaning reminder light turns on.
Adjustable cold water thermostat: You can easily adjust the
temperature for a constant supply of perfectly chilled water.
Energy efficiency is also very important
No matter what appliance you're looking at, it's
smart to find energy efficient models because they can save you a
lot of money over the years and they're great for the environment!
Thankfully, most - if not all - of these
water
dispensers are rated for energy efficiency from Energy Star.
Moreover, some of the best water dispensers offer additional
energy-saving qualities to save you more money. These features
include: separate stainless steel water tanks, bottleless
point-of-use technology, and self-closing faucets.
What about safety?
The most
important feature when deciding which water dispenser to buy is
always safety. For households or offices where children are
constantly present, an important option that needs to be considered
is a child safety hot water faucet lock. This safety feature
protects curious hands from scalding and other dangers near 185° hot
water.