Buying a water cooler for your school or office requires many considerations. Maintaining hydration, minimising plastic waste, controlling costs and providing easy access to drinking water is a priority in many of these environments.
To help, we’ve put together this handy guide to explain which type of water coolers are best for schools and offices.
Why Mains-Fed Water Coolers Are The Best Choice
When it comes to installing a water cooler or bottle filling station in your school or office, mains-fed coolers are by far the superior choice. Fitting a plumbed-in system allows you to connect directly to your mains water supply, providing an unlimited supply of drinking water, with most indoor systems being filtered.
Not only does this save you money compared to bottled water coolers, but it also removes the hassle of frequent bottle deliveries and wasted plastic bottles. Plus, mains-fed systems often provide fast and efficient filtration for great tasting water all day long.
We supply a wide range of indoor bottle filling stations from industry leader Elkay. These systems are known for their reliability, sleek design and advanced filtration systems providing great tasting water. When it comes to choosing between indoor vs outdoor bottle filling stations, the only consideration you really need to make is if you want it inside or out.
Indoor Bottle Filling Stations
Indoor bottle filling stations are best for:
- School hallways
- Office kitchens and breakout areas
- Gyms and leisure spaces
With numerous styles and options to choose from, Elkay’s indoor bottle filling stations are extremely versatile. Not only do they feature modern designs suitable for most interiors, but they also have built in filtration and antimicrobial technology.
Outdoor Locations for Bottle Filling Stations
You’ll mainly find outdoor bottle filling stations in:
- School playgrounds
- Public parks
- Office complexes
As you can imagine, schools are a major market for outdoor water coolers and bottle filling stations as students will often spend their breaks outside in the playground and on the sports field where hydration is key.
Water Refill Group has an excellent range of outdoor bottle filling stations from Elkay. Built tough with weatherproof materials, you can expect premium performance and hygiene all year round.
Our Top Picks
Outdoor: Elkay EZH2O Pedestal Bottle Filling Station
The Elkay EZH2O® Pedestal Bottle Filling Station is perfect for outdoor areas that see a lot of traffic. Its freestanding design means you can place it anywhere without needing electricity. With a combination of a corrosion-resistant coating and vandal/tamper proof design, it’s ideal for outdoor use.
Key features:
- Constructed using marine-grade stainless steel
- Corrosion resistant finish
- Vandal resistant and tamper proof design
- Freestanding pedestal model with no electricity needed
- Smooth laminar flow fills bottles without splashing
Indoor: Elkay EZH2O Hands-Free Bottle Filling Station
The Elkay EZH2O® Hands-Free Bottle Filling Station is a sleek and hygienic indoor solution, ideal for schools, offices, and commercial spaces. Combining a drinking fountain with a bottle filler, it offers a compact and efficient hydration station.
Key features:
- Activated by a hands-free touchless sensor
- Incorporates both a bottle filling station and drinking fountain
- Delivers filtered and chilled water
- Features antimicrobial parts
- Compact wall-mounted design
Things to Look For in School & Office Water Coolers
Lastly, here are some key features to look for in any water cooler system.
Capacity
Busy areas such as school hallways can back up quickly, so ensure your water cooler can keep-up with demand.
Durability
Units must be robust enough to withstand daily wear and tear, especially in schools.
Hygiene
Features like touch-free activation and antibacterial coatings are important.
Maintenance
Just remember, mains-fed systems don’t require bottles, and all you’ll need to do is replace the filters once every six months.
Summary: Best Water Cooler for Schools and Offices
As you can see, there’s no single answer to which water cooler is best as each office or school will have different needs, but that being said, our recommendation for most buildings would be a mains-fed water cooler.
We offer a wide selection of Elkay bottle filling stations for both indoor and outdoor installs. They’re perfect for schools and offices who want to upgrade their water coolers with future-proof, sustainable alternatives.
Final Thoughts
If you want to improve hydration for students or employees, a water cooler is a worthwhile investment. Not only will you encourage better well-being, but you'll also help the environment by cutting down on single use plastics.
There are many different water coolers on the market, with each one having it's own advantages.
Our advice? Choose a mains-fed system. Contact Water Refill Group today for affordable, high-quality water solutions.
