Top Features To Look For In A New Water Dispenser

A water dispenser is essential to any office or workplace, giving staff, visitors, and clients easy access to crisp, great-tasting, fully-filtered drinking water. Whether you're looking to upgrade one or more of your existing dispensers or want to discover the best water dispenser for your office, it's essential to recognise the different types, what they can do, and whether they fit your needs. 

But there are plenty of different water dispenser models available, all offering different capabilities – so which one is right for you? Here are some of the top features to look out for so your office has the model that ticks all the right boxes.

Which type of water dispenser?

To start with, the first and biggest thing to think about is the type of water dispenser you’d prefer to use. Dispensers come in different styles and sizes to suit the available space and usage needs of your office. Here are the main types and a breakdown of what they are:

• Bottled water dispensers – These freestanding water coolers use large bottles of pure-filtered natural spring water. Bottled water dispensers are ideal for any location that doesn’t have a direct water supply, so you can position them wherever they’re needed as long as they can plug into a mains power outlet. However, they require regular ordering and storage of water bottles.
   
• Mains-fed (plumbed-in) water dispensers – Connected directly to your mains water supply, these dispensers deliver an unlimited supply of filtered water, helping to reduce plastic waste and removing any bottle storage issues. Mains-fed water dispensers are also a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to their bottled cousins, but will need plumbing installation.
   
• Countertop water dispensers – If floor space is at a premium, these compact models are a perfect fit for smaller offices, kitchens, or canteens. Available in mains-fed and bottled versions, countertop models are ideal for a small team with lower usage.

Whichever dispenser type you’re considering, maintaining hygiene is essential, especially if it will be used by a lot of people, including members of the public. To combat the risk of germ and bacteria buildup on any high-touch areas of your water dispenser, there’s always the option of having a touchless water dispenser. 

Installing a touchless foot switch, paddle adaptor, or even a smartphone app means you can also minimise the risk of any cross-contamination, making your water dispenser ideal for busy offices and workplaces. 

Water temperature options

One of the best features of an office water dispenser is choosing filtered water to be delivered at different temperatures. Many dispensers will offer a choice of two or three temperatures. When you’re looking at water dispensers, think about what your team may want to use it for most and whether having all these temperature settings would be worthwhile:

• Chilled water – Perfect for staying cool and refreshed throughout the day, especially in summer and a hot office.
• Ambient water – Ideal for anyone who prefers their water at room temperature, which can be gentler on the stomach and useful for staying hydrated even in cooler weather and offices.
• Hot water – A useful addition for making tea, coffee, or instant meals or soups. Certain models also have adjustable temperature settings for different needs.
• Sparkling water – Some premium water dispensers also offer a sparkling water option. A great way for anyone who enjoys a sugary fizzy drink to have a healthier alternative.

Water filtration systems

Everyone loves the pure, fresh taste of fully filtered water. So, for any mains-fed water dispensers, an advanced filtration system is essential to getting the highest quality and taste of your water. High-quality filtration improves its taste and smell and provides extra health benefits by removing potentially harmful contaminants. Depending on your chosen model, the Thirsty Work Pura filtration system range can:

• Remove impurities, chlorine, limescale, and unpleasant tastes, making the water better tasting and more enjoyable to drink. While necessary, reducing chlorine helps to prevent any potential chemical aftertaste, so every sip is as refreshing as possible.
• Improve water clarity and odour, so every glassful can look and smell fantastic, giving everyone a better drinking experience. Cloudy water or a funky smell can put people off drinking it, so a reliable filtration system is essential to keep people hydrated.
• Provide a healthier alternative to standard tap water by eliminating harmful contaminants like heavy metals, bacteria, and viruses. And with the ability to remove microplastics and other pollutants, a Pura filtration system can boost overall health and well-being.
• Extend the life of your water dispenser by preventing limescale buildup and reducing any sediment buildup. This prevention means the unit will work efficiently with minimal maintenance, reducing the need for breakdown repairs.

Look for a Thirsty Work water dispenser with advanced Pura filtration technology to guarantee the cleanest and best-tasting drinking water. A well-maintained filtration system will deliver the freshest water and help reduce single-use plastic bottles, making it a more sustainable choice.

Water capacity and bottle size

The water capacity of your dispenser might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you’re looking for a new or updated model. However, it’s one of the most important features to be aware of to keep everyone happy. Whether you opt for a bottled or a mains-fed dispenser, understanding its water capacity will make sure it meets the demands of your team. Think about:

• Water bottle size (for bottled dispensers) – Common sizes range from Thirsty Work are 13L and 18.9L. Choose a size that matches how much your team will drink to avoid frequent bottle changes.
• Tank capacity (for mains-fed dispensers) – A higher capacity model is more suitable for larger offices and a higher footfall, with many dispensers ranging from 5 up to 50 litres per hour. 

With both dispensers offering a fast flow rate, everyone benefits from quick dispensing, reducing queues at busy times, which is good news for offices and workplaces with many employees using it throughout the day.

Ease of Maintenance

Regular maintenance and servicing of your new water dispenser is vital to keep it in top condition and perfect working order. Alongside easy daily and weekly cleaning tasks you can do yourself, water dispensers also have internal elements and cleaning processes that should only be carried out by a WHA-qualified engineer. Here’s a rundown of typical maintenance and servicing a typical water dispenser will need:

• Daily cleaning – Using food-safe sanitising wipes to clean the outside of the dispenser together with high-touch areas like taps and cup holders.
• Weekly cleaning – As per your daily clean, but also remove the drip tray and wash it in warm, soapy water or through a dishwasher cycle.
• Regular maintenance & Service plans – Some suppliers, like Thirsty Work, offer a maintenance and service package as standard. Our maintenance and service packages include bottled and mains-fed dispenser installation,  complete sanitisation and filter changes, and full call out and repairs, including parts and labour.

With regular cleaning and maintenance, your water dispenser will prevent bacterial growth and deliver fresh, clean, and great-tasting drinking water efficiently and hygienically for years – while making your life easier.

Thirsty Work water dispensers for your office 

Choosing the best water dispenser for your office means considering multiple factors, from filtration quality and hygiene to capacity and even what type of water dispenser you need. But, by selecting a model that meets the specific needs of your office and keeping up with regular maintenance, you can enjoy a reliable and long-lasting way to keep everyone in your business hydrated.

If you need more information on which water dispenser is best for you, call our customer service team today on 01392 877 172 or email hello@thirstywork.com. They’ll tell you everything you need to know while getting your free quote and starting your 10-day free trial on a water dispenser of your choice.