How does a water cooler work? A water cooler is a machine that chills drinking water and dispenses it on tap. The water comes from one of two places: a large bottle of spring water, or a pipe connected to your building’s mains supply. Inside, most coolers hold the water in a small tank and keep it cold until you press the tap. Many models also heat water in a second tank for tea and coffee.
Where the water comes from is the big difference between the two types. It changes how the cooler is installed, what it costs to run and how much space it needs.
How does a bottled water cooler work?
A bottled water cooler runs on a large bottle of natural spring water. On most models the bottle sits upside down on top, and gravity feeds the water into a tank inside, where it’s chilled. When the bottle runs dry, you lift it off and put a full one on.
We supply 13 and 18.9 litre bottles and deliver within 5 working days of your order. Empties come back to us through our deposit scheme to be refilled, reused or recycled. A bottled cooler only needs a standard 13 amp socket, so it can go almost anywhere. See our bottled water coolers.
How do bottleless water coolers work?
A bottleless water cooler connects straight to your building’s water supply, so it never needs a bottle. You’ll also hear it called a mains-fed, plumbed-in or point-of-use water cooler. Water comes in through a pipe, passes through a filter, and is chilled and dispensed when you press the tap. Some models give hot or sparkling water as well.
Because it’s fed from the mains, a bottleless cooler doesn’t run out. On our rentals, the filter is changed every 6 months, and our guide to mains-fed water cooler filtration explains what it removes. See the mains-fed water coolers we supply.
Mains-fed vs bottled water coolers compared
| Mains-fed | Bottled | |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Your mains supply, filtered | Spring water in 13 or 18.9 litre bottles |
| Installation | Connected to a water supply, plus a plug socket | A standard 13 amp socket |
| Runs out? | No | Yes, when the bottle is empty |
| Storage | None | Room for spare bottles |
| Lifting | None | A full 18.9 litre bottle weighs almost 20 kg |
| Servicing on our rentals | Sanitised, new filter every 6 months | Sanitised, fresh machine twice a year |
| Good for | Busy sites near a water supply | Sites with no water supply, events and temporary sites |
How is each type installed?
A bottled cooler is the quicker job. Our driver delivers it, plugs it in and puts the first bottle on.
A mains-fed cooler takes a little more work. Our engineer finds the nearest water source, agrees the best spot with you, and runs a water supply to the cooler where needed. It needs a plug socket too. Either way, our WHA-qualified team does the installation.
Is a mains-fed or bottled water cooler cheaper to run?
A mains-fed cooler usually costs less in water, because it uses your existing supply and there are no bottles to buy. A bottled cooler is quicker to install, but you pay for each bottle of spring water, plus a refundable deposit on the bottle. Our rental terms ask bottled customers to take at least 13 bottles a year.
Our guide to office water cooler costs goes into running costs, and rent or buy a water cooler? covers the choice between owning and renting.
Which type is more hygienic?
Both are safe to drink from when they’re looked after. Any water cooler needs regular sanitising, and when you rent from us both types are sanitised to WHA standards. Mains-fed coolers also get a new filter every 6 months, and bottled coolers are swapped for a fresh machine twice a year.
Keep bottled water somewhere cool, out of direct light, and use it within 28 days of opening. For cleaning between visits, see our water cooler maintenance tips.
Which type is better for the environment?
A mains-fed cooler needs no plastic bottles and no water deliveries. Once it’s installed, the only visits are for servicing and repairs.
Bottled coolers aren’t single-use, though. Our bottles are sterilised, refilled and reused, and at the end of their life they’re chipped and recycled. Read more in are plumbed-in water coolers better for the environment?
Which type of water cooler should you rent?
A bottled cooler usually makes sense if:
- There’s no water supply near where you want the cooler
- The site is temporary, such as an event, a film set or a building site
A mains-fed cooler usually makes sense if:
- Lots of people will use it every day
- You don’t have room to store bottles, or anyone to lift them
- You want chilled, hot and sparkling water from one machine
- You’d rather not wait in for water deliveries
It’s also worth knowing what the law expects. HSE’s code of practice says workplace drinking water should normally come from the mains, with bottled water as an extra source. Our guide to drinking water at work explains the rules.
Our water cooler hire covers both types anywhere in the UK, from local teams in Exeter, Plymouth, Swindon, London, Portsmouth, Walsall and Scotland. We’ll help you choose, and you can try a cooler free for 10 days.
FAQs
Do bottleless water coolers need plumbing?
Yes. A bottleless cooler connects to your water supply. When you rent from us, our engineer runs the supply to the cooler as part of the installation.
What is a point-of-use water cooler?
Another name for a mains-fed or bottleless water cooler. The water comes from the mains and is filtered and chilled at the point where people drink it.
How often are water cooler filters changed?
On our rented mains-fed coolers, every 6 months.
What size are water cooler bottles?
We supply 13 litre and 18.9 litre bottles of natural spring water. A full 18.9 litre bottle weighs almost 20 kg.
How long does a water cooler bottle last once it’s opened?
Use it within 28 days of opening, and keep spare bottles somewhere cool and out of direct light.
