Do you need a water dispenser for your home or office?
A water dispenser in Singapore is a common sight in homes and offices providing filtered chilled drinking water and hot water for beverages such as coffee and tea. It has become a basic necessity to have the convenience for better productivity and better living. There are numerous types of water dispenser and many different features and options to choose from – so how do you decide which water dispenser is the best for your individual needs?
Do you need cold, hot or warm water?
Well, most basic reason why we get water dispensers is the convenience in providing water in desired temperature. Many dispensers incorporate two separate tanks for water at different temperatures. Mainly they are for cold (5- 7°C) and hot water (80-95°C). There are some dispensers which serve warm water and water at room-temperature instead of hot water. This can prevent any accidental scalding during the dispensing process and makes this type of dispenser popular in family areas where young children are present. (Almost all hot water dispensers come with child-safe feature for the hot water.) Many basic dispensers however only come with hot & cold options. But you can mixhot and cold to customise it to the temperature you desire. Fancy ones come with as many as 5 temperature options. Some specialised dispensers serve only chilled and some only hot.
So first you should think about why you need a water dispenser. Is it only for chilled drinking water, such as for outdoor park or in a clinic? Do you need to provide hot water for beverages like tea and coffee or instant soups or even noodles? Some water dispensers are specially for hot water only, like boilers we see at F&B & cafes and coffee shops. Some models have separate switches for hot and cold and if cold is not required, it could be switched off to save energy.
Countertop or freestanding water dispenser?
Once you have decided on the type of water you need, you should decide which model of water dispenser will be best for you. There are two basic types available: countertop and freestanding models. Countertop water dispensers are very common at home as they can simply be placed on a table or kitchen countertop. They do not occupy any floor-space. Free-standing/ floor-standing water dispensers are very common in offices and placed where many people need to access the dispenser.
Both models are typically available for use with bottled water or pipe-ins (direct pipe-ins / direct piping).
Bottled or bottleless water dispenser?
Bottled water dispensers are usually free-standing models. Depending on the vendors, in Singapore, a bottle of water could be 16 or 19L bottles and cost $8 to 15 per bottle. Offices with no water source in office will have to use this or bottled water dispensers. Theses bottles are treated at plant and delivered to the offices. Direct piping dispensers are bottleless and are typically connected directly to the water source (piped-in) at home or in the office or wherever the dispenser is installed. This latter option, without bottles, can save time and money if a lot of people are using the water dispenser. You do not need to buy or order 19L bottles of water and you do not need to store the bottles (both empty and filled). A bottleless water dispenser may typically mean slightly more upfront to buy and install than a bottle dispenser rental one – but over time it is cheaper than using a water dispenser that requires bottled water – and it’s more environmentally friendly because there are no plastic bottles used & no transportation of the bottles from the vendors to users is required. That means no using of fossil fuels and pollution for our Earth yet you still enjoy good quality filtered water. Want to be environmentally friendly yet have no water source in the office? Consider using a refillable water dispenser. Check out our Manual Top-Up water Dispenser that offers 5 stage filtered water & retains the natural goodness of minerals in water. With this 16L mineral pot, you can do away with bottle water delivery service and refill the pot with a pitcher. So, no backbreaking lifting of 19 litres.
If you choose a direct piping water dispenser …
You will need to consider the installation requirements for the water dispenser. These dispensers are typically installed about 2 metres from the mains water supply and will require an electrical socket /outlet to connect it.
Water dispensers connected directly to the mains water supply, typically use a filter. This filter removes chlorine, organic matter and other possible contaminants from the water dispenser. A filter change is usually required in 6 to 12months.
Other things to consider:
Budget & recurring cost of changing the filters
No of pax users & capability of dispenser
Type of filtration preferred
Other fancy features like these are also available in water dispensers in Singapore:
Cleaning / Anti- bacterial technology: UV Technology, which helps prevent bacteria, and SIP Technology, which reduces cleaning and maintenance,
Usage Conveniences: Big drip trays,
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