Our bottled water coolers and our plumbed in water coolers both come with two taps. Obviously, you’ll be requiring one of these taps to provide you with chilled water and for the second tap you have other choices, including:

• Hot

This acts like a conventional hot water tap but the difference is that this tap will provide you with even hotter water. This makes it the ideal choice for coffee and tea.

• Ambient

This option will provide you with water that’s not chilled or hot. It’s not the ideal option for everyone, as some people don’t like drinking at ambient temperature, but there are benefits to it. It has been proven that drinking ambient water helps to rehydrate your body much faster than if you were drinking hot or cold water.

The hot water option will be more expensive and if you’re on a budget, you will also have to think about the additional electricity costs.

If you are familiar with the more traditional water coolers then you will already know that they have the blue coloured water bottle on top of them. These are known as “bottle fed”, “freestanding” or “bottled water coolers”. However, you also have the option of coolers that source the water from the mains supply. So, no bottles are required, which can be quite heavy. By getting your water from the mains supply, you can also filter it, which will provide you with water that tastes amazing. This type of water cooler is known as “plumbed in” or “mains fed” water coolers. They are sometimes referred to in this industry as POU coolers (point of use). Bottled or plumbed in water coolers both make excellent options, for a wide range of environments, including schools, universities and offices.

At Sleeping Giant Coolers we offer both bottled and plumbed in water coolers. They both have their benefits, so the final decision really comes down to your own personal preferences.

Well, first of all you have to decide on the type of water cooler you require, either plumbed in or bottled. Then, once you have made your selection you need to choose a model. You will pay more for looks, as a general rule and also the power of the water cooler and the quality of the build.

At Sleeping Giant Coolers there are a wide range of water coolers available, covering different price ranges. With our water coolers you’re guaranteed value for money, whatever price range you select.

Here are a few points that should be considered when choosing a water cooler:

• Check out the cooling power

If you require your water to be at a considerably low temperature then more expensive models will be able to do this for you. They have the power to lower water temperature, even further. They will also be able to heat water to an even higher temperature, if you choose a model that has hot and cold options. If your water cooler is going to be located in a very warm environment then this would make the better option.

If your cooler is going to be in constant use, for instance, in a canteen, then you should also be considering the rate of water cooling. This is usually reported in how many litres you use each hour.

The design of the water cooler

If your water cooler is going to be in a reception, for instance, then our premium range would make an excellent choice, as they have been designed for style and are perfectly suitable for customer facing areas. If looks aren’t really important to you then it would be advisable for you to choose a water cooler that has less expensive finishes. This will greatly help you to keep costs down, if you’re on a budget.

• The quality of the build

At Sleeping Giant Coolers we pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and you can be rest assured that each of our water coolers, no matter what the price range, has been built to last. We will provide you with a water cooler that is going to be extremely reliable and will provide you with many years of service. Of course, there are cheaper models available, but they are made using poor quality materials and definitely won’t last you very long. You will end up spending a large amount of money on faults and repairs. With us, you’re guaranteed a first class service, with quality that stands out from the others.

The traditional choice has always been the free standing water cooler or “bottled water cooler” and does still remain to be the best solution, if you have enough space. However, they are bigger than the desktop water coolers, which make the ideal choice if space is limited. The desktop water bottles are ideal for home use, for instance, you could very comfortably fit a desktop water cooler on a kitchen work surface or in any other location where you have limited space.

Desktop water coolers are also a little cheaper than free standing water coolers but they do have a disadvantage, and that is the capacity of the water they can hold. The litres per hour, is usually reported to be much smaller than freestanding water coolers. If you do decide to go for the desktop bottled cooler then the bottles will also be much smaller, when compared with the plumbed in coolers. This will mean you will have to change them much more frequently.

Here at Sleeping Giant Coolers we have a wide range of free standing water coolers available, at very competitive prices, with servicing and accessories provided.

Your bottled water cooler may be able to provide you with mineral, spring or simply drinking water. All bottled water must be of the highest of standards for mineral and hygiene content. Spring and mineral waters will have to be suitable for drinking with limited treatments that are permitted. Also, mineral water must show that it has a long history of stability and that it goes through a recognition process.

In the long run purchasing a water cooler will save you money but then you also have the worry of expenses when things go wrong with them. For instance, the boiler or the cooler could suddenly pack in. You will also have to deal with administration problems, which come with the maintenance of them. If you do decide to rent a water cooler then someone else will be able to take care of things for you. There are many things that need to be considered when it comes to choosing between renting and purchasing. For instance, before you make your final decision you need to be thinking about the initial costs and ongoing costs.

If you do decide to rent your water cooler then there is another decision that has to be made and that’s whether you sign up to a pay as you go water supply or a fixed water supply. A fixed water supply will provide you with a fixed number off bottles per month, at a set price. With a pay as you go water supply you can have as many bottles as you require. Of course, the fixed water supply will enable you to have a fixed cost each month, so you know exactly what you have to pay and if you’re on a budget, this makes the best option. Rental contracts will include services and repairs, so you can have peace of mind, knowing that if things go wrong, you are covered.

With water coolers hygiene is a huge concern and coolers that aren’t properly cleaned can, very quickly, become a health hazard. Also, a cooler that isn’t maintained properly can become inefficient and has the potential to totally break down. Proper cleaning and maintenance is essential, to provide you with fresh, crisp water and a machine that’s in good working order.

The whole process of cleaning water coolers is known as sanitation and it’s recommended that you should clean your water cooler once every three months. Some people say that you can clean your water coolers yourself. However, this is not the recommendation of the British Water Cooler Association. The cost of having an expert come out and clean your water cooler is not overly expensive and will ensure your water cooler has been cleaned to a high standard and is safe to drink.

Sometimes, the parts of the water cooler that are in constant contact with the water will require replacing. The plumbed in water coolers especially have more parts that will need to be changed frequently. This should be taken into consideration when you’re thinking about the type of cooler you want and also if you’re planning on purchasing or renting a water cooler.

The majority of well cleaned and maintained water coolers will provide you with many years of great service but sometimes problems do occur. If problems do happen then you should employ the services of a water cooler professional that has all the skills and experience that’s needed to repair your water cooler, in a professional manner. Ideally, you want to have cover as part of your water cooler package. This way, you’ll have peace of mind, knowing that if there are any issues, they can be solved, very quickly, by a professional.

Here at Sleeping Giant Coolers we will carry out a thorough service of your water cooler, ensuring it is functioning as it should and that it is clean and safe to use. We will carry out pH tests on your water cooler to ensure that you are being supplied with clean, pure and chemically balanced water. Then, once we’ve carried out our checks, we will provide you with a service certificate.

Even if your water cooler wasn’t supplied by us here at Sleeping Giant Coolers, we will still be more than happy to service it for you.

When you purchase a water cooler or rent one, it’s essential that you know what accessories will come with your package. In some cases you will not need any extras. It is highly recommended that you know exactly what you’ll be receiving, so you won’t be paying for any additional extras that you don’t require.

The majority of suppliers will provide you with an initial supply of plastic cups and if you have a bottled water cooler then new cups are usually delivered to you, when you receive your water. Extra cups that are required for plumbed in coolers will usually be delivered via mail order. You also have the option of not having any cups at all. Some people prefer to wash the cups that they already have.

At Sleeping Giant Coolers we will supply you with fully recyclable plastic or paper cups as well as other extras, including, bottle racks and covers (which are used for bottled water coolers),  drip trays, taps, panels and filters.

We hope our FAQs have been of great use to you. We at Sleeping Giant Coolers fully appreciate that choosing a water cooler is a huge consideration and you obviously have many questions, which hopefully, we have just answered!

If you have any other questions at all, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We would be delighted to answer them for you!