What Are Water Coolers?

On this page (8 sections)

1. What are water coolers and what do they actually do?
2. What are the main types of water cooler?
3. How does a water cooler chill water?
4. What should you check before buying a water cooler?
5. What are the best water coolers for a home or office?
6. How do you clean and care for a water cooler?
7. What are the everyday pros and cons of owning a water cooler?
8. Which water cooler should you pick?

A water cooler is a freestanding appliance that holds or connects to a water supply and dispenses chilled, room-temperature or hot water on demand. Most models run on electricity, feed one or more spouts from an internal reservoir, and hold a 3 or 5 gallon bottle or draw from a plumbed line.

People ask what are water coolers because the name covers several machines that look alike but work differently. A kitchen cooler, a bottled office dispenser and a plumbed unit all chill water, yet they differ in how water gets in and what care they need.

What are water coolers and what do they actually do?

A water cooler chills water and pours it from a spout, so you get a cold drink without opening the fridge. The cabinet hides the reservoir, the cooling hardware and the bottle or water line that feed it.

The basic parts are the same across types. A reservoir holds water ready to pour, a cooling system drops its temperature, and a button releases it into your glass.

Hot-and-cold models add a second heated tank and a separate hot spout.

Most units are freestanding, about the size of a small cabinet. They stand on a floor or counter and plug into a standard outlet.

Some sit under a counter or mount on a wall, but the freestanding cabinet is the common shape for homes and offices.

Water sits in the reservoir between pours, so a cooler that goes unused for weeks needs more attention than one emptied daily. That's why care belongs in any honest answer to what water coolers are.

What are the main types of water cooler?

Water coolers split into bottled and plumbed models first, then by where the bottle sits. Each type fits a different room and a different level of effort.

Bottled coolers: top load and bottom load

A bottled cooler takes a 3 or 5 gallon jug that you buy or have delivered. Top-load models take the jug on the cabinet's top, so you lift it overhead.

Bottom-load models take the jug inside a lower cabinet, so you slide it in and skip the lift.

The Brio unit is a bottom-load design that fits 3 or 5 gallon jugs in its cabinet. It offers three temperatures, a child safety lock on the hot spout and an alert when the bottle runs low.

At 41.4 inches high and 40.6 pounds, it suits a kitchen corner or a break room.

Bottom loading removes the heaviest part of cooler ownership. If lifting a full jug is a problem for you or anyone in the household, this style is the one to look at first.

Our guide to how long water coolers last covers how the load style affects wear over time.

Plumbed and point-of-use coolers

A plumbed cooler, also called point-of-use, connects to your home's water line and needs no jugs. It filters and chills water as it flows, so there's no bottle to store or swap.

The trade-off is installation: you need a supply line and often a drain near the spot.

These suit a fixed kitchen or office location where the cooler will stay. Renters and rooms without plumbing are better served by a bottled model.

How does a water cooler chill water?

A compressor chills water the way a fridge does, while a thermoelectric cooler uses a solid-state plate. The method decides how cold the water gets, how fast it recovers and how much power it draws.

A compressor cooler circulates refrigerant through coils to pull heat from the reservoir. It reaches colder temperatures and recovers faster after heavy use, which is why most offices and busy kitchens use it.

A thermoelectric cooler passes current through a plate that creates a hot side and a cold side. It runs quieter and lighter but chills more slowly.

Hot-and-cold models add a heating tank with its own element. The Brio lists an upper temperature rating of 198°F on the hot side.

The Avalon A4 uses a 420W heating element and a 100W cooling system, per the maker's specs, and carries UL and Energy Star marks.

Power draw varies with the cooling method and how often you draw water. Our post on water cooler power consumption breaks down what pushes the number up or down.

What should you check before buying a water cooler?

Check the load style, the temperatures you need and the fit in your room before you buy. The cabinet has to hold a full jug or reach a water line, and it has to fit the spot you have in mind.

Start with the bottle size. Most bottled coolers take 3 or 5 gallon jugs, but confirm the cabinet accepts the size your delivery service brings.

The Brio and the Avalon A4 both fit 3 to 5 gallon bottles.

Next, decide on temperatures. A room-temperature-only unit is simplest.

A hot-and-cold model adds tea and coffee but also adds a heating tank and a hot spout to watch around children. Look for a child safety lock if kids use the room.

Measure the space. The Brio is 15.6 inches deep by 12.2 inches wide by 41.4 inches high.

The Avalon A4 is 12 inches deep by 13 inches wide by 41 inches high. Leave room behind for the cord and above for a top-load jug if you choose that style.

What are the best water coolers for a home or office?

The Brio bottom loader is the best pick for most homes and offices because it removes the heavy lift and adds a hot spout with a child lock. The Avalon A4 is the choice when you want anti-microbial contact surfaces and a nightlight.

The Brio earns our top score of 9.2. Its bottom-load cabinet takes 3 or 5 gallon jugs, so you slide the bottle in instead of hoisting it.

It dispenses hot, cold and room-temperature water, and the empty-bottle alert takes the guesswork out of refills. A two-step lock sits above the hot button to prevent accidental pours.

The Avalon A4 scores 9.0. It also bottom loads and offers three temperatures.

Its cabinet is stainless steel, and the high-contact areas carry BioGuard anti-microbial coating. A built-in nightlight makes the spouts visible in a dark room, and an empty-bottle indicator lights up when the jug needs swapping.

It's a strong fit for an office that runs late.

Which cooler suits which room?

Pick the Brio for a family kitchen where the hot spout will see daily use and the child lock matters. Pick the Avalon A4 for an office or a room where the cooler sits in dim light.

Both fit a standard 5 gallon bottle, so the choice comes down to the lock and light versus the coated surfaces.

If your cooler ever stops chilling, a water cooler not cooling water usually traces to airflow, the thermostat or a recent move. Check those before assuming the unit is finished.

How do you clean and care for a water cooler?

Clean the reservoir and spouts about every three months, and wipe the cabinet and drip tray more often. Bottled coolers need the most care because water sits in the reservoir between pours.

Unplug the cooler and remove the bottle before cleaning. Drain the reservoir, then wash the interior and spouts with a dedicated cleaner.

Rinse well so no residue reaches your next glass. Wipe the outside and the drip tray with a damp cloth.

The IMPRESA cleaner comes as two 8 ounce bottles and works with top-load and bottom-load coolers. It's unscented and tasteless and is made to remove build-up without harming the appliance.

Each pack covers about four cleaning sessions, so it lasts roughly a year at the three-month pace.

Keep the cooler off direct sun and away from heat. A warm spot makes the compressor work harder and the water warm faster.

If the spout stops flowing, our guide to a water cooler that won't dispense water covers the usual causes.

What are the everyday pros and cons of owning a water cooler?

The upside is instant cold or hot water in one spot and no repeated trips to the kitchen tap. The trade-off is upkeep: cleaning, bottle swaps or filter changes, and floor space for the cabinet.

On the plus side, a cooler keeps a shared supply cold and ready. Hot spouts make tea and instant meals quick.

A bottom loader spares your back, and an empty-bottle alert stops the surprise of a dry spout.

The costs are real too. Bottled models need jug storage and a delivery or refill routine.

The cabinet takes floor space and needs an outlet. Reservoir cleaning is a chore that never fully goes away.

And a cooler that loses its chill needs diagnosis, not just a new bottle.

Which water cooler should you pick?

Pick a bottom-load bottled cooler for most homes and offices, and pick a plumbed unit only if the room has a water line and a drain. The Brio is our overall pick, and the Avalon A4 is the fit for dim rooms and coated surfaces.

A bottled bottom loader is the easiest start, and a plumbed cooler makes sense when the location is fixed. Add the IMPRESA cleaner to your routine so the reservoir stays fresh between bottle swaps.

If you're setting up a new cooler, read our guide to how long water coolers last to plan for its working life.

Frequently asked questions

What is a water cooler used for?

A water cooler gives you chilled, room-temperature or hot water from one spot without plumbing to a tap. Homes use it for drinking water and hot drinks, while offices use it to keep a shared supply in a break room.

Most models hold a 3 or 5 gallon bottle or connect to a water line.

Do water coolers need electricity?

Yes. Every standard cooler needs a power outlet to chill water and, on hot-and-cold models, to heat it.

A room-temperature-only dispenser still uses power for its pump and lights.

Plan for a grounded outlet near the cabinet and keep the cord away from wet floors.

Is bottled water or plumbed water better for a cooler?

Bottled water suits renters and rooms without a water line, since you only need a delivery service or refill jugs. Plumbed coolers skip bottle lifting and storage but need a supply line and a drain nearby.

Pick bottled for flexibility and plumbed for a fixed kitchen or office spot.

Can a water cooler make hot water?

Many models can. Hot-and-cold coolers heat water in a separate tank, often to around 198°F on the hot spout, for tea, coffee and instant foods.

A child safety lock on the hot spout is worth having if kids or guests use the cooler.

Room-temperature-only models do not heat water.