How to Choose the Best Water Dispenser for Your Home?
por Dr. Jonathan Doyle - Updated April 14, 2022
We all need clean and safe drinking water to survive as humans. Before now, you would only find water dispensers in public places and offices. But in recent times, it has become a regular feature in most households. If you are looking to get a good water dispenser for your family, you are at the right place.
This guide is designed to help you make the right product choice that balances quality and pricing. It is important to know that the best water dispensers offer excellent filtration performance to remove dangerous contaminants in your tap water, leaving you with clean and healthy drinking water. Simple maintenance is also an essential requirement.
What Is a Water Dispenser?
A water dispenser does three things: heats, cools, and dispenses water. Millions of people across the globe rely on water dispensers to get clean and safe water for drinking. That is why you find these devices almost everywhere you turn.
A water dispenser has three major roles;
- Offers healthy, clean, and safe filtered water from a replaceable bottle
- Converts tap water from the municipal source to drinkable water.
- Efficiently filters, heats, or cools drinking water.
There are hundreds of water dispensers in the market, each different in form factor, size, and capabilities. For example, we have the bottle filler type of dispensers, wall-mounted dispensers, and the bi-level units, among others.
For ease of discussion, we can classify water dispensers into two major groups: point-of-use (POU) water dispensers and bottled water dispensers. The point-of-use water dispensers connect directly to a water supply, unlike the bottled water dispensers that require large bottles from vendors. Bottled water dispensers can be bottom-loaded or top-mounted, in terms of design models.
Water Dispenser Offers Convenience
Water dispensers provide users with a convenient means to access clean, refreshing water. Water is an essential requirement in the human body, balancing internal temperature and keeping most metabolic activities running. Asides from the convenience and apparent health benefits it offers, here are a few other advantages of a water dispenser;
Spend Less on Drinking Water
These devices are economical, especially when compared with buying bottled water. You will also be saving the environment by choosing dispensers over unrecyclable plastic waste from used and discarded bottles.
Filters Water to Purity
Safe drinking water is a must-have for every household. Water dispensers ensure this by filtering out impurities in your water. So, with a dispenser, you and your family can always enjoy clean and safe water.
Offers Hot and Cold Water
Having a water dispenser in your kitchen means you can choose from hot or cold water anytime. The machines are designed to dispense cold and hot water depending on the user’s request. The best part is both the cold and hot water can come out instantly. That’s a massive change from waiting for the water to boil or refrigerate before you can get hot or cold water.
Water Dispensers Are Not Perfect
We have identified why you need to have a water dispenser in your space. Now let’s mention a few drawbacks of water dispensers.
They Sometimes Require Electricity
Some water dispensers are powered by electricity, which is required to heat and cool the water. That means you can only use them when you have an electric supply. This might be an issue for people living in an area without a steady electricity supply. If possible, choose a water dispenser that works without electricity.
Maintenance Can Be Tedious
Not all water dispensers are easy to maintain. For instance, if you have a model with water filters that eliminate impurities from the source water, you would need regular checks and filter replacements to ensure your dispenser stays in shape.
They Require a Continuous Water Supply
Water dispensers can only work when there is a continuous and adequate water supply properly. That is because most dispensers are not designed to store water. Similarly, there may be no or poor water supply if the pressure is not enough. You can install an external pump to boost the water pressure when that happens.
Types of Water Dispensers
Having a comprehensive understanding of water dispensers and how they work will help you make the right choice for your household when shopping. Water dispensers are classified into three main groups - your choice will depend on your needs and preferences.
Likewise, it is advisable to prioritize the water dispenser’s material when shopping for an excellent water dispenser for your domestic use. You can choose from dispensers made of stainless steel or plastic, again depending on personal preferences.
Bottled-type Water Dispensers
The bottled type water dispensers can store more water while delivering water at various temperatures in seconds. However, they mostly have plastic bodies, which is not exactly eco-friendly. In terms of maintenance, they require regular cleaning to avoid bacterial contamination in your drinking water.
Filter-type Water Dispensers
As the name implies, these water dispensers have filters added for filtration purposes. They also deliver pure and safe drinking water straight from the municipal water source. However, unlike bottled-type dispensers, they may not dispense hot water - only cold water. Furthermore, they mostly have shorter lifespans due to the frequent filter replacements.
Direct Piping Type Water Dispensers
The direct piping type dispensers are connected to water pipes. This ensures you get fresh and clean drinking water anytime. It works by taking in tap water and sending it through multiple water filters, with the filtered water ending in the inlet of water dispenser tanks, where they are cooled or heated.
The Best Water Dispensers for Your Household
Considering how important water is for every household - for drinking and other domestic uses - you cannot afford to leave this decision to chance. The right water dispenser should provide you and your family with a safe and consistent supply of clean, drinking, and healthy water whenever you need it.
It’s a demanding and tedious process. But you can avoid the stress and save more time with these expert recommendations below;
Waterdrop Water Filter Dispenser WD-WFD-22L
The Waterdrop WD-WFD-22L is equipped with multi-stage filtration technology that eliminates most contaminants in tap water. It is also NSF 372 and 42 certified for efficient filtration and safe materials. You get a large 20-cup filter capacity while maintaining a compact size that fits into most fridges. The inbuilt filter dispenses up to 200 gallons of filtered water or two months of service before it is due for replacement.
This Waterdrop water purifier pitcher has a gravity induction filter life indicator. Therefore, you can easily track the filter life of your device and never miss a replacement. In addition, the max water level line ensures zero leakage, while the anti-slip design adds more stability and safety.
Waterdrop Countertop RO Water Dispenser WD-N1-W
The Waterdrop N1 Countertop RO filtration system is equipped with a UV light that offers hourly purification of the source water, eliminating bacteria and viruses. You also get an integrated smart display screen to keep track of the water quality in real-time. In addition, this machine offers enhanced efficiency with a 3:1 drain ratio. This, alongside a drain water recycling feature, minimizes the amount of water used.
This device has another layer of protection, with a RO membrane that removes harmful impurities to increase the drinking water safety and purity. You can rest assured of enjoying clean, safe, and great-tasting water with this countertop RO water dispenser. The installation is seamless; set it up close to an electrical socket anywhere in your home, and always enjoy clean water.
In Conclusion
This article has discussed the various types of water dispensers. We believe you are now better positioned to choose the best water dispenser for your family. To reiterate, start by identifying the top options and then analyze them all based on their features before deciding on the best.
When you eventually get a water dispenser, ensure you place it somewhere strategic and safe so it doesn’t slip off. While there may be slight issues, your warranty covers most of these things, including leakage, heating, or cooling problems.
Contaminants Detected in Fruitland Water
Special
Service District
30
Contaminants
EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
EXCEED EWG HEALTH GUIDELINES
30 Total Contaminants in Your Water
Water Provider
Fruitland Water Special Service DistrictPopulation Affected
120,000Water Source
Ground waterExceeds Guidelines
Others Detected