Mains-fed water coolers: how they work and how to switch.
A mains-fed water cooler connects to the building’s cold water supply and filters it at the point of use. No bottles to order, store or lift. This page covers how they work, what the install needs and how to move off bottled water. Choosing a unit for an office? See our office water dispensers guide.
- No bottle deliveries or storage
- For offices, schools, healthcare and hospitality
- Installed and serviced by our own engineers
How a mains-fed water cooler works.
The cooler is plumbed into the cold water supply, so water arrives as you use it.
- 01
Mains in
A cold feed runs to the cooler, so there is no bottle to change and nothing to reorder.
- 02
Filtered at the point of use
Water is filtered where it is dispensed, and cartridges are changed on plan so it tastes the same all year.
- 03
Chilled, heated or sparkling
Chilled is standard. Hot, boiling and sparkling depend on the model you choose.
What you stop doing.
No deliveries
No orders to place and no delivery slots to be in for. The water is simply there.
No storage
Full bottles and the empties waiting for collection take up cupboard space. That comes back.
No lifting
Heavy bottle changeovers are one of the routine jobs that stop.
More than chilled
Depending on the model, sparkling and hot from the same dispenser.
| Mains-fed | Bottled | |
|---|---|---|
| Supply | Plumbed into the cold water supply | Bottle deliveries to book |
| Storage | None | Space for full and empty bottles |
| Handling | No lifting | Heavy bottle changeovers |
| Upkeep | Filters changed on a service plan | Someone has to remember to reorder |
| Waters | Chilled, sparkling and hot, by model | Usually chilled and ambient |
Where a site has no suitable cold water supply, a bottled cooler can still be the right answer.
Four things to check.
We check each one against the model’s datasheet at the survey.
- A cold water supply The cooler is plumbed into a cold feed near where it will stand. The survey checks one can reach the spot.
- A power socket For the chiller, and for the heater or carbonator on models that have them.
- A waste point, on some models Some units need a drain connection. Others do not.
- Space Worktop, floor or under the counter, depending on the unit.
Moving off bottles, step by step.
- 01
Check your bottle contract
Note the notice period and any cooler hire on your current bottled water contract.
- 02
Book a survey
A chargeable visit that checks the water supply, power, space and how many people each point serves. If you go ahead, it is credited against your order.
- 03
Install, then stop deliveries
Our engineers fit and commission the new cooler. Once it is running, you can end the bottle deliveries.
- 04
Planned servicing
Our maintenance plans cover planned visits from every 3 months and keep the manufacturer warranty valid.
Pick by where it goes.
Offices and staff kitchens
Sizing by headcount, formats and the full BRITA and Sovereign range: see office water dispensers.
Boiling water as well
Boiling, chilled and sparkling from one tap: see commercial boiling water taps.
Outdoor and public sites
Our Monarch water stations and Crown Spring fountains serve larger groups.
Mains-fed water cooler questions.
What is a mains-fed water cooler?
A water cooler plumbed into the building's cold water supply. It filters the water at the point of use, then chills it, and on some models heats or carbonates it. There are no bottles to order, store or lift.
What does installing a mains-fed cooler involve?
It needs a cold water supply and a power socket, and some models need a waste point. We survey the site, then fit, connect and commission the unit with our own engineers.
What if there is no cold water supply where we want the cooler?
The survey checks whether a cold supply can reach the spot. Where it cannot, a bottled cooler can still be the right answer.
How do we switch from bottled water?
Check the notice period on your bottled water contract, then book a survey. Once the new cooler is installed and running, you can stop the deliveries.
Which workplaces use mains-fed water coolers?
Offices, schools, healthcare, hospitality and retail all use them. For an office, our office water dispensers guide sizes a unit by headcount.
Do you charge for the survey?
Yes, the survey is a chargeable visit. If you go ahead, it is credited against your order.
Moving off bottled water?
Tell us your sites, how many people each one serves and what you use now. We will recommend a unit and quote to buy, lease or rent.