Water Dispenser Buyer's Guide

What to consider before choosing

Which water machine type is right?

Which water type do you need?

What affects cost and day-to-day management?

Buy or lease?

Questions to ask suppliers

Water machine FAQs 

Start with the basics:

• how many people use the site each day
• where demand is highest across the workplace
• whether you need a simple still water solution or a wider choice of chilled, sparkling or flavoured options
• whether the workplace also needs a separate hot water point for tea and other drinks
• how much space you have available
• whether the machine will sit in a kitchen, breakout area, reception or communal zone
• how visible and accessible you want the hydration point to be
• how much day-to-day involvement your team can take on

A water machine that looks right on paper is not always the best fit in practice. The best solution is the one that suits your space, keeps pace with demand and is easy to use and manage.

Get a tailored recommendation

For most modern workplaces, the first decision is whether you need a plumbed-in water solution or a bottled water cooler.

In most cases, a plumbed-in water machine is the stronger long-term option.

Plumbed-in water machines are often the right choice when:

• you want a more seamless everyday solution
• you want to avoid bottle deliveries, storage and manual bottle changes
• the workplace wants to reduce plastic waste
• you want a cleaner, lower-hassle setup for busy shared spaces
• you are planning for steady, ongoing daily use

Bottled water coolers may still suit some sites when:

• plumbing access is limited
• the machine is only needed for a temporary period
• the site is not ready for a mains-fed installation

For most workplaces, though, plumbed-in systems make more sense. They are easier to integrate into the workplace, better suited to regular use and more aligned with the move away from bottled water and the storage issues that come with it. Selecta’s current hydration range is built around mains-fed, bottle-free systems, including Aquablu Refill+ and Waterlogic solutions.

For most buyers, the next decision is choosing the right type of workplace water solution.

Freestanding filtered water dispensers

Filtered water dispensers are a strong fit for workplaces that want an easy, reliable hydration point in a shared area.

They are often the right choice when:

• you want a dedicated hydration station
• employees need quick access to chilled or ambient water
• the workplace wants a simple self-serve solution
• you need a floorstanding or countertop option depending on the space available

Integrated water taps

Filtered water taps can work well when space is tighter or you want a more streamlined look in kitchens and smaller communal areas.

They are often the right choice when:

• you want a compact, space-saving solution
• the machine needs to sit neatly within an existing kitchen or tea point
• you want filtered water without adding a larger standalone unit
• your workplace needs a clean, minimal setup

Premium hydration systems

Premium hydration systems can be a strong option when you want to offer more than standard still water.

They are often the right choice when:

• you want chilled, sparkling or flavoured water options
• the workplace wants to encourage better hydration through more choice
• employee experience is a priority
• you want a more modern, standout hydration offer for staff and visitors

Current Selecta water solutions already cover these types of needs, from core filtered dispensers to connected bottle-free systems with sparkling and flavoured options.

If your priority is reliable everyday hydration, a plumbed-in dispenser or tap is often the best route.

If you want to offer a more enhanced hydration experience with greater choice, a premium system may be the better fit.

This is an important decision point for many workplaces.

Some customers need a dedicated cold water solution in one area and a separate hot water solution elsewhere for tea or general kitchen use. Others want one system that can support both hot and chilled water in the same workplace environment. 

A hot tap or hot-and-cold water point can make sense when:

• tea is a regular part of the workplace drinks routine
• the kitchen or breakout area needs a more practical hot water option
• you want to reduce reliance on kettles in shared areas
• your workplace wants a more streamlined self-serve setup

In many workplaces, the right answer is not one machine doing everything. It may be a separate cold water solution in a high-traffic communal area, combined with a hot tap or hot-and-cold point in a kitchen or tea station.

The key is to think about where people actually need water, and what they need it for.

Not every site needs the same type of hydration offer.

For some workplaces, simple chilled and ambient water will do the job well. For others, offering sparkling or flavoured water can make hydration more appealing and help increase regular use.

A broader drinks choice can make sense when:

• employees are looking for alternatives to tea, coffee or sugary soft drinks
• you want hydration points to feel more modern and engaging
• the workplace is focused on wellbeing and employee experience
• visitors and guests also use the space
• you want to encourage refill behaviour and reduce reliance on bottled drinks

Aquablu Refill+ Series 2 is one example of this more premium approach, offering ambient, chilled, sparkling and vitamin-enriched flavoured water from one bottle-free system, while connected reporting gives better visibility of usage and impact.

The key is to choose a level of choice that matches your workplace, rather than adding features that people are unlikely to use.

Capacity is not just about headcount. It is about how many people are likely to use the machine, when they use it and whether one location will carry most of the demand.

A workplace with 80 people spread across different floors may need a different setup from a workplace with the same number of people all using one breakout area.

When reviewing capacity, think about:

• team size on a typical day
• visitors and guests
• peak demand points such as lunch or meeting breaks
• whether one machine is enough or more than one hydration point is needed
• whether the solution will sit in a high-traffic area
• whether demand is likely to grow over time
• whether hot water demand sits in the same place as cold water demand

The right answer is not always the biggest machine. It is the one that gives people easy access without creating queues or frustration.  It may even mean a mix of machine types across different areas of your site.

A water machine is a strong fit when you want to make hydration easier, improve the workplace experience and offer a more convenient alternative to bottled drinks or standard taps alone.

It can be especially effective when:

• employees need easy access to water throughout the day
• the workplace wants to support wellbeing in a practical way
• you want to reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles
• you want a more modern, self-serve refreshment offer
• shared kitchens, breakout areas or communal spaces need a better hydration point
• hot water is also needed in tea points or kitchen areas

If that sounds like your workplace, the next step is not comparing endless models. It is getting clear on the format, water options and workplace locations that best fit your site.