13 hacks / mistakes when using water dispensers
13 hacks for using water dispensers correctly
Tip #1: Have your water quality checked
The quality of tap water in Germany is impeccable. Water quality and water pipes are strictly monitored by the water supplier — but only up to the house connection. From there on, the owner is liable. That is why we recommend that you sample the water before buying a water dispenser or drinking water well. For this purpose, a water sample is taken from your house connection and thoroughly examined in the laboratory.
By the way, a drinking fountain with a direct connection purchased in Germany generally complies with all hygiene regulations, provided that it has the appropriate seals or certificates. Common certificates are NSF standard and CE.
Tip #2: Use the right port
Use a ring hose when connecting your drinking water well. This ensures that the water circulates continuously. This prevents stale water (standing water) and the formation of bacteria. Alternatively, have an automatic hygienic flusher installed during installation. This automatically cleans the internal water pipes every 4 hours for 10 - 60 seconds with fresh water.
Tip #3: Choose a suitable drinking faucet
Make the choice of drinking faucet dependent on your area of application. In general, a chrome-plated drinking faucet has the advantage that it has an antibacterial effect. Fewer bacteria can therefore settle at least on their surface. However, plastic fittings can also be useful in schools or daycare centers. It reduces the risk of children knocking out and injuring their teeth when scrambling at the drinking fountain.
Tip #4: Save yourself expensive filters
Tap water in Germany is more strictly controlled than bottled mineral water. In most cases, an expensive water filter is superfluous — at least from a hygienic point of view. Only an activated carbon filter may be advisable under certain circumstances. This filters chlorine, pesticides, heavy metals, drug residues, etc. from drinking water and thus ensures better taste and higher drinking water quality. In Berlin, for example, where the water is extremely calcareous, such a filter is recommended.
Tip #5: Adapt the material to your area of use
The material of your drinking water well should always be adapted to the area of use. For an outdoor drinking well, a material that can also withstand vandalism — such as stainless steel or concrete, is recommended. Plastic is rather unsuitable for outdoor use. For the office, on the other hand, a cheap plastic water dispenser is completely sufficient. But even a thin sheet of metal is fine for indoor water dispensers. However, you should make sure that fingerprints (patch finger/stylus) are more likely to be visible on smooth surfaces.
Tip #6: Make sure you choose the right type of stainless steel
For drinking fountains with a stainless steel outer shell, you should make sure that it is made of types 304 or 316. These types of stainless steel are more resistant to corrosion and therefore last significantly longer than steel with a higher carbon content. This is particularly important when the drinking fountains are outside and exposed to weather or vandalism. Drinking water wells made of 304 stainless steel or powder-coated 316 steel should be used particularly near salt water (Spa, North Sea and Baltic Sea).
Tip #7: Provide a barrier-free version
Are your drinking water wells used in a public institution, in a public place or in a company? Then you should provide a barrier-free version to allow free access for all other people and to comply with the interruptionsStandards for barrier-free planning, construction and living DIN 18040-1 to comply. This relates to accessibility in public buildings. In any case, check whether a barrier-free version is required in your area of use so that people with reduced mobility can easily drink water. Thank you!
Tip #8: Buy a frost-proof outdoor drinking fountain
In outdoor areas, the issue of frost can play a role. All of our outdoor drinking water well are frost-proof, but must be switched off in winter. For an outdoor drinking well, only opt for a frost-resistant variant that can be used consistently in winter if you can manage the associated circumstances, such as increased maintenance. Otherwise, the well must simply be switched off in winter to ensure that no water pipes burst. One disadvantage of the frost-proof water dispenser is that it takes a little longer for water to arrive after you have operated the device. The reason for this is that the water must first flow through the frost-proof valves below the ground level (approx. 1.5 meters underground) before it can make its way up to the gas pump.
Tip #9: Install your drinking water dispenser at the right height
When installing and buying a water dispenser with a fixed water connection, you should pay attention to the correct installation height. This results from the respective area of application. Drinking fountains in schools or daycare centers must meet different requirements than in a company. To provide children or people with disabilities with a comfortable drinking height, we recommend wall-mounted water dispensers. These can be installed at an individual height - in contrast to free-standing devices with a fixed height.
Tip #10: Observe hygiene requirements in sensitive areas
Sensitive areas such as medical practices or clinics place increased demands on hygiene. To meet these requirements, there are special operating mechanisms for drinking fountains. They allow the water jet to be triggered contactlessly using a sensor or with a foot pedal. This means that the device does not have to be touched with your hands and the transmission of germs is reduced.
Tip #11: Reduce the risk of injury to children
If your drinking fountain is used in a school, daycare or other institution for children, the risk of injury must be minimized. Round water dispensers without corners and edges are best for these areas of application, such as the Isar. The corded kitatrinkbrunnen is also colorfully available in any desired color. Hygiene has also been considered with an automatic hygienic rinse, so that fresh water is still dispensed after a weekend. Plastic fittings can also be useful, as they also minimize the risk of injury when drinking.
Tip #12: Check the load-bearing capacity of your wall in advance
Would you like to install a wall-mounted water dispenser? Then you should have it checked in advance whether the wall can even withstand its load. If you are unsure, we recommend a stationary device. This may save you time, unnecessary work and money.
Tip #13: Start planning early
The average planning time for a drinking fountain project is 1 to 6 months. So start planning and calculation in good time. It makes sense to compare all available providers directly — with brokerage platforms or buyer portals, you always pay more in the end, because they sell your contact details to providers, who in turn have to add the costs to the devices. A loose loose for everyone involved. You should also find out whether your favorite drinking fountain is in stock or is taking longer than usual to reach you due to delivery bottlenecks.
Do you have any further questions about piped drinking water wells? We are also happy to help you personally!
13 mistakes to avoid when using water dispensers
Mistake #1: Water quality
The quality of German tap water is generally impeccable. Water quality and water pipes are strictly monitored by the water supplier. But only up to the house connection. From then on, the operator is responsible for water quality. That's why: Protect yourself! That is why we recommend water sampling. This means that a water sample is taken and examined from your house connection. The reason for this is that the water pipes in your building are not subject to the supervision of the water supplier. They are therefore liable if they do not comply with the standard. A water dispenser purchased in Germany complies with all hygiene regulations, provided that seals or certificates are available. Common certificates include: NSF standard and CE. We therefore recommend that you have your own water tested by a laboratory before purchasing a water dispenser.
Mistake #2: Proper water connection
When connecting the water dispenser, attention is often not paid to a ring hose or backflow preventer. First ensures that water circulates continuously, which prevents stale water. As a result, no bacteria can form. The second prevents water from flowing from the bottled water system back into the main water pipe. This prevents contamination of the entire tap water system.
Mistake #3: Drinking faucet
Antibacterial: A chrome-plated drinking faucet has an antibacterial effect. This is particularly important because it prevents bacteria from settling — at least on the surface. Against ouch: A plastic drinking faucet reduces the risk of knocking out your teeth when you scramble in front of a drinking fountain. That's a great thing, especially in schools.
equipment:
Mistake #4: Too much money for overpriced filters
It is often a misconception to think that you need a water filter. Water in Germany is more strictly controlled than bottled mineral water. From a purely hygienic point of view, a filter is therefore superfluous in most cases. Only an activated carbon filter to filter chlorine and lime for a “better” taste may be required. In Berlin, for example, where the water is harder than stone and is almost resistant to lime, a filter is recommended. By the way, avoiding unnecessary filters saves money!
Mistake #5: Right type of stainless steel
It is important to make sure that the outer shell of the water dispenser is made of 304 or 316 stainless steel. These are more resistant to corrosion and last longer! This is particularly advantageous when the drinking fountain is outside and exposed to weather and vandalism.
Mistake #6: Proper material
Often, when buying a drinking fountain, attention is not paid to the right material. The material should always be adapted to the area of application. An outdoor drinking well requires vandal-proof material in particular. Such as stainless steel. Plastic is therefore not suitable for outdoor use. In the office, a cheap plastic drinking fountain is completely sufficient.
Mistake #7: Accessibility
Please also pay attention to any barrier-free version for your respective area of application. Particularly important in public places and institutions more than fair!
Areas of use:
Mistake #8: Protecting against frost
Especially outdoors, make sure that the outdoor drinking fountains have a frost-resistant version, otherwise the drinking fountain will have to be switched off in winter time, otherwise water pipes may burst. Thanks to global warming, #8 should soon no longer be celebrated in Germany. So keep buying plastic bottles and save on frost protection;)
Mistake #9: The right height
When buying a water dispenser, particularly in areas of use such as educational institutions or areas with people with disabilities, the correct height must be considered. To ensure a comfortable height even for children, for example, we recommend wall-mounted water dispensers.
Mistake #10: Sensitive areas
Particularly for sensitive areas such as clinics, there are particularly hygienic operating mechanisms to meet particularly high hygiene requirements. The water jet can therefore be triggered by a sensor or a foot pedal and thus prevents the device from touching with the hands. In addition, automatic hygienic flushing should be installed, particularly in public areas. This automatically cleans the internal water pipe every few hours. As a result, the issue of hygiene can be met flawlessly.
Mistake #11: Risk of injury
Especially in educational institutions where children play, you should pay more attention to a water dispenser with a very low risk of injury. Round water dispensers are best. There are simply no edges or corners on it that can cause bad ouch.
Concluding points:
Mistake #12: Load
Note the load capacity of the wall for a wall-mounted water dispenser. As a precaution, always have it checked whether the wall is even intended for the load of a water dispenser. In case of uncertainty, we recommend choosing a stationary device.
This saves a lot of time, work and money if a piece breaks out of the wall.
Mistake #13: Planning time
The average planning time is 1-6 months! So start planning and calculating your water dispenser in good time. Compare all available providers directly yourself and get as many offers as possible. If you need to carry out a call for tenders, plan a few extra months.
If you have any further questions or concerns, we are also happy to answer them personally.