There is often a debate on whether it is better to rent or buy a water cooler. Certainly if you were shop around and look on places like ebay you could pick up a new or used water cooler for less than you would rent one for a year. However, if you own a water cooler, you are responsible for it and this means servicing, repairing and most importantly sanitisation. Water is a natural breeding ground for bacteria and over time whether you like it or not, biofilm then bacterial outbreaks will occur, meaning whoever is using the water cooler - your family, employees or work colleagues - are at risk. It is therefore essential that is you choose to purchase a water cooler you either get someone to regularly sanitise (we recommend every 3 months) or learn how to do this yourself.   

The term rent is a little misleading. Good quality water cooler companies and Water Coolers Melbourne is no exception, provide a full sanitisation and filter change service. A better way to look at the rental charge is to say it is a service charge. At Water Coolers Melbourne we provide the water cooler free and then make a small monthly or annual fee for the servicing options that you choose.This should give you piece of mind that your cooler is clean, safe and hygienic.  

Many businesses and people own their water coolers, which is great and avoids rental payments but they must ensure that they sanitise and service the cooler on a regular basis. It can easily be overlooked and it is common for the water cooler to become a hidden reservoir of bacteria if not attended too regularly.

Cleaning and sanitising the water cooler is relatively straightforward however you do need to get into all the hidden pipes and tubes to ensure the waterways are kept healthy for your staff and family.

Of course the best way is to have a service agreement with a local water cooler company, that way you don't have to worry about remembering and also they should do it properly. There are also many self-sanitising kits around and we can certainly help out if you're looking for assistance. Our service department can be reached on 1300 633 176 at any time.

You should always make sure you have your water cooler serviced. Whether you own or rent you should have it sanitised and serviced on a regular basis. This is not to keep the water cooler industry in work but to protect your health and deliver a clean and consistent product. Having a water cooler without it being serviced is like eating your dinner from the same plate every day without having it cleaned! We don't recommend that you do this every day but by having your cooler sanitised every 3 months you'll keep it clean and healthy.

Why is this necessary? Well, over time a very fine layer of bio-film will build up on the surfaces within the cooler. This is a perfectly natural process however this film holds millions of different types of bacteria that over time will break free and contaminate your water.Sanitising your cooler using either safe chemicals and preferably ozone will break this bacteria down and keep your water safe.

If you have a bottled water cooler you should insist on this at least every 3 months as every time you change a bottle you introduce new bacteria to your system. If you've not seen your water company for a while, give them a call and ask them for your service schedule,  if you're not happy at the response then change company.

Even if you own a cooler outright you should set up an arrangement with a local water cooler company to come and service your unit on a regular basis. Ask them how they go about this and make sure you feel comfortable with them - there's plenty of choice!