Worst Water Cooler Issues And How To Fix Them – Troubleshooting Guide

by Curtis Grossi | Last Updated: March 19, 2024

Water coolers aren’t faultless but they rarely act up. Maintaining a water cooler is as easy as manning a building professionally-installed with high-end security systems. There is very little to do and much to reap.

It’s a man made product, tough, and that’s to say that there are times when it will act up. Using a problematic water cooler is a mistake that can cost you time and money.

Let’s discuss the common water cooler mistakes that people make and how you can fix them.

Overlooking The Unit’s Hygiene

Water coolers don’t require regular cleaning and maintenance. But that does not mean you leave your water cooler unattended for days.

The water spills and accumulated dirt will attract bacteria and mold and in no time, your water cooler will turn into a breeding hotspot for these disease-infecting microorganisms. Bacteria and mold contamination cause water to smell bad and taste rotten. Drinking such contaminated water can cause dirty and water-triggered diseases.

High-end water coolers have stainless steel reservoirs to lower bacterial and fungal contamination but that does not mean you overlook basic maintenance and cleaning.

Cleaning water coolers and keeping them in the optimal condition is highly recommended. To optimize water dispenser hygiene, you must never reuse the water removed from the reservoir when cleaning the unit. You should as well not use toxic chemicals rather use organically sourced cleaning solutions.

Confusing Leakages For Spills

In water coolers, leaks aren’t an everyday happening. And when they happen, most people confuse them for spills or drip tray overflow. It’s understandable to mistake water leaks for spills. Small spills in water coolers can be solved by emptying the drip tray and closing the back valve properly.

For those who don’t know, the drip tray is an advanced feature in modern water coolers located on the bottom area of the water cooler’s tap. Conversely, the back valve is a water regulator placed on the back area of the water cooler.

Serious water spills mostly result from a faulty plumbing system or cracked water bottles. Get a professional plumber to check the water pipes directing water to the unit and make any necessary repairs. As for the cracked bottles, you have to replace them with similar unbroken water bottles.

Incorrectly Plugging Water Coolers

The electrical engineering of water coolers requires they be connected to 3-prong electrical sockets. Connecting your water cooler to an adapter or extension cord is a great mistake, which can lead to electrical-induced shocks, shorts or even fire.

Altering the electrical cord or removing ground prong is another big mistake, which can make the unit not to function. Plugging a water cooler into a socket where tons of other gadgets are connected isn’t advisable either. Also, you should never use external switches and timers together with your water dispenser unless you want to spoil it.

Water coolers should be installed in open places where its electrical components aren’t exposed to water splashes. Water splashes on the electrical components can cause short-circuiting. And for your own safety and that of the water dispenser, when cleaning or repairing it, ensure it’s disconnected from the electrical socket.

Assuming A Water Cooler Doesn’t Heat Or Cool Water

Water coolers engineered to generate hot, cold, and chilled water will sometimes misbehave. When you try tapping hot or chilled water from your water dispenser to no avails, you shouldn’t just assume it will be fine.

While the reason for not heating or cooling water is mostly wrong electrical connection, sometimes, it’s a more complex issue which may need a professional eye. Check if the water cooler is properly plugged into the electrical socket on the wall. Push the power cable on the dispenser’s back strongly into the socket and makes sure the mains power switch is on.

If doing all this fails, consider getting a professional plumber to reevaluate your water dispenser. Plumbers have the know-how and will professionally handle any required repairs promptly.

Water Cooler Not Dispensing Water At All

If your water cooler isn’t dispensing water at all, that may signify an airlock. Airlocks in water dispensers happen when air pressure is forced to the unit while the water bottle is empty.

It’s very simple to resolve such a problem. Get someone to hold both taps open as you try removing the water bottle and returning it back. Do this until the water starts flowing. If that fails, check to ensure there is enough water in the reservoir and water bottle.

If all the above tricks fail, you have to get your water cooler checked by a professional. For best results, get a certified and licensed plumber who is authorized by your water cooler brand to resolve issues regarding their products.

Improperly Lifting Water Bottles

Even the lightest of water bottles can prove dangerous if lifted wrongly. It might have never occurred to you that lifting and replacing water cooler bottles can injure your back.

Lifting a 5-gallon water bottle improperly can end up causing back pains. When lifting water bottles, most people bend on their waist, a standing position which can stress the back and cause back pains if the weight being lifted is extremely huge.

Save your back from pains aroused by water bottle lifting by taking the right position. Squat and keep the back straight when bending to take the refill bottle. Rise up with your feet while still maintaining the straight back position after taking the bottle.

If you find this technique a bit complex, get one knee down and place the bottle on the leg. Rise up with the bottle on your leg while still maintaining a straight back position.

Dispensing Water To Bottles With Small Opening

Hot water burns associated with water coolers happen once in a blue moon. But that doesn’t mean people don’t suffer from hot water burns when using water coolers.

One of the most common causes of hot water burns when using water coolers is tapping water into a bottle with an extremely small opening. Bottles with a small opening require an extremely high level of accuracy. If you aren’t super accurate, you will likely miss the bottle opening, which will obviously result in the water spilling on your hands.

You can save yourself from hot water burns by not tapping water into bottles with very small openings. You can as well tap the water from the water cooler with a mug or cup and then pour it into the water bottle.

Leaving The Child Safety Lock Off

Most modern water coolers come with tons of high-end safety features. Features like the child lock are intended to maximize user safety and prevent hot water burns to kids.

Leaving this feature off when attending to other chores puts your kids at risk of getting burnt by the hot water. Make sure you always keep the child safety lock on even when not busy.

In Conclusion

Water coolers can turn out to be the most reliable household or office equipment if used properly. Wrong usage practices, on the other hand, not only put your water cooler at the risk of getting damaged, but it also increases the risk of injuries.

Observe the right safety precautions as outlined by your water coolers manufacturer and you will never regret.

But perhaps what’s more important is to ensure that you get the best water cooler for office or home. If anything, a poor-quality model will always misbehave and may easily lead to accidents regardless of how careful you are with it.

Curtis is the founder and owner of softeningwater.com. He is the lead guy concerning all the water-softening accessories in this site's guides and reviews. If he is not writing a reviews, guides or any other useful tips, you will find him testing them to find out their suitability. He is passionate about softening water. You will find him extremely helpful and always willing to educate the general populace all there is concerning water and its effects on their health and appliances.