Finding the right water bottle filler for your school is important, and with so many options, which one do you choose? Answering these few questions will help your narrow it down:

• 1) Do I want my water bottle filling station to provide chilled water? If yes, you want to buy a refrigerated water bottle filling station that will produce cold, refreshing drinking water for the students and staff.
• 2) Do I need it to be handicap accessible? The answer to this question is most likely yes, as there are certain state, local, or city code requirements for schools to meet ADA compliance when it comes to choosing a bottle filler.
• 3)Is a bottle filler retrofit kit for my existing water fountain the best option? In some cases, this might be your best option, but not every drinking fountain can be retrofitted. Please reference the Can I retrofit my water fountain with a bottle filler? article to find out if yours is compatible.
• 4) Would this water bottle filling station be a brand new installation, or the upgrade of a previous installation? The best advice is stick with the same make and model that is already installed, as the plumbing inside the wall is fitted for that particular model. If the current model that is installed doesn't have a bottle filler option, it's best to find a model with similar plumbing specs. If it's a brand new installation, choose any model you'd like and customize the plumbing for that model.
• 5) Do I want it to be a water bottle refill station, or a water fountain with bottle filler? Both models produce the same amount of chilled drinking water, the standard being 8 gallons per hour, but the latter offers a drinking fountain option also, for anyone without a bottle or glass to fill, who want to take a conventional drink of water.
• 6) In the COVID-era we live, do you want it to be touchless, and hands-free? This is a more sanitary way of providing hydration to the students and staff.
• 7) Will this be an indoor or outdoor installation for the school? Any of the standard bottle filling station models qualify for indoor installation. If you're in need of an outdoor water bottle filling station for a park or sports area on campus, those are made with special construction to prevent potential vandalism, and also come in freeze-resistant options to be used in colder climates.
• 8) Do I need to buy a filtered unit? A filtered water bottle filing station is not always required. This mostly depends on the quality of your inlet water. Some areas are more prone to having harsh water with a bitter or unpleasant taste. A filtered unit would improve this by reducing certain contaminants such as lead and chlorine, and by improving the taste and odor.