You know when you’re young and you get into all sorts of freak accidents and you shake it off in a day or two? Well, that stopped happening to me. The day I realized I wasn’t made of rubber and magic, I started taking care of my body. Naturally, I had to revamp my rehydration schedule. (For a time, I lived only on beer, cappuccinos and energy drinks, but that’s a different story altogether…)
Looking back at all the time and money I’d wasted on getting the right water cooler, I’m utterly ashamed of my naïveté (bordering ignorance, I should add) but I don’t want these to happen to you. So don’t stifle your sneering, let me have it. Here are my biggest regrets with water machines.
I didn’t know what I wanted.
Coming from a ridiculously unhealthy lifestyle, I had no idea what I wanted from a water cooler or how much I needed for a week. I ended up buying a brand name mains-fed machine with minimal filtering.
If someone had told me to buy a bottled cooler, I wouldn’t have listened anyway. Sure, there’s nothing like an icy drink after a five mile run, but all I needed was a little under a bottle each week. Always consider your needs, the people who will drink and how much you’re willing to spend or at the very least, if your tap’s even fit for consumption.
I didn’t know there were free trials.
I walked up to a store and picked out one unit that was absolutely staggering to behold. Standing from the floor, it was almost an art form with its lovely chrome and brushed steel finish. The salesman gave his litany of specs and features but I was (or perhaps still am) a sucker for shiny things and politely nodded as he droned on.
I had it delivered to my flat without understanding how it worked. Had I known my water needed a lot of filtration, I would have bought one with UV filtration. Soon thereafter, I had to call the store for maintenance, something I could’ve opted in earlier for a substantial discount.
I wish I knew these things were for rent for a nominal fee. This way, I could’ve saved a lot on maintenance. I also wished I knew there were even companies out there who gave free trials, (yes free) so I would’ve seen these niggling doubts and quibbles before they actually happened.
If I had done this right, I would have read something, anything really, on water coolers. You’re reading this and that’s a good sign. In fine, always remember:
- Get a free trial. It’s the best way to know what you really need.
- Get honest reviews from people who actually own the units.
- Look for good customer support. (Mine was almost argumentative.)
Have you made similar mistakes? Did I miss anything? Do share your thoughts in the comments below.
Beant is a semi-retired couch potato and PC-gamer, now running six miles per day. He writes for wateringwell.co.uk, a brand leader in water machines and water coolers solutions for the better part of the decade.