A refrigerated device that cools and dispenses water is known as a water cooler. There are three types: 1. Bottle-less coolers that are plumbed into a water supply. 2. Bottled water that is picked-up or delivered by a vendor and 3. Filtered water coolers
The most common is the bottle-less (wall mounted and/or free-standing) and is plumbed into the main water source which offers a continual source of tap. These types of units do require electricity to refrigerate and if the unit is a wall mounted, then it will also require hook-up to the building's waste disposal system to dispose of the unused tap. Water coolers floor models are more common in countries where the it is not safe to drink straight from the tap.
Wall-mounted coolers, or better known as drinking fountains are equipped with a small tank that holds the chilled tap so the user doesn't have to wait for the water to chill before drinking. These units deliver a stream that is controlled by a spring-loaded valve that is operated by a button located on the top of the unit or on the front of the unit. The water is dispensed in an arched stream whenever the button is pressed, allowing the user to drink directly from the top of the unit. These devices normally provide the user with non filtered tap.
Many users today are requiring filtered/treated water over the more common non-filtered devices. Users are becoming more health conscience today than any other time when it comes to their drinking water. They expect not only good tasting but the assurance that it is without contaminates. As a result there are many vendors today are now catering to these new requirements and are manufacturing and distributing water coolers that provide both cooled and filtered tap at the same time.