Maestro Pressure Coolers – Frequently Asked Questions

Q – Do I need to have a mains water supply right beside where I want my watercooler to be?
A – No, as long as we can find a mains water pipe (not from a tank) in the general vicinity we are able to install. If the water supply is within 5 metres the installation costs are included in the normal rental charges. If it is further away we may have to make an installation charge depending on the complexity of the job, and this will decided after we have seen the site.

Q – How complicated is it to install a watercooler?
A – Our engineers are installing watercoolers all the time and it is normally less than an hour to complete the install. It is a minor plumbing job to connect to the mains water pipe, and we then need to run the microbore tube from the pipe through a filter either internal to the cooler or wall mounted and then on to the cooler itself.

Q – How often do you change the filters?
A – With our standard rental or maintenance contract we will attend once every 6 months to clean and sanitise the cooler and change the filter.

Q – What happens if the machine breaks down?
A – On a rental contract our engineers will visit normally the next working day and repair the cooler or replace it if necessary, and there is no charge for this service. Under a maintenance contract, we will attend and either repair the unit on site or remove it to our workshop if it is not repairable at the customer site. There is no charge except for any spare parts or the supply of a new machine if it not repairable

Q – What is included in the rental price?
A – The rental price is meant to be all inclusive with no extra charges. The only exception to this would be on the initial installation if the mains water supply or electricity are more than 5 metres from the watercooler position, and for any damages to the machine caused by misuse or vandalism

Q – Can I get a machine upgrade?
A – Yes, under a standard rental contract the customer can request a water cooler upgrade after a minimum of 2 years rental and we will supply a new machine

Q – What do your filters do?
A – Our filters use activated carbon to take out chlorine and any particulate impurities in the water down to 1 micron size. They will also reduce the limescale hardness in the water

Q – Do you supply bottled water for water coolers?
A – Yes, we have a full delivery service throughout the UK. Please call our office for delivery days and service details.

Q – What are the environmental implications of a Point of Use watercooler?
A – There are significant environmental advantages of a mains connected watercooler as compared to a bottle water cooler. There are estimated to be about 700,000 water coolers round the country of which about 190,000 are mains connected units and the rest are bottle coolers (source: Zenith International West European Watercooler markets 2007). There are now over one thousand delivery trucks making deliveries of bottles to watercoolers all round Britain. This has a significant negative environmental impact both in terms of pollution and congestion. In addition the POU has the advantage that no plastics are necessary for bottles. Electrical consumption is dependant on usage, but a typical cold and ambient watercooler in an office will use about half of one kilowatt hour per day whilst a hot and cold cooler might use about 1 KWh per day.

Q – How hot is the hot water from your coolers?
A – The hot tap is designed to make tea, coffee, soups etc. In most watercoolers it cannot actually be dispensed at boiling point (100 degrees) because problems would occur with steam generation inside the hot tank, so the normal temperature is about 90 degrees

Q – How long do I have to rent for?
A – Our standard rental contract is for 36 months but we can rent from a minimum of 12 months. If you want a watercooler for less than 12 months we can arrange for that but you will normally be charged for 12 months rental in any case because we have included all our charges for delivery, installation, cleaning, collection etc into a single price

Q – What is the EPDWA?
A – This is the European Drinking Water Association. It is the largest water cooler association and we are founder members of it.

In 2010 it changed its name, it was previously known as the EPDWA.It sets out a code of practice to which its members must adhere to cover issues of hygiene, staff training, standards of equipment and installation and other matters. All members are audited by an external auditor annually to ensure that standards are met and maintained.