Water coolers are really a necessity in a building shared by multiple people. After all, water is the source of all life, and humans can only survive three days without any. Seeing how important hydration is for general health and comfort, installing a water cooler in a shared area is a fantastic idea. However, the task of finding the perfect water cooler for your area can seem a little tricky. There are hundreds of models of water coolers available today, so which one is best for you? The answer to this question is the Elkay Cooler Wall Mount, a top-of-the-line product that delivers on everything you want and need in a water cooler.
What Is a Water Cooler?
A water cooler is a machine that does what its name implies-keeps water cool-and dispenses water from a fountain when you press down on a button or hand bar. The first forms of water coolers came about in the mid-1800s in London, where a population boom was creating problems for the seemingly limited amount of water. In response to this problem, a Metropolitan Commission of Sewers was formed, which oversaw the development of a water irrigation system with the river Thames as its main source. Soon enough, public baths and drinking fountains sprang into popularity, and in 1859 the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association was created to ensure smooth operation and enhancement of cooler capabilities.
Of course, these early water coolers didn’t really do justice to the word “cooler.” There was still much progress to be made in order to keep the water stored in such fountains at a cold temperature, and safety measures with regards to lead or other chemicals getting into the water took years to establish. Over the decades and into the 20th century, advancements in technology and innovation helped pave the way for smarter designs, and by the turn of the next century, water coolers were operating at a stellar level. Water is now able to remain within a set range of cold temperatures while being stored, and concern for public health is pushing companies to make the water in their fountains as pure as possible.
The Elkay Specifications
With all of this water cooler history under your belt, it is time to turn the attention back to one of the best and most innovative models on the market. The Elkay Cooler Wall Mount is an incredibly capable machine, with a 115-volt power supply keeping it running. It has a FlexGuard Safety bubbler ensuring the best performance it can give and is able to be mounted onto any indoor wall. This product weighs 50.6 pounds and measures 18.375 x 19 x 19.8125 inches, a solid size all around. Adding up the comfortable size, manageable weight, high power, FlexGuard Safety and wall mounting capabilities, this Elkay water cooler is one of the best you can buy.
The Pricing
As a high-quality water cooler, purchasing the Elkay Cooler Wall Mount will set you back $628, but as you will see, this is quite an affordable option. After all, you buy a new water cooler once every several years, so $628 for thousands of uses, getting clean, fresh water every time, is certainly a bargain. A 5-year warranty backs the purchase of this product, so there is very little risk in buying it. Several retailers offer Elkay products, including Home Depot, Menards and Restroom Direct, and this specific cooler is available from any of these stores. Online options also exist, and shipping will often be free of charge because of the high price of the item.
How Does It Compare?
Putting the Elkay Cooler Wall Mount in perspective is important when considering your purchase. As previously stated, there are many options out there for high-quality water coolers, some made by Elkay, some made by other brands. Seeing how the Elkay Cooler Wall Mount stacks up against these other items is key in determining its overall value, so a thorough comparison of several products is crucial. The following section contains reviews of five different models of water coolers and the specific qualities and features that make them top competitors for the Elkay Cooler Wall Mount.
Comparison Table
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Product |
Details |
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[amazon fields=”B0076PP188″ value=”thumb” image_align=”center”] [amazon link=”B0076PP188″ title=”Oasis P8SBF VersaFiller” /] |
[amazon fields=”B0076PP188″ value=”button” button_text=”Buy on Amazon”] Weight: 59 pounds Volts: 115 volts Package Dimensions: 17.8 x 18.8 x 40-inch Warranty: 5-year warranty |
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[amazon fields=”B009HEH2F6″ value=”thumb” image_align=”center”] [amazon link=”B009HEH2F6″ title=”Elkay Bar Free Single Cooler” /] |
[amazon fields=”B009HEH2F6″ value=”button” button_text=”Buy on Amazon”] Weight: 36 pounds Volts: 100 volts Package Dimensions: 18.6 x 18 x 20.4 inches Warranty: 5-year warranty |
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[amazon fields=”B00EFBEB46″ value=”thumb” image_align=”center”] [amazon link=”B00EFBEB46″ title=”Oasis PACSL Barrier Free VersaCooler II” /] |
[amazon fields=”B00EFBEB46″ value=”button” button_text=”Buy on Amazon”] Weight: 36 pounds Volts: 100 volts Package Dimensions: 18.6 x 18 x 20.4 inches Warranty: 5-year warranty |
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[amazon fields=”B01IWIL0YG” value=”thumb” image_align=”center”] [amazon link=”B01IWIL0YG” title=”Halsey Taylor HITB-HAC855″ /] |
[amazon fields=”B01IWIL0YG” value=”button” button_text=”Buy on Amazon”] Weight: 80 pounds Volts: 120 volts Package Dimensions: 17.875 x 18.5 x 39.625 inches Warranty: 5-year warranty |
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Weight: 62 pounds Volts: 115 volts Package Dimensions: 18.62 x 17.75 x 17.62 inches Warranty: 5-year warranty |
[amazon link=”B0076PP188″ title=”Oasis P8SBF VersaFiller” /]
[amazon box=”B0076PP188″]
The first contender is a model made by Oasis, one of the “Big Three” of the water cooler world (Elkay is another member). This design also gets its power from 115 volts, and it weighs 59 pounds. In these respects, it is quite similar to the Elkay Cooler Wall Mount, but it definitely has areas where it differs greatly. The size, for one, is much bigger than Elkay’s, as the 17.8 x 18.8 x 40-inch cooler is far taller than the former. This is because the VersaFiller has an extended top where users can refill water bottles, a feature the Elkay model lacks. The VersaFiller costs $ and a limited 5-year warranty covers it.
There are four categories in which these five models will be scored-build quality, ease of use, assembly time and warranty. For the first of these categories, the Oasis P8SBF VersaFiller gets 5 out of 5 stars, as the great voltage and water bottle filler feature make the build quality fantastic. The score for ease of use follows suit, as the aforementioned features truly make this cooler very easy to use, so 5 out of 5 stars are awarded here as well. Because of the rather heavy weight and the added section for the water bottle filler, it can be a bit tricky to assemble this cooler. Of course, the filler feature is remarkable and well worth the slightly extended assembly time, but the score for this category will suffer just a bit, coming in at 3.5 out of 5 stars. Finally, the 5-year warranty is good but not great. A lifetime warranty would receive a 5 out of 5 stars rating, so this model gets 4 out of 5 stars in the last category.
[amazon link=”B009HEH2F6″ title=”Elkay Bar Free Single Cooler” /]
[amazon box=”B009HEH2F6″]
This Elkay model is smaller and cheaper than the Cooler Wall Mount. It measures 18.6 x 18 x 20.4 inches and weighs only 36 pounds, a great light weight for easy movement. This is a wall mount cooler as well and has 100 volts as its power supply, a bit less than the previous models. Because of the smaller size and weaker power, the price of this item is only $ and will be the cheapest option in this comparison. The same 5-year warranty that Elkay provides for all purchases backs this cooler.
The build quality of the Single Cooler comes up short when compared to other coolers. The 100-volt power is the main drawback, as the overall structure is quite sturdy, so we award a score of 3 out of 5 stars. 3.5 out of 5 stars are given for ease of use because while the lower voltage could improve for better performance, the other aspects of the machine provide a very simple experience. Assembly time is the category where this product shines. Because of the extremely low weight and the compact size, setting up this cooler takes very little time, so 5 out of 5 stars is the score here. The 5-year warranty gets 4 out of 5 stars, just like the Oasis model.
[amazon link=”B00EFBEB46″ title=”Oasis PACSL Barrier Free VersaCooler II” /]
[amazon box=”B00EFBEB46″]
As the second Oasis design in this article, the VersaCooler II is one of the best coolers you will ever find. The 115-volt power gives great stream flow, and you can adjust the stream itself to your liking. It weighs 50 pounds, definitely a lighter option for such a powerful cooler, and measures 18.625 x1 8.9 x 17.63 inches. With such fantastic qualities, you might expect to pay top dollar for this water cooler, but the price is only $. As an affordable, high-quality cooler with the Oasis 5-year warranty intact, purchasing the PACSL model is a very smart choice.
Seeing as the only potential downside to the VersaCooler II’s design is the weight, it will score high in build quality. The 50-pound weight truly is a lighter option, but the 36-pound Single Cooler model puts the weight into perspective. The final score for build quality is 4.5 out of 5 stars, and ease of use receives 5 out of 5 stars because of the great power and adjustable stream. The time required to assemble this product is minimal, and even though it could be a bit lighter, this cooler deserves 4.5 out of 5 stars in this category. As you might have guessed, the 5-year warranty earns the VersaCooler II 4 out of 5 stars in the last category.
[amazon link=”B01IWIL0YG” title=”Halsey Taylor HITB-HAC855″ /]
[amazon box=”B01IWIL0YG”]
Rounding out the “Big Three” brands is Halsey Taylor. This specific model is a high-powered option, with 120 volts keeping the water flowing, and two stream types available to set up. It weighs 80 pounds, so it is much heavier than the previous options and measures 17.875 x 18.5 x 39.625 inches. The reason for the tall height is the same as the Oasis P8SBF VersaFiller-it has a water bottle filler on the top. Costing $, this is the most expensive item you’ll see in this article, and the standard 5-year warranty covers your purchase.
Because it was built to accommodate 120 volts of power, the build quality rating will be 4.5 out of 5 stars. This high power is also very beneficial for the ease of use rating, and the bottle filler feature bumps up the score even more to a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. The heavy weight and water bottle filler top piece make this model rather difficult to assemble. While it will not take up much of your day, the cumbersome parts give this cooler 3 out of 5 stars for assembly time. The warranty score is 4 out of 5 stars, as the 5-year guarantee is as average as can be.
Sunroc VersaCooler II
Sunroc is the only brand in this article not in the “Big Three,” but it definitely performs on the same level. It has 115 volts of power and an 8 gallons per minute flow rate, so the stream is very efficient. It weighs 62 pounds, making this the second heaviest item compared, right after the Halsey Taylor model. Measuring 18.62 x 17.75 x 17.62 inches, the VersaCooler II is quite small and is capable of being mounted to an indoor wall. The cost is $, and the warranty is 5 years, the standard time frame for most water coolers.
If you are looking for a solid build quality, the VersaCooler II delivers big time. The solid voltage and the impressive flow rate combine to give 4.5 out of 5 stars in the first category. Second is ease of use, and the score is again 4.5 out of 5 stars, for the only feature that might give it a boost is a water bottle filler. Of course, if a filler was included, chances are the assembly time score would suffer a bit, so maybe it is best the VersaCooler II is the way it is. Still, 62 pounds is quite heavy, even when considering the compact size, so 3.5 out of 5 stars are given for assembly time. If you guessed the warranty score would be 4 out of 5 stars, you are correct. A lifetime warranty would take any of the coolers in this article to the next level and would receive 5 out of 5 stars accordingly.
The Verdict
So, it is clear that the Elkay Cooler Wall Mount is not the only viable option for a water cooler. In fact, there are several models that are either lighter, more powerful or have more impressive features. However, when considering overall quality and getting the best bang for your buck, the Elkay Cooler Wall Mount is truly first class. The price of $ is a superb deal when looking at all this model has to offer. If you are hunting for the best water cooler your money can buy for the best price possible, this product has everything you need, and is well worth the purchase.
