Sharing a water dispenser in the office can be inconvenient at times especially if you are working in a big company. With so many people spending the whole day in the office, a steady supply of filtered drinking water is essential to stay hydrated and healthy. Specially arranged, we’re fortunate to have a black 3M™ Hot, Cold & Room Temperature Filtered Water Dispenser installed in our office. Although my colleagues and I have no prior experience with a water dispenser as such, we do have certain expectations.

So what are we looking at in this review?

My criteria

How easy is it to get water at the temperature I want?
Will it be hot enough for me to enjoy a hot beverage whenever I want?
And likewise for the cold water, will it be at a nice and cold temperature?
How easy is it to set up?
What kind of conveniences does it provide, and do they actually make my life better?

Here’s how it looks in our office:

Considering that most of us in the office rely on powdered drinks for our caffeine kick, it will be a great convenience to have a constant supply of hot water without having to boil all the time. That’s what this dispenser is capable of: consistent output of hot water without repeated boiling. Here I’ve brewed my blueberry-infused fruit tea with the hot water from our 3M water dispenser. The taste is great.

With the water dispenser in our previous office, I had to mix cold and hot water to get room temperature water, since it provided only hot and cold water. The 3M Water Dispenser can dispense room temperature water as well, which they refer to as ‘ambient water’. That makes it much more convenient as now I can get ambient water in one step instead of two.

Another thing that I hadn’t expected but really came in handy is the “Constant Water” function; it dispenses water (at your selected temperature) constantly until you deactivate it. Now that I don’t have to keep pressing the water dispensing button until my 1-litre bottle is filled, it’s been making my mornings easier. Cheesy, but true. =D

Showdown 1: 3M Water Dispenser vs Traditional Methods

Days before we installed the dispenser, we had to make do with a kettle brought from home. In terms of capacity, the kettle is an estimated 2 litres. On the other hand, the 3M Water Dispenser has a storage capacity of 8.2 litres (four times that of the kettle). We linked it up to the building’s water supply, which means the storage capacity is now practically unlimited because there’s no manual refillaing involved.

As you might already guess, it took several rounds of boiling water before everybody had their share. But it’s not just that. To get room temperature water (since we can’t just drink newly boiled water), we would have to wait for the boiled water to cool naturally, which takes about 20 to 30 minutes. That’s impractical especially when you have work to complete. After all, may I ask which of your colleagues comes into office just to jaga the water and make sure there’s enough for everyone?

So getting hot water at the press of a button is certainly an advantage a water dispenser has over the traditional methods. And I believe that’s a major convenience at home as well. Busy parents who want to prepare quick and healthy meals for their family can save time with the help of a water dispenser, especially in the mornings where getting the kids ready always seems extra hectic.

When I think about how we boil water at home with the kettle, then transfer it to the flask after it’s cooled, then to the fridge if we want chilled water, it’s a time-consuming and lengthy process. Since you can get water at all three temperatures from the 3M water dispenser at the same time, having it is like having a kettle, water flask, and refrigerator, all rolled into one.

Showdown 2: 3M Water Dispenser vs Bottled Water Dispenser

The bottled water dispenser is a preferred choice for many offices, as it has a large storage capacity (ranging from 13.4 to 19 litres) and is easy to replace with a new bottle when the water runs out. What I’ve heard is that you only pay for every replacement bottle, and the dispenser itself comes free upon purchase.

Based on previous experience, replacement bottles are ordered a few at one go, which means you need to make space for the extras. Ditto for the empty bottles before the delivery guy comes to collect them. If your office is on the small side, this won’t be a good thing. Our new office is roomier and can afford the space, but why squander away precious space even if that’s the case, right?

On the other hand, the 3M Water Dispenser takes up less space and is more presentable in our office. Being smaller and less bulky, we have more options for display. For example, while a bottled water dispenser can only be placed on the floor, the 47cm-tall 3M water dispenser can be placed on your cabinetry and even tucked away when not in use.

Clean water that’s safe to drink

The dispenser is certified BPA-free. BPA are chemicals that, when consumed, can do awful things like disrupt your neurological function and pose risks to our health, so it’s reassuring to know that these chemicals won’t leach into the water we drink. Also, the dispenser comes with a UV light that sterilises the water by 99.9%, ensuring very clean water.

Water filtration technology isn’t something I’m familiar with, but like everyone else I like my water clean and free from impurities. With filtration, the quality, taste and look of drinking water is vastly improved as a result. You should look out for water filters that meet NSF standards, which the 3M water dispenser has been tested in accordance to, so even if I can’t do tests at home to see how effective the 3M water dispenser is, I can be assured my water is indeed clean enough.

Another perception of filters I have, is that they tend to be big and bulky. After all, don’t you need to run the water through many layers of filtration to remove the contaminants? To my pleasant surprise, the 3M filter actually comes in a compact tube and is easy to change out! You just need to twist and slide it out, then replace with a new cartridge every 6 months.

Verdict

After trying out the 3M water dispenser for about a month now, I’ve found that 3M has put in a lot of thought behind the simple action of dispensing water. For example, the “Constant Water” function gives you the option to dispense a lot of water at one go without having to press the water-dispensing button the whole time.

With three temperatures on the 3M water dispenser to choose from, my colleagues and I have no issue preparing whatever we want, be it a bowl of breakfast oatmeal or that mid-afternoon coffee. Plus, we found out that you can dispense hot and cold water simultaneously, which means that two people can use the water dispenser at the same time!

I believe that this is a water dispenser that’s suitable for both the home and the office, especially for smaller spaces. The convenience it offers you on a daily basis more than pays off for any sort of maintenance involved!

Exclusive Promotion For RenoNation Readers

3M distributor Jestac would like to offer you a promotional price of $1,388 + 1 free cartridge (worth $120) for purchase of the 3M™ Hot, Cold & Room Temperature Filtered Water Dispenser (usual price $1,888).

The first 20 to fill up this form and quote “RENONATION” will receive an additional $50 discount voucher from Jestac to be used on top of the promotion.

This promotion is valid until 31st December 2015.

An Attentive Water Dispenser