A water dispenser, known as a water cooler if used only for cooling, is a machine that refrigeration and dispenses water with a refrigeration unit. commonly located near the restroom due to closer access to plumbing. A drain line is also provided from the water cooler into the sewer system.
Water coolers come in a variety of form factors, ranging from wall-mounted to bottle filler water cooler combination units, to bi-level units and other formats. They are generally broken up into two categories: point-of-use (POU) water coolers and bottled water coolers. POU Water coolers are connected to a water supply, while bottled water coolers require delivery (or self-pick-up) of water in large bottles from vendors. Bottled water coolers can be top-mounted or bottom-loaded, depending on the design of the model.
Bottled water coolers typically use 5 or 10-gallon dispensers commonly found on top of the unit. Pressure coolers are a subcategory of water coolers encompassing water fountains and direct-piping water dispensers. A water cooler may also refer to a primitive device for keeping water cool.
Water coolers are a common reference to workplace socialization.