Water Coolers for Consumers

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Did You Know?

Water coolers in homes and businesses consume about 7 billion kWh/year. ENERGY STAR certified water coolers use about half of the energy of conventional models. This could mean a savings of more than $240 over the lifetime of the unit.

About ENERGY STAR Water Coolers

Water Coolers

A standard hot and cold water cooler can use more energy than a large refrigerator. In fact,

  • Improved separation of hot and cold water to prevent mixing.
  • More insulation to better keep heated water hot and chilled water cold.
  • Improved chilling mechanisms.
Current Specification Effective Date:

January 22, 2010

Water coolers originally qualified for the ENERGY STAR label in September, 2000.

  • ENERGY STAR qualified water coolers result in 45% savings over typical products.
  • Energy Efficiency Requirements: Cold Only & Cook & Cold Bottled Units <=0.16 kW-hours/day; Hot & Cold Bottled Units <=1.20 kW-hours/day.

Commercial Water Coolers Key Product Criteria: ENERGY STAR

Learn How a Product Earns the Label

What else should I look for when buying a water cooler?

Home and Small Office:
Water coolers are sold at retail stores and also through some bottled water distributors. If you are purchasing from a store or off the web, look for the ENERGY STAR on the box or the unit itself. If buying or leasing from a bottled water distributor, tell the distributor that you want an ENERGY STAR certified model. A list of certified models is available in the right hand sidebar of this page.

Commercial:
When requesting bids for bottled water service that include provision of water coolers, clearly state a preference for ENERGY STAR qualified models in the request for bids. See UMaine Case Study - Purchaser Version PDF (77KB) for an example.

Note: Point of use (POU) water coolers are now covered under the current ENERGY STAR specification.

These are the top FAQs related to Water Coolers and the ENERGY STAR program.

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