How to install a water bottle refill station
Installing a water bottle refill station is a plumbing job, not a construction project. An outdoor post needs a hole and a water line. An indoor one needs a water line and a drain. This page lists what has to be on site, what arrives in the crate and the mistakes that cost money.
Who does what
What we do
- Build the station and its foundation parts.
- Ship it to your address.
- Send the technical documentation for your model, so your contractor can prepare before it arrives.
- Answer your installer's questions directly.
What your contractor does
- Brings the water line to the spot.
- Sets the base (outdoor) or mounts the plate (wall).
- Connects supply and drain to local code.
- Flushes and tests.
We supply stations. We do not install them, in the US or anywhere else.
Outdoor installation in six steps
This is the overview. The manual that ships with your model is the authority.
Choose the spot
As close to an existing water line as the site allows, on ground where water can soak away. Avoid slabs over basements or parking decks.
Clear it with the utility
Ask your water utility and permitting office what they require for metering and backflow protection before anyone digs.
Set the base
Excavate, place the concrete base and bring the cast iron base plate level with the finished paving.
Run the supply
Bring a ½-inch line to the base with a check valve on the supply side. The station ends in a ½-inch female thread.
Lay the drain pipe
The supplied drain pipe, about 6.5 ft (2 m), runs from the base plate into the surrounding soil. There is no sewer connection.
Mount, flush, test
Bolt the post to the base, open the supply, flush the line and check the button and the drain.
Indoor installation
Cabinet models arrive assembled with their couplings fitted. On site you need three things within reach of the cabinet:
- Cold water on a ½-inch connection.
- A drain. Every plumbed indoor station must be connected to one.
- An outlet if there is a cooler. Still water needs no power. A cooler plus a lit tap handle can need two outlets.
The cooler can stand inside the cabinet or somewhere out of the way: a storage room, behind the wall, the floor below. It feeds the tap through a single insulated hose. Keep that run short, because a long hose lets the water warm up again.
The Mobile Tap is the exception to all of this. It carries its own 5-gallon jug and battery and needs no plumbing.
Wall installation
A wall station comes with its aluminum base plate and wall mounting system. Your installer needs a ½-inch water line at the plate, anchors that suit the wall, and somewhere for the water to go: the building drain indoors, or an agreed solution outdoors. No electrical work is involved.
Threads, pressure and other details for US sites
The stations are built in Europe. Have your plumber check the thread type on the technical drawing before buying fittings, because an adapter may be needed between the station and US pipe threads. Dimensions on the drawings are metric.
If your line pressure is unusually high or low, mention it in your quote request and we will check it against the model before you order.
Size and weight
| Footprint and height | About 16 × 20 × 48 in (410 × 500 × 1228 mm) |
|---|---|
| Weight, standard concrete base | About 430 lb (195 kg) |
| Weight, small concrete base | About 290 lb (130 kg) |
| Water inlet | ½-inch female thread |
| Power | None |
| Material | AISI 316 stainless steel, powder coated |
The fill height is the same across the outdoor models. Ask for the drawing of your model for exact dimensions.
Five mistakes that cost money
- Siting by the landscape plan alone. Every extra foot of trench costs more than it looks on paper. Move the station toward the water line, not the other way around.
- Forgetting the indoor drain. A plumbed cabinet station has to be connected to a drain. Check that one is within reach before you pick the spot.
- Leaving out the check valve. It belongs on the supply side and your inspector will look for backflow protection.
- Ordering a custom color on a tight schedule. Black and white ship from stock. Other colors are coated to order.
- Shutting the supply for winter and not reopening it. The station does not need a winter shutdown. If someone does close the valve, put reopening it on the spring checklist.
After installation
Upkeep is cleaning. Wipe the tap and the bowl or base plate weekly, and use a household descaler where the water is hard. There are no filters to change on a standard station and no software. The warranty runs three years and asks for professional installation, drinking water only, regular cleaning and original parts.