Understanding Water Fountains
Until you need a drink of water, you may wonder why are drinking fountains good to have in public places. It doesn’t matter if you’re inside or outside, you never know when the need for a drink of water may happen. This is especially true on a hot summer day in Texas! To keep clients, employees, and visitors comfortable, a working water fountain is important, which brings us to the subject of water fountain repair.
Having public water fountains encourages everyone, adults, and children, to consider a drink of water in place of grabbing a sugary drink. Water is healthy for all of us, aiding in a healthier lifestyle and can help decrease a national problem: obesity.
By keeping a public water fountain repaired and providing fresh, healthy water, it also provides encouragement to get children to engage in healthier ways. An additional benefit of keeping your property’s water fountain repaired, it can minimize the number of plastic bottles that end up in landfills, lakes, and oceans.
How do you sanitize a drinking fountain?
If your company has one, keeping a water fountain repaired and in good working order is important. Maintaining a clean drinking water fountain will keep your employees healthier and a well-hydrated staff is more productive too.
But a water fountain can also be a germ incubator if not kept clean. A daily routine to clean the water fountains in your place of business or a public structure is important. The following steps are recommended process to keep your water fountain repaired and clean:
- One: Using Sanitizing Wipe- Twice a day, use sanitizing wipes on all exposed surfaces, including the button or handle, bowl, mouthpiece, and side panels. During cold and flu season, you may consider 3 to 4 times a day.
- Two: Hot Water – Fill a bucket with hot water and dip a clean, lint-free cloth in the hot water, then rub over the bowl and mouthpiece. This will remove any dust or grime on the water fountain. Be sure to get the corners and creases, any area where bacteria hides and spreads.
- Three: Bleach or Sanitizer – Use bleach or sanitizer and coat the bowl and mouthpiece, wait 5 minutes, then using a soft-bristle brush, scrub the same areas you coated.
- Four: A Dry Cloth – Take a dry cloth and rub the bowl and mouthpiece to remove any grime left behind.
- Five: Empty the Bucket – Slowly empty the bucket into the drinking water fountain and over the mouthpiece. This will remove any bleach residue.
How expensive is a drinking fountain?
The cost of a water fountain can start around $1,000, going up to $6,000 and a professional installation can start around $500 and go up to $3,000 per unit. Keep the benefits in focus when budgeting the addition of water fountains. Repairs aside, a water fountain will provide healthy water with a built-in purification system. Additionally, you’re helping with eliminating additional plastic bottles in the landfills.
Do drinking fountains have to be recessed?
There are many questions when it comes to how to install a drinking fountain, which is why using a professional, licensed plumber to install any water fountain is smart. Water drinking fountains with a leading edge taller than 27″ are required to be recessed in an alcove or installed otherwise not to protrude more than four inches in the circulation pathway.
What are the ADA requirements for water fountains?
A water drinking fountain that is installed on an exterior site or an interior floor is required to meet the Federal accessibility code. Including having one at a high level and the other at a low level at a minimum of 27” above the floor and meeting the alcove or recessed requirements above. These are referred to as a hi-lo water fountain. A floor space clearance of 30” x 48” is required to meet ADA compliance, including a 38-1/2” wide access panel.
Why has my water fountain stopped working?
Drinking water fountains aren’t the only type of water fountains. There are water fountains installed for decorative purposes and to provide a tranquil setting. These operate by a water pump that brings water up from a basin. It then circulates it through another opening through a hose, then the water trickles down into the basin. This process repeats itself over and over, recirculating the same water.
When this water isn’t circulating as described, water fountain repairs can include any of the following issues. How do you fix a broken water fountain? The following steps could save you from having to pay for professional water fountain repairs.
- The power supply could be turned off to the water pump. Checking the circuit breaker should be the first step.
- Check the impeller on the water fountain pump. This is done by placing your hand on the pump while it is running. If there is a whirring feel and sound, the impeller is working. If not, there is probably debris causing a blockage. This can often be removed by running the water backwards. If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to schedule a water fountain repair.
- Check the adjustment dial and adjust upward to increase the flow or decrease it if water is splashing out.
- Add water to the fountain to the fill line. Make sure the hose is immersed in the water. If the pump is making loud sounds, there may not be enough water.
- Turn off the water fountain and examine the hoses and pump screen for debris. If this is an outdoor fountain, over time, it will accumulate debris, dirt, and leaves that can clog the fountain. Once the screen is cleaned, it should work correctly.
At The End Of The Day – How long do drinking fountains last?
Keeping your water fountain repaired and well maintained will give you up to three years of service. Providing healthy drinking water or a beautiful outdoor fountain of tranquility.