The benefits of hydration are widely known. Adequate hydration is vital to the high-functioning of so many of the body's systems. For many years, proper hydration has been becoming more and more of a focus for so many facilities, including schools, gyms, health care, municipalities, parks, etc.
Always in the past, we were reliant on old technology to meet our hydrating needs, like the standard drinking fountain. But those days are gone, thanks to the invention of Bottle Filling Stations by Elkay in 2010. Several years ago, we published the list of 5 Best Bottle Filling Stations for Schools, which has been used by thousands of people to help them find the right unit for their school.
Since that time, Elkay has continued to innovate, and today we have the option of fully Hands-Free machines. With the dangers of virus transmission weighing so heavily on everyone's minds these days, the benefits of fully Hands-Free Drinking Fountains and Hands Free Bottle Filling Stations are more important than ever.
That's where we come in.
We’ve compiled a list of popular models best suited for schools and other facilities. These models are the most popular Hands-Free Bottle Filling Stations that are 100% Touchless. This list represents a good sampling of different features and solutions, but this list is definitely not exhaustive.
You can see the entire Hands-Free Collection here, however, these five are a great place to start:
1) Fully Automatic ezH2O Combo unit
Made evident through its name, this is a combo unit, meaning that it has both a bottle filling station and a drinking fountain. The best part...it is 100% automatic! This is Elkay's newest innovation, having just hit the market.
Primary Benefits
- All the benefits of a standard ezH2O bottle filling station, with added technology allowing it to meet the recent market demand for a touch-free experience
- 100% Touchless, sensor driven bubbler and bottle-filler
- Green ticker counts number of single-use bottles saved
Standard Features
- Filtered and unfiltered options
- Refrigerated and non-refrigerated options
- Requires electricity
2) Fully Automatic ezH2O Bi-Level unit
This one is a combo unit like the first one on our list, but it has an added fountain to allow for ADA compliance and additional capacity. This is a new innovation by Elkay, and is sure to be a big hit with schools all across the nation.
Primary Benefits
- All the benefits of a standard ezH2O bottle filling station, with added technology allowing it to meet the recent market demand for a touch-free experience
- 100% Touchless, sensor driven bubbler and bottle-filler with added mechanical fountain for ADA compliance
- Green ticker counts number of single-use bottles saved
Standard Features
- Filtered and unfiltered options
- Refrigerated and non-refrigerated options
- Requires electricity
3) ezH2O Liv - Built-In Dispenser
This is the newest innovation in Elkay's line of Hands-Free dispensers. These are designed for residential applications, hence the more stylish finish. However, there are variations of these, these Liv Pro units, that are meant for commercial applications. The Liv Pro units come with larger capacity filters.
Primary Benefits
- 100% Touchless, sensor-activated fill
- Seamless glass finish...great for any room where style is important
- Sleek, modern design, and small footprint
- Designed to fit in-wall, between studs
- Filtration standard, with options for filter location
- Refrigeration optional
- Green ticker displays water bottles saved
4) IN-WALL Bottle Filling Station
Arguably the most aesthetically appealing bottle fillers, this model series is a great one to showcase in an area accessible to prospective student tours, or anywhere there is a need to conserve space for traffic.
Primary Benefits
- Ideal for tight spaces
- Retrofit options available for existing Swirlflo and Soft Side models
- Sensor-activated bottle fill
- Filtered and unfiltered options
- Refrigerated and non-refrigerated options
- Requires electricity
- Requires 12" of wall cavity for refrigerated model
5) SURFACE MOUNT Bottle Filling Station
Probably the most versatile of bottle filling stations, the surface mount series has models for almost any type of setup.
Primary Benefits
- Could provide opportunity to retrofit existing bi-level station
- No electricity required with battery and mechanically operated models
- Smaller investment
- Small footprint
- Sensor-activated OR push-button activated bottle fill
- Filtered and unfiltered options
- Can utilize your existing refrigeration (if applicable)