Coffee Vending Machines Requirements : Plumbing When Installing A Coffee Machine In Your Office

If you’ve made the decision to install a coffee vending machine in your office, chances are you’ve had every aspect of the machine explained – except the water requirements. To be honest, this is probably one of the biggest considerations to take when renting or buying your coffee machine.

Coffee Vending Machines Water Requirements

Consider Your Headcount

It’s likely you’ll be catering to a larger staff complement if you have opted for a vending machine.

You’ll need to make this your first consideration, as it can be the deciding factor between using an external water bottle or plumbing the coffee machine into your existing water supply.

If you’re going to use an external water cannister (let’s use our 21.8 litre water bottles as the go-to), and your cup size is set to 250ml, you’ll get about 87 cups before needing to replace your water bottle.

What are the benefits of using a water bottle? You could move the machine around at will, you can buy purified water (which will extend the lifespan of your vending machine and improve the taste of your coffee) and you will not need to make any permanent changes or implementations to your existing water structure.

What are the downfalls? Someone is going to need to replace the bottle each time it empties, which can be a bit annoying.

That being said, if you have a much larger complement, you may want to opt to have your coffee machine plumbed-in. This means you will need to have appropriate and sufficient structures to handle the extra usage of water through the coffee vending machine.

What are the positives of this option? You can get endless cups dispensed and not have to worry about refilling.

What re the downfalls? You’re now limited to using only the area your machine has been plumbed-in at. Also, if your municipal water supply is either interrupted, disconnected or the water quality is compromised, it is going to affect the ability of your machine to dispense drinks.

Consider Your Space and Aesthetic

Remember that using an external water canister, you’re going to have to cater for the extra space it will take up. You may want to opt for a coffee machine stand with a door for you store your canister in.

If aesthetic is your main priority, plumbed-in units may offer you the solution you’re after; the pipes can be concealed and you can place it anywhere you like – provided there is existing plumbing in that area.

Fortunately, vending machines don’t usually need overhead space, because the product canisters are all internal. There is always the exception to the rule – with the likes of our Aqua Bean Vending machine. It requires about 30cm of overhead space to life the top compartment when resetting the machine.

Always look at the dimensions of your machine and ensure that your allocated space is wide enough and broad enough to comfortably fit your machine without compromising the safety of it.

Lastly, make sure the area you place your machine in is accessible to whoever needs to use it. For example, try not to place it on a higher shelf, in an area prone to ant infestations (you don’t want them getting in your morning brew) or a dusty / dirty area. This may not be exactly where it’s most convenient to plumb it in, or connect it to your external water canister – but it’s better to have all your bases covered before making any permanent changes to your water structure.

Water quality affects the longevity of your machine and the quality of the coffee it produces – always keep that in the back of your head when deciding between using an external water canister of purified water or municipal water. If you opt for a municipal supply, make sure you install a filter to the extension – where the water can be filtered before it even enters the machine.