Though water dispensers are built to last, there are a lot of parts that need to be installed just right in order for them to work properly. In fact, improper installation or faulty parts can lead to you wasting as much water through leaks as you’re trying to save. Additionally, despite how reliable and easy to maintain these machines are in our daily lives, they’re still susceptible to certain damage like any other piece of equipment. So whether you use a premium water dispenser for your home or in your office complex, you may have noticed that it’s begun to leak from time to time. This is why it’s not only important to know why your water dispenser might leak, but also how to potentially fix it before needing to call in professionals.
Common Causes of a Leaky Water Dispenser
Water leakages are one of the most common malfunctions the average water dispenser can have. This is because there are a lot of areas where it can escape if certain parts aren’t installed or tightened correctly. If you notice that your water dispenser has started to leak, it’s important that you first try to diagnose the cause before you set out to fix it. Otherwise, you could accidently make the situation worse or completely misinterpret the proper course of maintenance. Fortunately, there’s a laundry list of potential causes that you can use to begin your investigation.
Faulty Water Valve
A water valve is the component of your water dispenser that allows water to enter the machine to be treated. Depending on what type of water dispenser you have, this valve may be connected directly to the water source with a tube or the platform where the water jug is placed. Either way, when these parts malfunction, it blocks the incoming stream of water and forces it out of the connector in the form of a leak. When this happens, fixing the problem could be as simple as replacing the broken part or tightening it.
Trapped Air
Another reason why your water dispenser might be leaking could be because excess air is trapped in some of the internal components. After a while, it’s common for air bubbles to begin building up in many of a dispenser’s parts—including the waterlines, spigots, and even the filters. This causes the overall pressure in the system to increase and force water out of any potential openings in the device. To help correct this, it’s important that you begin continuously running the dispenser to flush out any of that extra air. This could mean draining it of as much as several gallons of water.
Overflowing Catch Pan
The catch pan is the section of the water dispenser that catches any excess water dripping from the spigot after it’s used. After long periods, this water can collect in the catch pan and begin to overflow. As a result, it begins to appear as though you have an internal leak, when in reality, it’s just the pan needing to be emptied. So while this might be a housekeeping problem, check the catch pan to ensure you have a legitimate leak before you go to the effort of fixing it.
Water Dispenser Troubleshooting Basics
If you still can’t seem to identify the root of the problem, basic troubleshooting procedures are often the best next step to getting the problem solved. Plus, it’s just good practice to know how to properly respond in the event of a water dispenser mishap or malfunction. These are the fundamental steps to take to help get your water dispenser working again.
For starters, if your dispenser is dripping right after installation, it could mean that it hasn’t settled into a running cycle yet. This is why letting the device cool for a full 24 hours is crucial to getting it on the right track. However, if it’s still leaking after the time has passed, you could then try quickly dispensing about two to three gallons of water to release any air that might be trapped. If the leaking persists after this point, you could also try removing the water filter and dispensing more water to ensure there’s no excess air trapped inside the filter housing. Keep in mind, though, that any leaking after this step might mean you’ll need to consider calling in your installation company for service.
Additional Steps to Stop a Leak
After your troubleshooting attempts, it might feel like there’s nothing more you can do to stop your water dispenser leak. But this simply isn’t true. In fact, there are a few more things you can try before needing to get professionals involved. Just be sure to give them an immediate call if the issue remains unchanged.
Reattach the Water Bottle
If your water dispenser draws its water from a large, attached water bottle, checking its connecting point is another beneficial thing to do. This is because the problem could be caused by something as simple as improperly attaching the jug in the first place. To correct this, take the jug off its perch, check the connectors for damage, and reattach by tightening the connectors into place.
Tighten Potentially Loose Valves
Areas of a water dispenser such as the water valve and spigot can loosen over time and allow excess water to escape as it flows through them. This can lead to you using more water than intended and paying more than you need to. Fortunately, this problem can be easily fixed by tightening these parts and ensuring that they provide the proper amount of seal when the device isn’t being used.
Check for Clogs or Blockages
Just as air buildup can result in an increase in internal pressure, physical blockages or clogs in the waterlines can also have the same effect. But unfortunately, this type of pressure is significantly harder to relieve. Though you’ll probably need a professional to physically remove the clog, you can at least check if you have one by watching the rate that water leaves the spigot. If it seems to have slowed down since you first had it installed, then you may have a clog to deal with.
Quality water dispensers, and the knowledge to care for them, are what we pride ourselves on at Drink Meta. It isn’t enough that we give you the means to dispense your own quality water at home or in the office; we also want to help make them last. In the interest of keeping your water dispensers and coolers running as effectively as possible, we also offer bottleless water cooler service in the New York City area. With these resources at your disposal, a small leak might not seem so difficult to deal with after all.
