How to Clean a Drinking Water Fountain

Adding an indoor or outdoor drinking water fountain to your environment is a great way to encourage students, staff or customers to stay hydrated. To ensure that your water dispenser has an increased lifespan and remains hygienic, proper maintenance is key. An unsanitary drinking fountain is not only an eyesore but can also spread germs to its visitors.

This can be avoided by cleaning the fountain regularly. Routine cleaning is also essential to keep a drinking water fountain working properly. Lime and calcium buildup can begin to block the water from coming through the bubbler valve and going down the drain. Fortunately, cleaning a drinking fountain is a simple process that can be done inexpensively. The following steps will explain how to easily clean and disinfect a Stainless Steel drinking fountain.

Before getting started:

You will need the following; Liquid De-scaler, Paper Towels and a Grout Brush.

Safety always comes first, and in this case, remember to switch off the power and water supply of the drinking fountain. A pair of protective gloves will come in handy when you’re cleaning your drinking fountain.

Check for anything that hinders the efficiency of the drinking fountain. An outdoor drinking fountain, whether it’s a wall-mounted or a floor-standing water fountain, needs to be checked for debris like fallen leaves, dirt or sand. An indoor drinking fountain needs to be calibrated often to prevent a high noise level or low-efficiency level.

If you notice that a part of the water fountain has become rusty or is not working efficiently anymore, you might have to replace the part with a spare part. The core part of any drinking fountain is the submersible pump, it allows the fountain to run optimally at all times. If this is faulty, you may need to get experts out.

Cleaning your Water Fountain:

Step 1

Now it's time to clean. Spray the descaler directly onto the drinking fountain. Descalers remove rust, calcium and lime deposits from Stainless Steel without damaging the surface. Leave the descaler on for the amount of time indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions. Use damp paper towels to wipe away the descaler.

Step 2

Spray a disinfectant cleaner onto the entire drinking fountain. Make sure to spray directly into the Bubbler and surrounding areas. Allow the disinfectant to sit for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Step 3

Spray a grout brush with disinfectant. Use the brush to thoroughly scrub the inside of the Bubbler. After scrubbing, run water through the Bubbler to clear out the disinfectant.

Step 4

Spray another coat of disinfectant onto the grout brush. Use the brush to scrub the grate covering the drain. Make sure to also scrub around the edge of the grate since mould and mildew can accumulate in this area.

Step 5

Use damp paper towels to wipe the disinfectant off of the fountain. Continue to do this until there is no residue left. Run water through the Bubbler for two minutes. This will wash out any leftover disinfectant. Once the disinfectant is removed, the drinking fountain is ready for use.

If, after you've given it a good clean, you have started noticing some persistent marks on or in your drinking fountain that require more attention, grab some white vinegar and baking soda, mix it carefully, and apply it to the problem area. Use an old toothbrush to carefully scrub the marks. Rinse the mixture out with some water.

Maintaining your Drinking Water Fountain

To ensure that your indoor or outdoor drinking fountain lasts a long time, make sure you follow these steps and clean your fountain regularly. If you’re swamped with work or have limited time to do a thorough clean, invest in a good servicing partner that could do all of this for you in half the time!

A clean water fountain is not only beneficial to your health but to your pocket too. Save an extra penny by maintaining the health of your water fountain.

If you’re looking to invest in an indoor or outdoor drinking fountain, or need assistance with cleaning or sanitising your units, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0330 123 3309. Alternatively, you can pop us a mail at [email protected].