by Fern Shaw | Feb 16, 2026 | water cooler, water cooler, Water Coolers
In busy lives, staying healthy can slip down the priority list. Yet one of the simplest daily habits – drinking enough water – supports the body in remarkable ways.
This blog is the first in a series exploring organ health and how good hydration habits help the body function as it should. As it’s the month of love, we’re beginning with the heart.
The Heart: Your Body’s Engine
Is often described as the body’s powerhouse. It’s a muscle – highly specialised and remarkably complex – that relies on electrical impulses to maintain its steady rhythm.
Every day, it beats around 100,000 times, pumping roughly eight pints of blood through the circulatory system. That blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs, while carrying away carbon dioxide and other waste products. The heart and blood vessels work in constant partnership to keep everything running smoothly.
To do this efficiently, the heart depends on adequate hydration.
How is Drinking Water Important?
The human heart is made up of approximately 73% water. Like all vital organs, it requires sufficient fluid to function properly.
While the heart cannot ‘drink’ water directly, it relies on the body’s overall fluid balance. When fluid intake is too low, blood volume decreases. With less volume, blood becomes more concentrated and harder to circulate. The heart must then work harder to move it around the body.
Over time, this additional strain may contribute to stress on the heart and blood vessels.
By contrast, staying well hydrated helps maintain healthy blood volume and circulation. Well-hydrated blood flows more easily, allowing the heart to do its job with less effort.
Hydration and Heart Health
Research suggests that higher water intake is associated with a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease. Adequate hydration supports efficient circulation and helps the cardiovascular system function as it should.
In simple terms: drinking enough water supports the heart in carrying out the thousands of tasks it performs each day – steadily and without pause.
A Simple Habit = Super Benefits
Looking healthy on the outside begins with caring for what’s inside. The heart works tirelessly; giving it the hydration it needs is a straightforward way to support long-term wellbeing.
This♥month provides the perfect opportunity for us to be kinder to ourselves, our bodies and lives. The next time you’re about to pass the water cooler, don’t. Refill your water bottle or water glass. Make it a daily habit.
Each drink of water you take, you’re supporting a healthier heart – and a healthier you.
by Fern Shaw | Feb 9, 2026 | Water Boilers, water cooler, Water Coolers
Choosing the right hot water boiler for a workplace can feel more complicated than it needs to be. With different capacities, styles and installation options available, the key is understanding what suits the environment, the people using it and the pace of the day.
This guide breaks down the essentials, without getting overly technical, so organisations can make a confident, practical choice.
What is a hot water boiler, really?
A hot water boiler provides a reliable supply of near-boiling water on demand. Designed for professional settings, these systems are commonly found in offices, catering environments, staff rooms and educational facilities where speed, safety and consistency matter.
Unlike kettles, boilers reduce waiting time and help streamline busy routines, especially where multiple people need hot water throughout the day.
Instant Taps or stored: what’s the difference?
Boiling water taps heat water as it’s needed, delivering hot water almost immediately. This makes them well suited to workplaces with regular, steady demand.
Systems with internal tanks, on the other hand, store a set volume of hot water ready for use. These can be a good option in catering or education settings where demand peaks at specific times.
Key things to consider:
- How many people will use the boiler daily
- Whether usage is constant or concentrated at certain times
- Available space for installation
Wall-mounted or countertop?
For workplaces where space is at a premium, wall mounted water boilers are a popular choice. Installed off the work surface, they help keep kitchens and service areas clear while still delivering high performance.
Countertop models may suit larger staff areas or catering spaces where higher output is required and space allows for it.
Capacity, safety and efficiency
When selecting a boiler, capacity matters. Too small and it may struggle during busy periods; too large and it could be more than the organisation needs.
Modern systems are designed with safety features such as insulated taps and controlled dispensing, helping reduce the risk of accidents in shared environments. Energy efficiency is also worth considering, particularly in workplaces aiming to manage running costs responsibly.
A practical choice for busy environments
The right hot water boiler supports day-to-day efficiency, keeps teams moving and removes the bottleneck of waiting for kettles. By focusing on demand, space and usage patterns, organisations can choose a system that delivers piping hot drinking water throughout the working day, exactly when it’s needed.
by Fern Shaw | Feb 4, 2026 | Water Boilers, water cooler, Water Coolers
This was supposed to be a straightforward, C-for-serious blog about hot water bottles and the clever clogs (as me mum used to say) who invented these marvellous little body warmers. Truly. Pure intentions all round.
It started sensibly enough. I’d been reading about bed warmers for years, vaguely picturing something cosy and civilised. Then I watched a period drama and – lo and behold – the mystery was solved. An olde metal contraption, pre-heated and slid into the bed like some kind of medieval hot brick. I can only assume you weren’t meant to climb in while it was still there. Thankfully, we’ve moved on.
Modern hot water bottles are far less … perilous. According to Wiki:
Modern day conventional hot water bottles were invented in 1903 and are manufactured in natural rubber or PVC, to a design patented by the Croatian inventor Eduard Penkala. They are now commonly covered in fabric, sometimes with a novelty design.
By the late 20th century, their popularity dipped as homes became better heated and electric blankets muscled in on the night-time warmth market. That said, hot water bottles never really went away. They remain popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom, developing countries and rural areas. They’re widely used in Chile (where they’re known as a guatero) and have even enjoyed a resurgence in Japan as an eco-friendly, thrifty way to keep warm.
Now – important note – none of the above should be confused with an AquAid hot water boiler. That’s for keeping your insides warm, not your outsides. A subtle distinction, perhaps but a distinction, nonetheless.
During the colder weather we’re now experiencing; when you ‘ave to get up out of shoebox at twelve o’clock at night and lick road clean wit’ tongue before heading off to work – it’s comforting to know that once you arrive – salvation awaits. A well-positioned hot water boiler, keeping water at a steady 98 °C. Ready. Reliable. Fully capable of supplying piping hot water for any stomach warming hot drinks.
Just don’t try using the hot water boiler as a hot water bottle. If nothing else, it’s an unsightly, soggy mess to be cleaning up after.
Happy keeping warm and toasty this winter. And no – you may not use the water from your hot water boiler to fill your hot water bottle … nice try.
A note on the blog image, selected purely for amusement: while sourcing hot water bottle images to head up this blog, inserting entirely sensible keywords, a series of … unexpected images appeared. If anyone can explain the connection, we’re all ears.
by Fern Shaw | Dec 10, 2025 | aquaid, Water, water cooler
Did you catch the double meaning? Clever you if so. If not: real fir trees need you to water them … and then there are Christmas trees actually made of water. Granted, those involve more plumbing, jets and fountains than most of us have lying around, but you get the picture.
It’s fairly obvious that I love Christmas. Not the commercial chaos that pops up in shops from early October (or, in one horrifying case, late September), but everything else? Count me in. For me – and millions of other festive humanoids – Christmas doesn’t begin until the tree is up.
A couple of years ago I went slightly off piste. I rescued a branch from the local garden refuse tip, stripped it (yes, de-leafed is absolutely a word), left a few dramatic leaves for effect, spray-painted it white, planted it in a pot, wound some lights round it and voilà – Christmas achieved.
This year, I’m eyeing a wire-art Baobab tree. If that fails, I’m heading to a Christmas tree farm to rent a real fir for a few weeks.
Yes, renting a Christmas tree is genuinely a thing. Across the UK you can now rent a gorgeous potted fir from November to January. They deliver it, collect it and all you need to do is keep it watered while it’s visiting your space.*
There’s even a company offering fully decorated real trees, though that feels a bit like skipping the whole tree-decorating magic – unless, of course, you’ve endured one pine-needle prick too many.
If the thought of watering, sweeping or wrangling with branches fills you with dread, there are brilliant alternative Christmas tree ideas – many eco-friendly and none involving plastic stand-ins. Driftwood arranged as branches against a wall; bright paper designs wrapped around a frame; stacked gold cushions; or even a wall-mounted arrangement of baubles shaped like a tree. The only limit is your imagination.
Granted, some alternatives make traditional dancing-round-the-tree tricky, as one bah-humbug soul pointed out. But if that doesn’t bother you, then hang that tree, frame that shape, glue those baubles.
Whatever tree brightens your space this season, here’s wishing you a blessed and merry Christmas from all of us at AquAid.
*Psst – using your water cooler water to water your Christmas tree is not recommended.
by Fern Shaw | Nov 19, 2025 | Africa Trust, aquaid, Water, water cooler, Water Coolers
In the UK, it’s easy to take toilets and clean water for granted. Most of us rarely stop to think about what life would look like without the privacy, hygiene and safety that proper sanitation provides. But for billions of people around the world, a reliable toilet is far from guaranteed. That’s exactly why World Toilet Day continues to be so important.
This year’s theme, Sanitation for Peace, reminds us that safe sanitation is closely tied to stability, health and equality. When people don’t have access to hygienic facilities, the results can be devastating: increased disease, contaminated water sources and a loss of safety and dignity – particularly for women and children. Diarrhoea remains one of the leading causes of death for children under five in developing countries, largely due to poor sanitation and hygiene. And around 1 in 8 people worldwide still practise open defecation every day.
But progress doesn’t always require complex technology. Sometimes, the most effective solutions are simple, well-designed and community driven. One example is the Elephant Toilet, created by The Africa Trust, an AquAid founded charity working across sub-Saharan Africa. This eco-friendly VIP (Ventilated Improved Pit) latrine uses minimal water, is built with local materials and skills, and provides a safe, clean and long-lasting sanitation option for rural communities. The design was recognised with the St Andrews Prize for the Environment for its ingenuity and effectiveness.
What makes the Elephant Toilet especially powerful is the way communities are involved. The Africa Trust provides training and materials – such as cement for the slabs – so local people can build and maintain their own facilities. This creates ownership, resilience and long-term benefits long after the initial construction is complete.
World Toilet Day is a reminder that sanitation is a foundation for health, dignity and opportunity. By supporting practical solutions and investing in sustainable systems, we can help ensure that everyone, everywhere, has access to something as basic – and as vital – as a safe toilet.
These are just a few reasons why AquAid is proud to support The Africa Trust. To date, over 1000,000 Elephant Toilets have been built, benefitting more than two million people. Since the beginning, The Africa Trust, along with AquAid, have understood how essential good sanitation is – not just for health, but for creating safer, stronger and more resilient communities.
by Fern Shaw | Nov 10, 2025 | Water Boilers, water cooler, water cooler, water dispenser
In today’s busy work environment, efficiency, convenience and employee wellbeing are key.
Installing a water dispenser or water cooler may appear to be a small change, but the benefits to workspaces, be they offices, warehouses or worksites, are far-reaching. From reducing wasted time to lowering running costs and maintaining excellent hygiene, a water dispenser offers much more than just refreshment.
Boosting Productivity and Saving Time
A water cooler can make a real difference to daily routines. Rather than waiting for the kettle to boil several times a day, employees can instantly access hot or cold water. This not only saves valuable minutes but also helps reduce bottlenecks in shared kitchen areas. Those minutes quickly add up to greater focus and smoother workflow across the team.
Cost Savings and Energy Efficiency
Running costs matter to every business. Kettles and traditional hot drink setups use considerably more electricity than a mains-fed water dispenser or hot water boiler. Switching to a water cooler can reduce energy usage and, in turn, lower bills. It’s a simple step that supports sustainability targets while delivering noticeable savings over time.
Convenience and Consistency at Work
From open-plan offices to manufacturing floors, having a constant supply of fresh water on hand keeps things running smoothly. A mains-fed cooler provides uninterrupted service, meaning no downtime for refilling or waiting. For workplaces with larger teams, that reliability keeps everyone hydrated and operations efficient.
Professionally Maintained for Peace of Mind
Hygiene is essential in any shared workspace. Regular servicing and sanitisation ensure clean, safe water and extend the lifespan of the water dispenser. AquAid service all mains-fed water dispensers every six months and all bottle-fed coolers every three months – with these services being performed by their WHA accredited engineers. That professional care gives businesses confidence in both quality and compliance.
A Small Change with Lasting Benefits
A water dispenser is a simple upgrade that delivers practical and long-term benefits – saving time, cutting costs and improving the workplace environment for everyone.
