Become an Oasis Water Cooler Troubleshooting Pro with help from this Oasis Water Cooler Troubleshooting Guide. Find answers to common questions about your Oasis drinking fountains, water coolers, and bottle fillers. Some answers come directly from Oasis technical support.
Oasis Versacooler II Model Focus
This article focuses on Oasis’s most popular commercial water cooler line, the Versacooler II. However, some of this information is true for other Oasis models as well. The Versacooler water cooler line includes (but is not limited to) the following Oasis and Sunroc models (and variations of said models) listed below:
- Oasis PACSL
- Oasis P8ACSL
- Oasis P8ACSLEE
- Oasis PF8ACSL
- Oasis PF8ACSLEE
- Oasis PV8ACSL
- Oasis PVF8ACSL
- Oasis PGACSL
- Oasis PG8ACSL
- Sunroc ADA8ACB
- Sunroc ADA8ACBHF
- Sunroc ADAF8ACB
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Sunroc ADAF8ACBHF
Article Breakdown
This article is broken up into two sections: Common Oasis Water Cooler Repair and Troubleshooting Information, and General Oasis Unit Questions.
Section 1: In the Common Oasis Water Cooler Repair and Troubleshooting Information, you will learn how to replace the cartridge in Versacooler drinking fountains, how to adjust water flow, how to reset an electronic bottle filler, how to diagnose Oasis water cooler problems by various symptoms, and other Oasis water cooler problems, troubleshooting indications, and more.
Section 2: The General Oasis Unit Questions will explain more about the various model configurations available from Oasis International, some of which you might not realize are available. For example, did you know that Oasis retrofit bottle fillers fit some Sunroc and Elkay units? Or that there are other antimicrobial parts available besides the bubbler and bubbler button?
I. Common Oasis Water Cooler Repair and Troubleshooting Information
#1 Most Common Cause of Water Cooler Problems:
According to Oasis technical support, the most common cause of water cooler problems is a dirty condenser. Oasis recommends taking a look at the condenser and making sure it is clean. A dirty or clogged condenser can affect the thermostat, resulting in water that is either to warm, too cold or frozen. The condenser is located on the top right side of the water cooler. One way to check if the condenser in your water cooler is clogged is to put your hand on top of the cooler. If the cooler is warm to the touch, then that is an indication that the condenser is dirty.
How to clean the condenser:
To remove dirt and lint from the condenser, disconnect the power supply cord from the electrical outlet, and then clean the condenser with a small stiff non-wire brush or vacuum cleaner attachment brush.
Oasis recommends inspecting the condenser every 3 months.
Why is the water cooler still not cooling (condenser is clean and functioning)?
The fan and the compressor can also cause the water cooler to not properly cool. Make sure both the fan and the compressor are functioning properly.
- If both the compressor and the fan are not running, the thermostat or a bad service cord could be the culprit. Oasis suggests making sure the two thermostat leads are connected to the inside gold colored tabs. If connected to the silver or outside lead, the breaker will blow because this is the ground terminal.
- If just the compressor is not functioning, the cause could be open windings, relay, overload, and or start/run capacitors.
- If both are running and the water cooler is still not cooling, contact Oasis tech support for more help.
When does the water control cartridge need to be replaced?
The top 3 signs that the water control assembly cartridge needs to be replaced:
- Water won’t shut off (water dribbles out of bubbler head)
- Water leak from unit going to the floor
- Water pressure will not adjust
How to replace the water control cartridge in P8AC Oasis Water Cooler
- Remove the two screws located on the top of the front panel.
- Loosen the two screws located on the bottom of the front panel.
- Remove the front panel.
- Turn water off at the stop.
- Locate cartridge screws under the front nose.
- Loosen the two cartridge holder screws located in the middle underside of the cooler.
- Drop cartridge holder out from below frame to make it accessible.
- Use spanner wrench or needle nose pliers to remove retaining nut in the cartridge.
- Remove retaining nut (note that there will be a small amount of standing water in the holder. This is normal).
- Remove cartridge.
- Insert the new cartridge. (note that when inserting the new cartridge, the holes in the cartridge and holder must line up to fit properly).
- Screw retaining nut back on.
- Push the cartridge back into position and tighten the two cartridge holder screws.
- Turn water back on.
- Check and adjust water height if needed.
- Reinstall front cover and tighten/replace screws in bottom and top of front panel.
*Note that vandal resistant models will have different stream height adjustment directions.
How to adjust the stream height on a P8AC unit
- Locate cartridge adjustment hole under front nose. It is in the middle, located between two screws.
- Use a flat head screwdriver to adjust the stream height. Turn the cartridge screw clockwise to increase stream height or turn it counter-clockwise to reduce stream height.
*Note that vandal resistant models will have different water control cartridge replacement directions.
How to reset malfunctioning Oasis electronic bottle fillers
To reset electronic bottle fillers (including the board and sensor), simply unplug the unit for a couple minutes, and then plug it back in.
Electronic bottle filler units need to be reset when any of the following malfunctions occur:
- The bottle filler is not dispensing water
- The bottle filler is not shutting off
- The electronic sensor needs to be re-calibrated
- The electronic display is irregular
II. General Oasis Unit Questions
Where can I find the model number of my Oasis drinking fountains?
Oasis model numbers are found on the bottom of the drinking fountain, water cooler, or bottle filler. The model number can be found most often on a sticker located on the bottom of the frame on the outside.
Is there an antimicrobial option for water cooler finishes?
Yes, some Versacooler units are available with antimicrobial parts. The antimicrobial parts available include the basin, front nose, and buttons. Note that the standard bubbler and bubbler button (when manual) that come with all units are antimicrobial.
Are Oasis units available in heavy duty stainless steel?
Yes. Some versions of Oasis water coolers are available with heavy-duty, 14-gauge stainless steel. Note that this option is only available for vandal resistant style units.
In what configuration does an Oasis bi-level unit come in terms of set up, and can it be installed in the opposite way?
Oasis split level (also known as bi-level) units arrive in packaging ready to be set up with the right side high, left side low. When bi-level units include a bottle filler, the bottle filler comes ready to be installed on the lower left unit.
These units can be converted to right side high, left side low with no additional parts needed. The changes that need to be made to install the unit in this configuration include:
- Moving the panel from one side to the other to hide the hole in the panel.
- The waste or drain tailpieces also need to be switched.
Note: the compressor must stay on the right side no matter which configuration is chosen.
Does Oasis have retrofit bottle filler kits?
Yes. There are two add-on bottle filler options: a manually activated retrofit bottle filler (Oasis model PWSBF) and a sensor activated retrofit bottle filler (Oasis model PWEBF)
Which water coolers can be retrofit with an Oasis bottle filler?
Oasis Units: Oasis PG8AC, P8AC, and P8AM model water coolers (and variations thereof) can be made into bottle filler water cooler combination units.
Sunroc Units: Oasis bottle filler retrofit kits can also fit Sunroc ADA8AC units as well as some Older Sunroc ADA series units (ex: Sunroc model number: ADA8)
*Note that when retrofitting an older style Sunroc, you need an additional gasket for the Oasis retrofit kits. The gasket is Oasis model: 036689-101.
Elkay Units: Oasis bottle filler retrofit kits can also fit Elkay Series EZ or LZ units. When retrofitting Elkay EZ or LZ units with an Oasis bottle filler, you must buy an additional gasket. The gasket is Oasis model: 036689-201.
View our online selection of Oasis water coolers and Oasis repair parts now. Note that on our website, we do not list all of the Oasis repair parts we carry. If you do not see the exact repair part or unit you are looking for give us a call.
Equiparts and Oasis
Equiparts has been working with Oasis for over 25 years. We are a Master Distributor of Oasis units and repair parts. This means that we carry a large variety of Oasis water coolers and parts in our warehouse, stocked and ready to ship. Call today to get help with your Oasis units and to start working with an Oasis distributor that knows how to service Oasis units and will provide you with expert customer support.
Related Articles:
• The Oasis Green Filter System for Water Coolers
• Water Cooler Filter Comparison Chart
• Bi-Level Water Coolers with Bottle Filler Comparison Guide
For one-on-one support for your water cooler units, give us a call to speak to one of our product experts.
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