It does the job, but I was hoping for a bit more depth on the compatibility issues between different brands. The section on installation is solid, and I’ll keep it on my shelf, but the troubleshooting chapter felt a little generic. I also thought the business chapter was too long—I just wanted to fix my office cooler. Useful, but not the definitive reference I was expecting.

This is the book I wish I had when I started my water delivery route. It saved me from buying a whole batch of bottles that wouldn’t fit my customers’ coolers. The chapter on direct-line kits is worth the price alone. I’ve already used the maintenance checklist on three of my service calls. It’s straight talk, no fluff—exactly how a technician thinks. Highly recommended.

Good, practical coverage of the basics. I appreciated the clear explanation of thread sizes and pressure ratings, which I never understood from the parts catalogs. The new book skipped a bit on the smart sensor stuff that I was interested in, but I guess that’s from a few years ago now. Solid reference, though. I'd say it's a 4.5 rounded down, mostly because it didn't have a quick-reference card.