So far so good. 36 hours since setting it up. Packaged well and nothing broken, unlike the unfortunate few reviewers. But let me point out a few things that can clarify some of the negative given for this, and any of the other fountains really. NONE OF THEM ARE PERFECT. Water is involved, and with that, a breeding ground for bacteria. What about the carbon filters, you ask? They're not meant to remove microbes. ONLY chemicals like chlorine. They are the same types of filters you find in your Brita pitchers and water dispensers. If you want 100% perfect water (hypothetically), use distilled. Distilled has no chemicals, minerals (TDS) or microbes. And then you won't even need the carbon filters anymore, just the little foam one that helps keep debris out of the pump. And that can be washed and disinfected. I'm using the filters that came with the fountain, and then that's it. I'm not buying any carbon filters and will resue the foam one. We drink 100% filtered water, using the Zero water system. Don't know what that is? look it up. It's actually pretty cool, and if you have hard water, it WILL benefit. Because hard water has a high amount of TDS (total dissolved solids). And the Zero system and it's filters remove that, all of it. I've tested it. So i'm not kidding. So I don't need distilled water for anything, let alone silly little carbon filters for this fountain. If you want to slow down sludge growth of this fountain after initial use, these are my suggestions: - bleach it first. I'm not kidding. Whether you use full strength or a 10% solution, kill the germs that are present on the fountain while upon arrival. Apply the cleaner to all parts, including the pump, for 10 minutes, then flush thoroughly. Run the pump to make sure it flushes itself out well. THEN put it together. -add no more than 2 tsp of peroxide to the water, and only if you're using filtered/distilled water. A friend of mine says he actually sprays it on the filter of his fountain every so often and it helps keep it clean. I did some reaserch and there are some claims to peroxide, in small measured quantities, is actually good for you. I'm not putting up any links..look it up yourself. -don't like the idea of peroxide still? Add 2 tsp of apple cider, or white, vinegar. If you have hard water, this will also help combat hard water stains on the your fountain. I didn't say totally eliminate the issue, i said help combat, meaning reduce. ACV is also said to be good for you pet, and humans. And some water addtives for dental purposes have ACV in it. My last bottle did ist it. I use both of these methods by the way. -keep it out of direct sunlight. Sunlgiht helps algae grow, among other microbes.Plus it will warm the water, and if you don't like drinking lukewarm water, i don't think your cat will either. -keep it away from their normal feeding area. Some pets like to go straight from food to water, and back again, dropping bits into the fountain. Dogs are notorious for this crud, and i've actually seen my old Drinkwell Platinum get nasty much faster after a dog has been using it long enough. -try to keep it out of high traffic areas. Feet kick up dirt, and dirt will get into the water more often if in areas like that. -- i know these last 2 aren't always feasible for eveyrone, considering the layout and size of your home. But bear these in mind when you have issues. Now for mechanics and assembly of this particular fountain. My husband put it together without instructions. Perfectly. No leaks, No issues. He dove in on it before i could get it out of the box good. - There is no hole in the bottom of the dish! Not one that will cause issues. The hole that is there, is just a feed tube for the power cord to the pump. Pump sits in dish, Cord goes up the outside of the tube, then down the inside of it. Then under and out from the bottom of the dish. That's the only function of the tube. And the tube entry is much higher than the water level of a comepletely full dish, And there is a cap/gasket that still covers that. The water is pushed up through the second piece that sits inside the dish. -as for sound. I don't hear the motor. Period. And I have some darned good hearing. The water flow seems to be what bothers folks. Think of, a drikning fountain at school or in a store. That's the flow of this fountain. But regardless of flow, the reason why it's 'loud' is because fountain doesn't have a 'splash ramp' like the other Drinkwell products, like my old Platinum. The water flows directly into itself. So fill a sink just a little and then turn on the faucet to a low steady flow and keep it like that for a few mintues. If you don't like that sound, don't get this fountain, or any others like it that don't have the splash ramp. No, having a flow valve like on the platinum will not help. It's still water hitting water. Only change with be the pitch or tone of the water. By the way, i had the Platinum for 7 years. I retired it 2 weeks ago, because, it was just old and nasty. Sludge was growing faster than i could keep up with and the water would actually look nasty, with this film floating in it. It's plastic. It's been through it's paces of being moved cross country and cleaned constatly. 7 years for a $60 item. Well worth it. But i didn't want plastic again, because that does harbor more germs than ceramic or steel, because plastic does break down over time. We replaced the pump once in it's lifetime. Just like in cars, motors die folks, especailly with constant use. As for the mother with this Pagoda, well we'll see. But unlike others, i'm not going to get overly butthurt over it. I registered my product with PetSafe (keep your invoice! They ask you to uplaod it!), so if the motor dies within a year, I'll just get it replaced. Not like my cats will die immediately over not having the fountain running for a few days while i wait for a new pump. They'll find other ways to get a drink in the meantime, whether i help them or not. i might come back later with an update on the pump, just so foks can see how ong mine lasted. Several months later....... 08/08/2014 The motor is still working just fine. Has not died on me. Nothing has broken. Because of the climate I'm in, southern Lousisiana hot and humid, plus the number of cats, 4, It does get icky in about 2 weeks. But again, this is not a defect of the product. It's situational and it's something I work on. I do add the liquid called Manna Pro All Natural Water Protector that I bought at the Tractor Supply locally. I found it in the chicken feed section but it can be used on other animal as well. The ingredients are quite safe for cats and dogs, based on my experience as a soap maker, so I have to research ingredient labels and what each item is and what it does. I do believe it prolongs the water cleanliness considering our specific household situation. Pretty sure Amazon sells it as well if you do a search. Last Edit......December 10th, 2014 I still have it. Have not broken the fountain itself and the motor is still good. Only thing I replaced were the plastic parts because I washed them in the bottom rack of my dishwasher. The instructions didn't indicate whether they could be washed this way or not. Ordered them on PetSafe's website and the set is very affordable. All 4 of my cats use it constantly. I clean it once a month. I've noticed using the carbon filter, there is less sludge going to the motor. But it could also be the additives I use to keep the water clean. Great buy for our family.
