Petmate Fresh Flow Pet Fountain Medium, Espresso | 
| Brand: Petmate
List Price: $39.99
Buy New: $23.99
You Save: $16.00 (40%)
New (6) Used (1) from $20.00
Rating:  466 reviews
Sales Rank: 3173
Color: Espresso
Media: Health and Beauty
Batteries Included: No
Size: Medium
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.6
Dimensions (in): 13.5 x 7 x 9
MPN: 24960
Model: 24960
UPC: 029695249600
EAN: 0029695249600
ASIN: B0009EXMES
Release Date: May 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Pet fountain for multiple-cat households or small dogs | | • | Provides stream of naturally cool and oxygenated water | | • | Translucent 50-ounce reservoir; replaceable charcoal filter | | • | Made of easy-to-clean plastic | | • | Measures 13-1/2 by 9 by 7 inches |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Planet Blue, Cool Flow Pet Fountain.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 461 more reviews...
Great to have, even with pump problems November 14, 2004
californiacrockett (Sacramento, CA)
149 out of 150 found this review helpful
My 4 cats love this fountain and they drink a lot more water now. Depending upon how you have the flow lever adjusted, the water stream can either be silent or a gentle trickle noise.
I have had 3 of these fountains in 3 years. The only problem I have had is with the pump. Like any water pump, the water level must be above the pump so the pump will not be damaged. I burnt out the first pump this way (shame on me). The second pump became severely clogged and stopped when one cat vomited grass into the dish while I was away (naughty kitty). The third pump dying is a mystery to me. It wasn't even a year old. Unfortunately, I just returned it today before reading one reviewer's directions on taking the pump apart for cleaning.
Even with the pump issue, I'll buy this product again. The cats love it, it is easy to clean, and fresh water is good for my cats' health. By the way, I can't imagine how some people are getting algae, etc., with this system. Basic cleaning is required of any food or water dish. The only part of this unit that cannot be cleaned with a sponge is a narrow plastic funnel that brings the water up to the fountain head. A Q-Tip works great for cleaning that.
 There are much better products out there September 23, 2005
E. Blake (Bronx, NY United States)
127 out of 136 found this review helpful
I had a Drinkwell fountain for awhile, for my two cats at home. I also have two cats at work and decided to bring the Drinkwell in for them and I got one of these Fresh Flow fountains for home. I switched at home because I thought the Drinkwell was a pain to clean. The first time I changed out the Fresh Flow I was wishing I had just gotten another Drinkwell. The two main components of the Fresh Flow are easier to clean than the Drinkwell but the benefits stop there. The reservoir is very small and impossible to clean. The water in the bowl gets full of crud the very first day and it all just sits in the bottom (Fur, bits of food, dirt from one cat's paw who likes to dip his paw into the bowl). It needs to be cleaned constantly. The bowl part is too shallow and the water doesn't seem to move out of the reservoir correctly, and the water level in the bowl gets too low and the pump makes sucking noises. The pump itself gets coated in slimy goo.
My cats also prefer the actual waterfall the Drinkwell provides. I've never seen them lap water from the plastic slide in the Fresh Flow. I gave it to a friend and bought another Drinkwell for home. Drinkwell filters are cheaper and easier to find, so even though it's more expensive initially it turns out to be the better deal.
 Great at First - But Lasted Only Four Months March 21, 2006
Donald P. Martin Jr. (Concord, NH)
76 out of 80 found this review helpful
I received the PetMate FreshFlow in November, 2005, and put it to work right away. My wife and I have six cats, ranging from longhair to shorthair to haireverywhere, and I am pretty sure they all drank from it. They became accustomed to it very quickly, the youngest being absolutely fascinated by it. The entire time, I also had a high-capacity gravity-fed waterer in another room, so it wasn't the only source of water being used.
Most noticible is that the FreshFlow is almost silent when the water is topped off, but if the water level falls, there is a very discernable motorized-gurgling noise. This goes away as soon as you refill the reservoir tank by removing the lid, pulling out the tank (which reminds me a bit of a gerbil waterer on steroids), unscrewing the cap, filling it up, then doing all this in reverse; a 30-second process.
The gurgling happens every day, and I would rinse the unit every couple/few days, and completely wash the unit out once every two weeks. I also changed the filter regularly, at least once a month. Beyond this, I made a point of pulling cat hair away from the little plastic screen in the water bowl, well, all the time. In short, I thought I did a pretty good job in maintaining the equipment. Any more than what I did, and honestly, I would rather buy surgical steel dishes and rotate them on a daily basis for the cat's use.
Still, after taking the machine apart completely every few weeks to clean as instructed, the submersible pump failed after exactly 19 weeks and three days of use. I liked the machine... when it was working.
I just purchased a pet fountain from a different company (I can't recall the make offhand... I should be receiving it soon) that ran in the $40 neighborhood, and I think it will be worth the extra money, but time will tell.
All in all, I don't think this purchase was worth it. Maybe it's because of all the cats and cat hair, but for those of us at least who do have a multiple cat household, I think it's wise to consider buying a higher-scale unit.
 Fabulous Fountain September 21, 2005
Anonymous (Columbus, OH)
51 out of 51 found this review helpful
I bought this fountain to replace a waterer much like the giant bottles you fill and turn upside down. I was concerned my cat would not like it, as he is very skittish around motorized devices (the LitterMaid was a bad purchase - scared him so bad he didnt want to use the litter box anymore). My cat loves this fountain! He now drinks much more than he did before and is not bothered at all by the pump, which is very quiet.
Assembly: Easy. Just follow the instructions and make sure you thoroughly rinse the carbon filter before putting it in the fountain. If not, you will get little black pieces of carbon on the ramp and in the filter chamber. Also make sure you fill up the tub and reservoir appropriately so you don't burn out the pump.
Cleaning: I have had my fountain 2 weeks and had to clean minor pieces of fur from and bits of food out of the tub. Cleaning is easy. The most difficult part is just getting any stray particles of things that have wandered into tight corners. Bunching up a paper towel works well :)
Usage: Great! Once you fill the initial tub and reservoir, it takes about a minute or so for the water to start flowing down the ramp. This is because the pump has to put enough water into the upper right hand chamber (where the filter is - not the blue chamber) to fill it and have it run down the ramp. During this time you can hear the pump, but once it starts flowing, the pump becomes extremely quiet.
Overall, I am very happy with this purchase!
kitty tested mommy approved April 10, 2006
Amalfi Coast Girl (Mid-Atlantic, USA)
24 out of 28 found this review helpful
My three feline children love their water fountains. They have two fountains at my house.
PROS:
1. The cats drink more water because they seem to be attracted to the flowing aspect of the water. Additional water consumption is good for cats and people.
2. Since the water is filtered it is fresher and cleaner than a bowl of water.
CONS:
1. There are little crevices that are very difficult to clean. I have resorted to using a steam cleaner to thoroughly clean the fountain once a week. On a daily basis I use a small brush and mild dish soap. Then I allow the fountain to thoroughly dry to eliminate any bacteria that were not removed with soap and water before refilling with water.
2. Because the sides are low one of my felines manages to splash significant quantities of water out of the bowl as he drinks leaving a little river on the floor. I have found that placing the fountain in a half sheet pan solves this problem but gives me something else to clean.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS:
1. I have not had any difficulty with algae in the bowl or feline acne. This may to due to my fastidious cleaning routine.
2. I have also not had any problems with pumps malfunctioning. But I do take the fountains apart completely every day and clean them, including the pump intakes.
3. I change the filter every month, just as I do for our household water filter. No sense in risking bacterial growth for a less than $2 a filter.
In summation I enjoy this product, because the felines enjoy it. It is not maintenance free, but does result in kitty's that consume more fresh water. If you don't mind 5 minutes of additional work a day I would recommend the product.
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