"Pet Fountain". I won't rehash the whole thing again, but so far I am impressed with the quality and its function.
I thought I'd post a little pictorial of what it took to go from the box, to the floor.
The box showed up about 5 days after I ordered it, and in custom form, Meow had to mark the box as his possession by scratching his little face all over it. I suppose the box corners are a good place for a cat to itch his face!Anyway, I opened the box and spread the parts out to make sure that I had everything necessary to put the Pet Fountain together. Meow, being the nosy and curious guy that he is, got between each piece and myself for closer inspection, and if there were any good scratchy parts, he itched his chin with them! Must be tough going through life with an itchy face all the time!
Here we can see the basic components of the Petmate Fresh Flow Pet Fountain, laid out in all its plastic glory!
I numbered the parts in the picture for easy identification.- Water dish/water and filter reservoirs/screener
- Extra Filters (3-pack purchased separately)
- Filter that comes with product
- Top Cover
- Pump/Power Supply
- Instructions
Fairly simple. One could probably put this thing together without the instructions, but I didn't want to break anything so I followed along. The instructions are basic, but as usual, some of the pictures are a little tough to figure out.
The first step after unpacking is to remove all the protective cardboard packing stuff that protects the unit during transit. I didn't photograph this step because, well, it didn't seem to need one!
After that, you are instructed to remove both the water reservoir, and the filter reservoir so that the pump can be installed. The water and filter reservoir are where the water is held, and to remove them from the unit, you simply lift them straight up. They need to be removed so that the pump can be installed properly.
TIP- It doesn't say in the instructions, but once this thing was unassembled into its main pieces, I quickly washed them in the sink with some cold water and dish detergent - rinsing well. The item appeared to be perfectly clean, but I don't know who or what came in contact with it during its manufacture, so I washed it as a precaution. It is not recommended that any of the parts be placed in the dishwasher! Hand-wash only!
Here is a top-view of the product with the reservoirs removed, (compare to item #1 in previous picture) and the pump placed in the proper location. There is really only one way to place the pump correctly, and it has little suction cups on the bottom to hold it in place - no screws or adhesives needed! The red arrow shows the proper placement of the pump, and there is a word "PUMP" marked in the proper location. You simply can not do this incorrectly!
The instructions talk about the "Pump Intake Cover" and the need for it to be snapped on firmly. I got a little confused as to what this meant, and I thought I was missing a part. The pump intake cover is simply the slotted opening on one side of the pump where (obviously) the water is pulled in. It was already securely attached to the pump right out of the box and was not a separate part. I guess they just want you to be sure it is attached after shipping before it it installed. Mine was fine, so I moved on.
The next step is to install the grommet on the power cord, and then slide the grommet and cord into the notch built in to the Petmate fountain. The purpose of the grommet is to secure the wire so that it does not move around, or if the wire is tugged somehow the pump is not pulled out of the water. Nice feature.
In the picture above, the yellow arrow indicates where the grommet goes, and what it looks like close up. The grommet kind of snaps onto the cord, and then it slips into the notch as shown.
After the pump is installed and the grommet to hold the power cable is in place, we can move ahead by replacing the "filter reservoir" which in the picture to the right is indicated by the yellow arrow and yellow spot. This part basically snaps right in and there are several tabs they need to be correctly aligned.
Once the filter reservoir is snapped back into place, we filled the main water bowl to about 1/2 capacity. This I suppose is needed so that when the pump is finally plugged in, there is some water in place to prime the pump and help it get the water circulating. It all made more sense as it went along!
Once the water bowl was filled 1/2 way with water, the charcoal filter can be unwrapped from the plastic package it came in. It is recommended to give the filter a rinse off under some tap water to remove excess charcoal dust. I'll admit, I forgot to do this step!
The filter is then placed into the filter reservoir with the conspicuous tag "up" facing up, and then you can go ahead and fill the filter reservoir up to the top of the reservoir ramp.
TIP- For water, I used filtered water and here's why. In my tap water, there is a high mineral content as proven by the white spots left on my car when I wash it with the hose in the driveway! Lots of fun having to rewash a car that was just washed! I think that the minerals in the tap water will gunk up the pump more quickly than filtered or distilled water would, so I try to avoid that by filling the Pet Fountain with water from my Brita pitcher. If you can use filtered water, do it. I think it will extend the life of the pump. Seems to be that way with my coffee machine!
After that, you can go ahead and fill the clear water reservoir (with filtered water if possible) and put that part back into place on the left side of the water ramp. This reservoir just sort-of seats itself when you guide it in. Its a little slippery when wet, so be careful not to drop it! At that point, your Petmate Pet Fountain should look like the picture to the left.
Bowl is 1/2 full, filter and water reservoirs filled and put in place. All that is left really is to put the little crescent-shaped top on, and plug that sucker in!
The instructions mention that it might take a minute or two for the water to get going, but I did not see that. My unit started to circulate water within seconds of plugging it in. It seemed to work nicely from the get-go. Barely any noise, no smoke, no new-parts smell. Very nice.
The instructions described how to "introduce" your pet to the new pet fountain. Each animal will likely have a different reaction, and you know better than anyone how your pet is. My cat Meow, is a really, really, really mellow and curious guy. He's not skittish at all and very friendly. I didn't bother desensitizing him to it, but I was a little surprised by his reaction to it.
Meow (as seen in the picture) was a little wary of it, and was interested to know what the little
tinkling sound was. He looked at it all funny, looked behind it, walked around it. He thought it was a little strange and he didn't run up to it and guzzle down water.
It wasn't until the evening that he finally took a drink from it, but now it is just fine. No problems. There are suggestions in the instructions about how to introduce it, and in hindsight, its probably worth a read and some consideration.
So, how do I rate my Petmate Purifying Pet Fountain after about a week of ownership? I'd say it is great. Its a little more work than a bowl, and you need to buy filters periodically, but for my Meow I think its worth it. He's getting filtered water that is circulated, and hopefully the water drinking experience will be better for him.
On the other hand, its hard to tell if he is actually drinking more water or not because more water evaporates from this system than a bowl, or from the static reservoir we used to use. (see picture) I got it hoping he would be enticed to drink more, but there is really no way of knowing for sure.
Oh well. Overall, Meow and I really like it, and would give the Petmate Fresh Flow pet fountain 4 1/2 hairballs out of 5!
The first step after unpacking is to remove all the protective cardboard packing stuff that protects the unit during transit. I didn't photograph this step because, well, it didn't seem to need one!
After that, you are instructed to remove both the water reservoir, and the filter reservoir so that the pump can be installed. The water and filter reservoir are where the water is held, and to remove them from the unit, you simply lift them straight up. They need to be removed so that the pump can be installed properly.
TIP- It doesn't say in the instructions, but once this thing was unassembled into its main pieces, I quickly washed them in the sink with some cold water and dish detergent - rinsing well. The item appeared to be perfectly clean, but I don't know who or what came in contact with it during its manufacture, so I washed it as a precaution. It is not recommended that any of the parts be placed in the dishwasher! Hand-wash only!
Here is a top-view of the product with the reservoirs removed, (compare to item #1 in previous picture) and the pump placed in the proper location. There is really only one way to place the pump correctly, and it has little suction cups on the bottom to hold it in place - no screws or adhesives needed! The red arrow shows the proper placement of the pump, and there is a word "PUMP" marked in the proper location. You simply can not do this incorrectly!The instructions talk about the "Pump Intake Cover" and the need for it to be snapped on firmly. I got a little confused as to what this meant, and I thought I was missing a part. The pump intake cover is simply the slotted opening on one side of the pump where (obviously) the water is pulled in. It was already securely attached to the pump right out of the box and was not a separate part. I guess they just want you to be sure it is attached after shipping before it it installed. Mine was fine, so I moved on.
The next step is to install the grommet on the power cord, and then slide the grommet and cord into the notch built in to the Petmate fountain. The purpose of the grommet is to secure the wire so that it does not move around, or if the wire is tugged somehow the pump is not pulled out of the water. Nice feature.In the picture above, the yellow arrow indicates where the grommet goes, and what it looks like close up. The grommet kind of snaps onto the cord, and then it slips into the notch as shown.
After the pump is installed and the grommet to hold the power cable is in place, we can move ahead by replacing the "filter reservoir" which in the picture to the right is indicated by the yellow arrow and yellow spot. This part basically snaps right in and there are several tabs they need to be correctly aligned.Once the filter reservoir is snapped back into place, we filled the main water bowl to about 1/2 capacity. This I suppose is needed so that when the pump is finally plugged in, there is some water in place to prime the pump and help it get the water circulating. It all made more sense as it went along!
Once the water bowl was filled 1/2 way with water, the charcoal filter can be unwrapped from the plastic package it came in. It is recommended to give the filter a rinse off under some tap water to remove excess charcoal dust. I'll admit, I forgot to do this step!The filter is then placed into the filter reservoir with the conspicuous tag "up" facing up, and then you can go ahead and fill the filter reservoir up to the top of the reservoir ramp.
TIP- For water, I used filtered water and here's why. In my tap water, there is a high mineral content as proven by the white spots left on my car when I wash it with the hose in the driveway! Lots of fun having to rewash a car that was just washed! I think that the minerals in the tap water will gunk up the pump more quickly than filtered or distilled water would, so I try to avoid that by filling the Pet Fountain with water from my Brita pitcher. If you can use filtered water, do it. I think it will extend the life of the pump. Seems to be that way with my coffee machine!
After that, you can go ahead and fill the clear water reservoir (with filtered water if possible) and put that part back into place on the left side of the water ramp. This reservoir just sort-of seats itself when you guide it in. Its a little slippery when wet, so be careful not to drop it! At that point, your Petmate Pet Fountain should look like the picture to the left.Bowl is 1/2 full, filter and water reservoirs filled and put in place. All that is left really is to put the little crescent-shaped top on, and plug that sucker in!
The instructions mention that it might take a minute or two for the water to get going, but I did not see that. My unit started to circulate water within seconds of plugging it in. It seemed to work nicely from the get-go. Barely any noise, no smoke, no new-parts smell. Very nice.
The instructions described how to "introduce" your pet to the new pet fountain. Each animal will likely have a different reaction, and you know better than anyone how your pet is. My cat Meow, is a really, really, really mellow and curious guy. He's not skittish at all and very friendly. I didn't bother desensitizing him to it, but I was a little surprised by his reaction to it.
Meow (as seen in the picture) was a little wary of it, and was interested to know what the little
tinkling sound was. He looked at it all funny, looked behind it, walked around it. He thought it was a little strange and he didn't run up to it and guzzle down water.It wasn't until the evening that he finally took a drink from it, but now it is just fine. No problems. There are suggestions in the instructions about how to introduce it, and in hindsight, its probably worth a read and some consideration.
So, how do I rate my Petmate Purifying Pet Fountain after about a week of ownership? I'd say it is great. Its a little more work than a bowl, and you need to buy filters periodically, but for my Meow I think its worth it. He's getting filtered water that is circulated, and hopefully the water drinking experience will be better for him.
On the other hand, its hard to tell if he is actually drinking more water or not because more water evaporates from this system than a bowl, or from the static reservoir we used to use. (see picture) I got it hoping he would be enticed to drink more, but there is really no way of knowing for sure.Oh well. Overall, Meow and I really like it, and would give the Petmate Fresh Flow pet fountain 4 1/2 hairballs out of 5!
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