Customer Reviews

Ergo Auto Pet Waterer, Small

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The ERGO automatic filtered pet waterer is the best waterer I have ever purchased. The previous waterer was a Drinkwell Big Dog Waterer. It did not have the capacity the ERGO waterer has which is a big benefit considering I have two labrador retrievers. The ERGO waterer has a prefilter which keeps debris out of the pump. I have owned this waterer for almost a year and am still very satisfied with it. It is very easy to keep clean, much easier than the previous waterer. The pump is adjustable and has lasted longer than the one in the Drinkwell waterer. The only thing is the manual does not tell you to put water in the well were the filter is located. By doing this, the pump is primed much faster, ensuring the water circulates well. A small item compared to all the benefits of this waterer.

After a month of investigating automated pet feeding and watering devices for my pet cat, I finally selected this two gallon model by Ergo Systems. It was not an easy process, many of the consumer product reviews regarding the various available models seemed to be either plugs or diatribes. Clerks at local pet stores tried to be helpful, but none of the stores I visited carry these devices in stock so close inspection and particular model recommendations were unobtainable. The best they could offer were vendor recommendations based on reputation. I finally made my decision based on design specifications, vendor highlighted features, and the most discernibly objective reviews available.

The only criticism I have for this waterer is that it must be taken apart to be properly cleaned but the benefits of providing our cat with running, oxygenated water are worth the minor inconvenience. Disassembly/assembly can be completed by memory after initial assembly. It did take a day or so for our cat to become accustomed to the sound of the pump but this is to be expected, especially when imposing such a drastic change to the feeding and watering area.

Overall, I rate this product as good. The one part subject to wear and tear is the pump and having never owned an automated waterer before, I am still apprehensive of the failure rate of such a part. So far it has performed faithfuly.

This is great in every way. I wish I would of had one for years now that I hve it.

The product works well for both cats and small dogs. It is a bit noisy and takes a short while for your pets to get used to the pump motor noise and the bubbling of the water tank noise. Does a good job of providing a constant flow of fresh filtered water. The only drawback is cleaning the bowl area. The whole unit must be unplugged and turned upside down after removing the water jug to rid the bowl of inevitable dirt and hair that finds its way into the drinking area as it sits on the floor. Overall, it's a good product, especially for cats with renal problems.

I purchased this product a few of years ago. Initially it seemed to be a good product. It lasted for several months, and then the problems set in.

1) The dispensing bowl is attached to the reservoir bowl by two plastic nuts that thread onto two threaded plastic shafts extending from the dispensing bowl. There is also a small plastic tube that extends from the dispensing bowl, and fits into a receptacle in the reservoir bowl body. The tube is sealed to the receptacle by two small recessed O-rings. These O-rings are junk. During assembly the O-rings will twist and bind against each other preventing a good seal. Which in turn, will result in an empty waterer and a flooded floor? - My fix, use a food grade silicone to seal the tube to the receptacle. Problem solved; no big deal.

2) The filters that are used with this unit are also complete junk. They are a multi-layered filter, with each layer of filtration "supposedly" providing a beneficial purpose. However, this filter frequently becomes clogged. The first layer of filtration is a particulate screen; good in concept - bad in implementation. The useable surface area of this screen is less than an inch in diameter, so any debris (usually food particles and hair) that falls into the reservoir bowl will clog this filter fairly quickly. It usually takes about a week to clog it up. Once it becomes clogged, the water no longer flows. Well, so much for filtered water.

3) An easy way to unclog the filter is to back-flush it. Weekly back-flushing will extend the filter life for about a month before it has to be replaced. The filters originally came four to a pack, then three to a pack, now only two to a pack, but the price has never decreased. Ok, blame it on inflation. (Greed?)

4) The pump actually seems to be quite hardy. It has never had a problem. However, the water flows into the pump before it passes through the filter. This arrangement causes debris to get caught around the impeller of the pump (mainly hair), and the water flow slows down to a crawl. - My fix, remove the pump from the reservoir bowl, dissemble the pump, remove and clean the impeller, and reassemble. Well, so much for unattended watering.

5) The original reservoir bottle was made from a fairly durable plastic, and it lasted about two years; then once again my floor began to flood repeatedly. This time the problem was problem much harder to diagnose. The reservoir bottle developed a small crack underneath the screw-on lifting handle. The cracked reservoir bottle could no longer sustain a vacuum, and would empty its contents as fast as the air can flow in through the crack. I tried to seal the crack using the food grade silicone, but unfortunately the silicone would begin to leak as well. So, I ordered a replacement reservoir bottle.

6) The replacement reservoir bottle was made from a thin flexible plastic. I initially assumed the thin flexible plastic was an upgrade to make the bottle more resistant to cracking. Wrong. About 2 months after I replaced the bottle, my floor began to flood once again. This time the flooding was very infrequent, and I thought perhaps my pets were just being messy. I didn't even suspect the new bottle was cracked until my floor was once again flooded regularly. Once I discovered the crack under the screw-on lifting handle I called Ergosys, and requested a warranty replacement for the bottle. I was told even though the product was clearly defective and that it shouldn't have cracked, I would have to purchase a new bottle because, the 1 year warranty had expired yesterday. (Yes, that was the final straw and impetus for this review)

7) There is a removable centering device for the bottle. It resides in the reservoir bowl, and helps guide and support the bottle into place during bottle installation. This centering device is another piece of junk. It cracks more frequently than the bottle. The cracks seem to have little effect on the performance of the waterer, but why is it cracking in the first place?


Despite the good rating from other reviewers, I would caution against relying on this unit to provide prolonged unattended watering for your pets (a week if your lucky). Furthermore, I definitely would NOT recommend using this unit near a wooden floor or carpeting; it is simply too prone to flooding the floor.

I do not own the large pet waterer, but it stands to reason the large and medium pet waterers may also be prone to these same problems.

Buyer Beware!

It worked great for a year. It then began to leak through the back where pump electrical cord enters . Also leaked where storage container meets the bowl. Then check valve leaked. It then began to overfill and later under fill the bowl. Replacement parts were very expensive. The customer support is in India and they are less than responsive to e-mail and not knowledgeable. this is a good product only if you want to replace it every 1 1/2 years or so.

We have multiple animals including a Mastiff (high slime factor) and was excited to see this product. We also have had problems w/kidney infections in the dogs while using 'city water' so the filter was a BIG plus. I ordered the waterer and extra filters. I received the first waterer and filled it with water, inverted it into the base and watched it fill and fill and overflow all over the floor. I left it in the tub overnight and it leaked all night. I returned it for a replacement. The second one took longer to leak and it leaked slower. I thought I would try putting sealant around where it was leaking (as Amazon did NOT want to replace it a 2nd time). At first it didn't leak but then the pump was not working. Then it developed a slow leak after an hour or two. After I emptied the water, the next day what little water was remaining was 'milky' from soaking into the caulk. I just returned it a second time. It remains to be seen if I will get a refund. And I still have the extra filters from my first order!

I have owned several different types and brands of pet waterers, and this one has by far outperformed the others. The prefilter before the pump in the Ergo brand works great, and has significantly lengthened the life of the water pump. Setup is intuitive and uncomplicated. I have owned the same system for 3 years now, and it has never given me a problem, with regular, but minimal maintenance to keep it clean and sanitary. Would definitely purchase again.

I purchased the large Ergo Auto Pet Waterer a few weeks ago. It was great in the beginning, although my dogs did not drink from it very much. Then I went to clean it. It is a bear to clean. And lifting the 5 gallon water bottle in order to clean it, isn't pleasant either. When I cleaned it, there was a small piece next to the plastic filter that broke off. Plus, it leaks water in between the water tank and the bowl. I should call the manufacturer to ask for a new plastic piece, but it's not listed in the manual. My next fountain will not have an outlet. And as far as keeping it free from dog hair or food, that's bogus too. It does not keep the water free from hair or food. Do yourself a favor, and don't waste your money on this product!

It leaks, it will not automatically dispense water reliably, causing the pump to draw air, and it's a pain to clean. Get a bowl, you'll be much happier...