Customer Reviews

5 Gallon Water Bottle/Jug Hand Pump

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

After receiving this product ("Aloha" brand?) I turned around and ordered the Dolphin brand pump, paying 3 times more (counting shipping). I'm happy with the Dolphin pump. The one here is clearly a knock-off from a company in China using sub-grade materials. It is very flimsy and weak, one of the sections of the lower skirt fell off and it hasn't been mounted on a bottle yet. Out of the box the silicone seal was dirty and the plastic parts were scratched as though it had been used already. The Dolphin tubes are made of durable material (I think nylon) I recognize from my camping gear. This one is I think polypropylene. Don't waste your money, buy the name-brand pump made in Korea.

I have been using this water dispenser for over six months now, at the rate of about one water bottle every two weeks. I use Poland Spring water bottles.

Here are a few observations about this product:
1. Build quality is cheap, but the dispenser pump mechanism works perfectly.

2. The dispenser fits the bottle top well, and the plastic nut secures the dispenser to the bottle very well. However, three of the eight small plastic tabs right below the plastic nut have broken off. These tabs are just flimsy, but do not appear to play any role in how the dispenser works at all.

3. The plastic tube (two smaller tubes joined length-wise to create one long tube) is not long enough. It is about three inches short of the base of the bottle, so I have to pour out approximately the last half gallon of water.

4. The spout is reasonably secure. Every now and then, when I see that the spout is not tightly joined to the dispenser, I twist it to tighten it.

5. After pumping out water, the spout has to be tapped a little to get the last few drops out, otherwise the remaining water will trickle out after five to ten seconds. Although I won't mention it in this review, tapping the spout like this reminds me of another similar everyday scenario :-)

CONCLUSION: As soon as I am done writing this review, I am going to purchase another one of this water dispenser. It is cheap enough (about $15 with shipping), is likely not be the best dispenser out there, but it is certainly value for money.

The pump works well when the 5-gallon container is at least 40-50% full. When the level gets lower, it doesn't produce as much water with each press of the pump.

I recieved a pump. The item does not match the picture on the box and I had to squeeze it in to put it back, making me think it is not the original box. The box is stained. The pump is dirty. No where was it indicated that I was paying for a used pump, though the site said 1 new 3 used pumps. Be very careful in dealing with this company. I am dissatisfied.

The pump works, but it does not fit most bottles, so you have to either figure out how to hold the pump securely and pump with one hand or position your container so that you can use both hands to pump and try not to get water everywhere. I have bottles with different kinds of necks, and although one does give a better seal, you cannot secure the pump to any of them. I also made the mistake of ordering two, thinking I would use them both at the same time. Since it only comes close to fitting one bottle, I will never need the other, but I have not received a reply from the seller about returning it for a refund. Since the two pumps cost me $20, including shipping, and the seller charges a restocking fee, I'm pretty much stuck with a pump I'm not totally happy with but will use, and one I have no use for. Chalk it up as a lesson learned. Let the buyer beware!

Pump had to be assembled with boiling water and various components. Directions were not as clear as they should have been. Anyway it worked fine but only for 2 days and then failed completely. Tried to twist and jiggle but nothing helped. Would not recommend this to anyone.

This thing will cost you around $20 with tax and shipping.
1. It's extremely unattractive.
2. It's not as easy as it looks to pump water.
3. Mine broke after only 1 bottle.

I would recommend investing in a room temp. dispenser. It'll cost you $40-$50 but save yourself the hassle and stress of using and trying to fix and trying to get your money back on this p.o.s. product that I want to smash with a sledgehammer anytime I see a picture of it.

This "plastic" pump is just that. It will work fine as long as it doesnt break. Plastic becomes brittle over time and you need to be gentle pumping. Buy two so you have a spare! Better yet, get a cooler that holds these 5 gallon bottles and be done with it.

Vendor from whom I bought this offered poor service. Am still dealing with him to get a credit and pump I ordered. He has offered little assistance. Amazon has offered support to try and resolve but has not been successful.

It claims to seal and work for most all water bottle types, but my purchased 5 gallon water bottle is not a tight fit. It creates problems pumping the water. Next time I'd search for a better more adjustable fit for the mouth of the bottle.

The pump arrived in about two weeks, which is fast, to Canada from the USA.
It was the kind of pump that I couldn't find here in Ottawa, similar to a previous pump we had for 18 litre spring water bottles.

I am pleased with my purchase and the price was good too.
R.M.