Avalon A3BLK Self Cleaning Bottom Loading Water Cooler Dispenser, 3 Temperature-UL/Energy Star Approved-Black Stainless Steel, 5 Gallons

Shipping by UPS was 3 days sooner than expected but UPS needs to be more careful with consumers orders. Box was damaged with large hole and crushed corner, but contents were fine. Cooler is sleek looking, and water is very hot. I did a finger test on hot water and OUCH. Be careful. The child safety latch on the hot water button was well thought out. Setup was very easy. Cold water is cold but doesn't seem to be as cold as my gallon jug in the fridge. I read reviews on everything before I buy it and bought this based on the good reviews on Avalon's customer support and their reputation of repairing or replacing a defective or damaged product. The cooler cabinet could be a little taller but is fine the way it is. Avalon sells a 10-inch plastic molded base for the cabinet but at a little over $70 with tax and shipping that's somewhat pricey. I will be using some scrap 2x6, sanding, staining, and varnish then attach my base to the bottom of cooler. As far as the very few bad reviews. People need to understand that anything manmade is subject to fail and at some point, and it will. If it is bad right out of the box or 6 months down the road it appears that Avalon will make it right. I'm impressed with the looks and functionality of this cooler and giving a 5 Star rating , higher if I could. I recomend this product to anyone.

So let me start with the obvious this bottom loader is a game changer no more lifting 5 gallon jugs Now its a simple slide in bottom compartment, this is huge. Also with old top loader looking at the bottle day in and day out kept reminding me of the office water cooler who needs thatThe look is smooth and contemporary (I ordered Black) looks like a piece of furniture not a water cooler The top is flat and you can put flowers pictures or another decoration you may wish that fits your style .Now for the people who complain about it being noisy... well when its in "suction" mode necessary due to its bottom feed, it makes noise for about 10 seconds maybe a few more seconds depending on how big of a container you are filling but honestly it is quiet 98% of the time I have never owned a watercooler that didn't make noise in cooling mode I was concerned when i read the reviews complaining about noise but honestly i did not find that to be remotely trueIt has a light to remind you to change the bottle and that literally takes 20 seconds and a constant cleaning (ozone) modeI love this purchase so far and would recommend without hesitation

Was excited to get a new water cooler ordered one for family to replace an ancient top loader cooler which was starting to leak, but we bought it used and it was over 10 years old it was made to last. I even bought a five year warranty, with this new purchase because I know quality just is not the same anymore. Came home from work, and my spouse told me the Avalon arrived but when she plugged it in that it started leaking after few minutes. She called the Avalon number on card that said don't call seller call them for issues, and guess what they were closed for the day. I plugged it in and layed down looking into the unit to see if I could tell where the leak was coming from, and if it was a simple fix. It started leaking worse than I expected, surprised I tried to jump up not wanting to flood the floor and unplug the unit. I unplugged the unit and caught the top part of my nose on the plastic edge of the water tray and now have a nice scraped up nose from sharp edged plastic, the water tray kept some of my skin. I know it is kind of a freak accident, but I have small children in my house and if it sharp enough to cut me from bumping into it, its definitely not something I am going to have around children. I called Amazon and they are giving me a refund and picking up the product tomorrow. Thank you, Amazon. I know quality has gone down, but I don't expect these type of issues, especially when the Avalon box advertises that it is a quality product which is tested. Maybe I am one in a 100 with bad luck, but after my wife told me "I should of warned you I already cut my hand in the same area", I will never buy an Avalon again.

I got tired of having to replace broken ceramic dispensers tipped over by my family in an effort to get every last drop of water. So I searched and searched and took a chance on this brand, although I never heard of it.Pros: I absolutely love that I never have to break my back lifting a 5 gallon dispenser, (doesn't help that I'm extremely short) which is why I decided to pay this much for a BOTTOM Loading dispenser.It's great for controlling when I want hot or cold water depending on the seasons (the buttons are on the back to control each one). I also like that it has a self cleaning button, saves me time and takes unnecessary work out of my hands. Overall, I was surprised as to how quiet and efficient this model was.Cons: PAY ATTENTION TO THE COLOR MODEL.So, black stainless steel model literally looks like the black plastic model unless you have it facing towards the sun or a very bright or illuminated area. Then you can see that its shiny and different. *If your kitchen has the traditional stainless steel and you want to match your appliances, go for the stainless steel model instead, trust me.I have not had any problems since I bought it. Great purchase

The first unit I ordered looked great, unpacked it, set it up, installed water bottle and immediately water ran out onto the floor. Some investigating revealed that the outlet elbow to the fill tank was broken off the pump. Contacted Amazon and they IMMEDIATELY made it right. Scheduled pick-up from my house and had new one delivered 3 days later.I will say, the 2nd unit was packed the same except it came in an additional box. The first unit did not look to be repackaged, but the unit was not packed in any additional boxing.I am a little bummed that the in bottle water suction straw is not the same. The 1st one had an offset metal straw, the 2nd one has a straight plastic one. Not a deal breaker. So far, seems to be working perfectly. NIce and quiet, keeps water nice and cold, hot works fine. I'm hoping it will last several years.