Drinkwell Fountain 'slimey'? Does anyone have a problem with the water in the Drinkwell fountain getting 'slimey'? I replace filter once a month but after a few days the plastic gets a slimeny coating on it. Let me know your experience and if you have found a remedy. Drinkwell Fountain 'slimey'? Does anyone have a problem with the water in the Drinkwell fountain getting 'slimey'? I replace filter once a month but after a few days the plastic... » Read More Drinkwell Fountain 'slimey'? Does anyone have a problem with the water in the Drinkwell fountain getting 'slimey'? I replace filter once a month but after a few days the plastic gets a slimeny coating on it. Let me know your experience and if you have found a remedy. « Show Less
1509956
Is every 3 days often enough? I have one cat and use bottled water in the fountain, as the stuff that comes out of the faucet here in the desert is not really drinkable, even when run through a Pur filter. The fountain still starts to show clear slime within a day. It's not algae, as the slime is clear, not green, and the fountain is in a room that doesn't get any sunlight. I don't have this problem with Petco's basic fountain, but the cat prefers a falling water stream, hence the Drinkwell. I tend to agree with other posters that it's the cheap chinese plastic that's the problem. Any manufacturer who thinks melamine is a nutrient OK for baby formula isn't going to be even that "careful" with mere pets. Is every 3 days often enough? I have one cat and use bottled water in the fountain, as the stuff that comes out of the faucet here in the desert is not really drinkable, even when run through a Pur filter. The fountain still starts to show clear slime within a day. It's not algae, as the slime is clear, not green, and the fountain is in a room that doesn't get any sunlight. I don't have this problem with Petco's basic fountain, but the cat prefers a falling water stream, hence the Drinkwell. I tend to agree with other posters that it's the cheap chinese plastic that's the... » Read More Is every 3 days often enough? I have one cat and use bottled water in the fountain, as the stuff that comes out of the faucet here in the desert is not really drinkable, even when run through a Pur filter. The fountain still starts to show clear slime within a day. It's not algae, as the slime is clear, not green, and the fountain is in a room that doesn't get any sunlight. I don't have this problem with Petco's basic fountain, but the cat prefers a falling water stream, hence the Drinkwell. I tend to agree with other posters that it's the cheap chinese plastic that's the problem. Any manufacturer who thinks melamine is a nutrient OK for baby formula isn't going to be even that "careful" with mere pets. « Show Less
1509957
I have this problem. I think the problem for me anyway is I live on a well and have no chemicals added to the water. Im currently thinking of getting a small uv light to add to the back to possibly kill off any slime that wants to try and form. Try city water andsee if you still get the slime in the same ammount of time
1509958
reno,i've been using a drinkwell fountain for years, without the problem you are having. i hope that you have already resolved your problem. with 2 cats, i was not replacing the filter as often as you. (i have the smaller fountain, my sister has the platinum.) the platinum is currently providing water for my sister's 2 dogs, my 2 larger dogs, and one good sized cat. we do need to fill it a couple of times a day.i don't know if this will help, but if you are still having the problem you might try cleaning the entire thing with white vinegar. vinegar works so well for cleaning so many things, i think it might help. good luck to you. reno,i've been using a drinkwell fountain for years, without the problem you are having. i hope that you have already resolved your problem. with 2 cats, i was not replacing the filter as often as you. (i have the smaller fountain, my sister has the platinum.) the platinum is currently providing water for my sister's 2 dogs, my 2 larger dogs, and one good sized cat. we do need to fill it a couple of times a day.i don't know if this will help, but if you are still having the problem you might try cleaning the entire thing with white vinegar. vinegar works so well for... » Read More reno,i've been using a drinkwell fountain for years, without the problem you are having. i hope that you have already resolved your problem. with 2 cats, i was not replacing the filter as often as you. (i have the smaller fountain, my sister has the platinum.) the platinum is currently providing water for my sister's 2 dogs, my 2 larger dogs, and one good sized cat. we do need to fill it a couple of times a day.i don't know if this will help, but if you are still having the problem you might try cleaning the entire thing with white vinegar. vinegar works so well for cleaning so many things, i think it might help. good luck to you. « Show Less
1509959
It's not necessarily true that you are not cleaning it enough, but you may not be cleaning it well enough. I usually rinse mine with Listerine every month or so, after thoroughly cleaning it, to kill off any stray bacteria. I have posted four pictures on how to properly disassemble the pump for cleaning, that should help.The type of water you use can also have a great impact on cleanliness. Bottled, spring or well water(non-chlorinated) will scum up much faster than chlorinated tap water. Also, if your pets are messy, and leave bits of dirt or food in the fountain it will scum much faster. It's not necessarily true that you are not cleaning it enough, but you may not be cleaning it well enough. I usually rinse mine with Listerine every month or so, after thoroughly cleaning it, to kill off any stray bacteria. I have posted four pictures on how to properly disassemble the pump for cleaning, that should help.The type of water you use can also have a great impact on cleanliness. Bottled, spring or well water(non-chlorinated) will scum up much faster than chlorinated tap water. Also, if your pets are messy, and leave bits of dirt or food in the fountain it will scum... » Read More It's not necessarily true that you are not cleaning it enough, but you may not be cleaning it well enough. I usually rinse mine with Listerine every month or so, after thoroughly cleaning it, to kill off any stray bacteria. I have posted four pictures on how to properly disassemble the pump for cleaning, that should help.The type of water you use can also have a great impact on cleanliness. Bottled, spring or well water(non-chlorinated) will scum up much faster than chlorinated tap water. Also, if your pets are messy, and leave bits of dirt or food in the fountain it will scum much faster. « Show Less
1509960
I have had the same problem with slimy water after a few days using filtered water. My wife bought some Bottled Spring Water last week and after 5 days there was no slim at all. Worked great. BJ - Reno
1509961
I use filtered water with drinkwell filters, clean it once to twice a week, soak in vinegar once a month. Regardless I am having same issues. Thought it was cats saliva but maybe its the plastic?
1509962
Thanks for tip! I will try that next time I clean it. I try to clean once a week but not alway faithful to that schedule, but I will try harder in the future.
1504500
[Sorry, I am having computer problems.] Re the filter. I guess it depends on the quality of your water. We are on a private well, and the water is very good. Our habit is to change the filters every 9 or 10 months. The plumber's rule of thumb at our house is to change things when the water starts to run slow - that could take a year. I'm too neurotic to wait that long! Lastly, there seems to be little water wasted in the process (maybe a small container's worth, about a quart). Best wishes, Lauren
885641
We bought our Berkey about a year and a half ago, and we're still using the original filters. We have three kids under four, and we refill our reservoir every two to three days. Conservatively, that means we may have filtered somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 gallons in a year and a half. If I recall correctly, each filter is capable of filtering up to 3000 gallons, so we should have several years ahead of us just looking at the numbers. However, it's probably a good idea to change the filters regularly. It's been a few months since we did the food coloring test. We've been considering getting new filters for good measure, but our filtered water still tastes fantastic. Just writing this makes me want to chug a few glasses of water.
381057
You should not have to treat the water if you fill them with your house tap water, which has already been treated. Check the water every 6 months or so and replace it if it looks slimy or cloudy.
487327
I stopped using the filter on my fountain, because it grew algae very fast. It runs fine without the filter, and like you, I did not want to spend a fortune replacing the filter weekly. I think as long as you keep the water changed very regularly there is not problem at all. Remember, dust will settle on the water because it is a large basin.
711838
I bought this for my 360 drinkwell, the white plastic one. But this filter si so much smaller than the original. I also noticed it does not have the foam that the original filter has. Does anyone tried this in this fountain?
377621
Honestly my tap water is HORRIBLE and I didn't change my filter for 2 months. I never had problems with smell or the quality. Do you have pets or anything else that might be causing it?
2242747
we have had the fountain for almost a year with no problems. I would suspect that you can coat with a polymer coating as the unit appears to be made of fiberglas
178057
Good question, doesn't seem to have a standard and it would really depend on the water you use. I would replace it whenever it looks dirty. Check monthly or less often if you are using filtered water.
2154121
I have never had that issue. I clean mine weekly with vinegar and a soft cloth. I don't wash the charcoal filter, only rinse. Note: You wouldn't want to get soap in there, it probably wouldn't come out. I like to take the pump out and clean that as well, because it can get a slimy build-up which slows it down and eventually burns out the pump motor. If you're having foaming issues, don't wash your fountain with soap, use only vinegar and perhaps a little baking soda if you have hard water build-up. Be sure to rinse your filter thoroughly and be sure to clean your pump too. Clean it at least once a week, more often for large dogs or multiple cats. I have never had that issue. I clean mine weekly with vinegar and a soft cloth. I don't wash the charcoal filter, only rinse. Note: You wouldn't want to get soap in there, it probably wouldn't come out. I like to take the pump out and clean that as well, because it can get a slimy build-up which slows it down and eventually burns out the pump motor. If you're having foaming issues, don't wash your fountain with soap, use only vinegar and perhaps a little baking soda if you have hard water build-up. Be sure to rinse your filter thoroughly and be sure to clean your pump too. Clean... » Read More I have never had that issue. I clean mine weekly with vinegar and a soft cloth. I don't wash the charcoal filter, only rinse. Note: You wouldn't want to get soap in there, it probably wouldn't come out. I like to take the pump out and clean that as well, because it can get a slimy build-up which slows it down and eventually burns out the pump motor. If you're having foaming issues, don't wash your fountain with soap, use only vinegar and perhaps a little baking soda if you have hard water build-up. Be sure to rinse your filter thoroughly and be sure to clean your pump too. Clean it at least once a week, more often for large dogs or multiple cats. « Show Less
440208
Even though it says every 6 months, we don't use it that often so what we do is change the the red and blue filters every 12 months and the purple filter every 24 months (yes 2 years). So far it has not degraded our water quality nor taste. I wouldn't push it more than that though. If you really want to be safe stick with what the manufacturer recommends, every 6 months for the red and blue filters and every year for the purple.
833326
I haven't had mine that long, but I find that if the motor starts getting louder it's past the cleaning time. I follow the directions and pull everything apart to clean then replace the filter. It gets pretty slimy. It also has a 1 yr warranty on motor assembly and fountain parts. Call Veterinary Ventures as directed in the instruction book.
2051028
You're very welcome ! No, I only change the filter monthly. Be sure to wipe the "gunk" off of it, then rinse the filter several times with cold water. No soap !! Guess I've gotten use to the noise, I've had the fountain for a little over a year ... Hope I've helped ! :)
1190427
I had a similar issue in a minor way with my first one. It stopped very soon. I figured it was just minerals that weren't secure. No big deal. The minerals are what alkalinizes the water. It's either just a minor flaw in the construction of the filter or some minerals got in there that were too small for it.
204659
We replace our filter every 4 months or so, but we have it on our primary faucet. I think you would be able to "taste" a difference in the water when it needs to be changed.Only you will be able to judge how often you need to change it by the taste. Hope that helps.
2252528
So far I haven't had that issue. I just clean off the filter - wipe off with paper towel or hand and replace it. I haven't had it longer than about one month.
451844
I've used these faucet filters before, and the manufacturers tend to be pretty optimistic about the life of the filter. Also, the two months quoted is really an estimate because it depends on the condition of your water and how much you use the filter. I haven't had mine long enough here in Florida to get an idea of how long it will last, but I'm pretty careful about only using it for drinking water. From my experience, I'd say a month on a filter is within the 'normal' range. Btw (and I'm not sure if it mentions this in the little manual), I've read that running hot or even warm water through them kills the filter prematurely. The good news is this one has made a huge improvement in the taste of my water, so I have to assume it's doing its job!