Cleaning I have been using this fountain for about three months and my four cats and I like it a lot. My question is about cleaning. I have been cleaning it and replacing the filter every month, but there is still residue, I assume from minerals in the water, especially on the top part of the fountain. It is the kind of film that I would use something like CLR on if it was in my bathroom, but I don't think that would be safe around my kitties. Any other suggestions? Cleaning I have been using this fountain for about three months and my four cats and I like it a lot. My question is about cleaning. I have been cleaning it and replacing the filter every month,... » Read More Cleaning I have been using this fountain for about three months and my four cats and I like it a lot. My question is about cleaning. I have been cleaning it and replacing the filter every month, but there is still residue, I assume from minerals in the water, especially on the top part of the fountain. It is the kind of film that I would use something like CLR on if it was in my bathroom, but I don't think that would be safe around my kitties. Any other suggestions? « Show Less
929178
When it is time to change your filter, you can take your filter out and put some white vinegar into the bowl and let it run for 1-2 hours. This should help you get rid of some of the buildup. We have also heard from other customers to try lemon or a product called lemishine. We have not tried the lemon or lemishin ourselves but have had customers tell us that this does help. If you have any other question please feel free to contact us at tina@pioneerpet.com
929179
We clean ours once a week with plain old dish soap. Never had a problem and we have two cats and two dogs using it.
971169
Mine sputters like that if I am not diligent in cleaning the pump. I take the pump completely apart once a month, submerge it in vinegar, brush it out well, rinse it, and I use also a pipe cleaner to make sure I all the gunk out (I think it is the cats' saliva that eventually forms a jelly-like substance) from all the little hidden places, and then put it together. The sputtering stops for me after that.
879924
I just bought my third one which I use in a small fountain. Sometimes it does need cleaning. Check to see if something is stuck inside the pump. Otherwise contact the manufacturer or go to their webpage. Usually customer service can answer questions online.
195603
I believe the filter is for cleaning the water of algae or particulates that show up after you have filled it. We have one cat using the fountain, and it is not in direct sun. But "stuff" can sill shomw up in the water and the filter helps freshen and lengthen time between diassembly and cleaning. We service our filter about every three months.
808946
The other posters must have spotless floors. We run our roomba 3x a week. Three people and a cat reside here. I change the filters about every 2 months, and bang the dust out of them before every use. You should not wash them-the water and dust you can't get out will dry into a hard film inside the filter making it very hard for air to pass through. This can burn up your vac motor. We bought our roomba in the spring 2014. Have changed the brushes out once due to wear. Another one has broken. How often you have to replace depends on how often you run your vac, what the flooring is like, and how much dirt it encounters. The other posters must have spotless floors. We run our roomba 3x a week. Three people and a cat reside here. I change the filters about every 2 months, and bang the dust out of them before every use. You should not wash them-the water and dust you can't get out will dry into a hard film inside the filter making it very hard for air to pass through. This can burn up your vac motor. We bought our roomba in the spring 2014. Have changed the brushes out once due to wear. Another one has broken. How often you have to replace depends on how often you run your vac, what the flooring is like, and... » Read More The other posters must have spotless floors. We run our roomba 3x a week. Three people and a cat reside here. I change the filters about every 2 months, and bang the dust out of them before every use. You should not wash them-the water and dust you can't get out will dry into a hard film inside the filter making it very hard for air to pass through. This can burn up your vac motor. We bought our roomba in the spring 2014. Have changed the brushes out once due to wear. Another one has broken. How often you have to replace depends on how often you run your vac, what the flooring is like, and how much dirt it encounters. « Show Less
1580509
the plastic ones I had got Lime build-up but this one does not. I clean it once a week cause one of my cats likes to dip her foot init and lick off her foot. Cats like their water fresh and they love this bubbling water. I like this too cause it is easy to clean however,I took the filter out as I use reverse osmosis water. Hope this helps you decide. I believe its the best cat water dish I have found.
578291
The instructions say every two weeks but I change the filter once per month. I take the fountain apart and wash it with soap and water once per week and rinse the filter with hot water each time. This is working well for me. I really like this fountain and most of all my cats love it and drink more water.
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 ! :)
677824
I clean my cat's fountain a few times a week... when I do this, I turn the filter over so that the water flows through the clean half of the filter. I change the actual filter about every week and a half to two weeks.
1793824
I'm not quite sure what you mean about too, but I have 10 cats drinking from the fountain and refill daily. Completely take it apart once a week and wash with white vinegar then rinse with water, I run warm water through the sponge and wipe down other non submersible parts and put it all back together... I've had mine a few months now and by cleaning weekly I've found it keeps it working properly and it doesn't slow down. Compared to others on the market, this is the easiest to clean and operate and aside from being stylish compared to the plastic ones out there that burn out within a month, I highly recommend this one.. Well worth the money! The maintenance is super quick and easy! I'm not quite sure what you mean about too, but I have 10 cats drinking from the fountain and refill daily. Completely take it apart once a week and wash with white vinegar then rinse with water, I run warm water through the sponge and wipe down other non submersible parts and put it all back together... I've had mine a few months now and by cleaning weekly I've found it keeps it working properly and it doesn't slow down. Compared to others on the market, this is the easiest to clean and operate and aside from being stylish compared to the plastic ones out there that burn out within a... » Read More I'm not quite sure what you mean about too, but I have 10 cats drinking from the fountain and refill daily. Completely take it apart once a week and wash with white vinegar then rinse with water, I run warm water through the sponge and wipe down other non submersible parts and put it all back together... I've had mine a few months now and by cleaning weekly I've found it keeps it working properly and it doesn't slow down. Compared to others on the market, this is the easiest to clean and operate and aside from being stylish compared to the plastic ones out there that burn out within a month, I highly recommend this one.. Well worth the money! The maintenance is super quick and easy! « Show Less
2278698
We have 8 cats so I clean the fountain every 3-4 days and change the filter every other week. Besides drinking, they wash their feet and leave litter in the bottom of the bowl, which does not filter out. Lighter-weight particles seem to filter out okay. I hate to say it will work for you and you find out it doesn't. Maybe someone who has dogs can give you a more definitive answer.
31680
Ask your local water authority if something they use to treat the water could be responsible. There is nothing in the fountain to cause it. You could re-wash everything and change the filter, whether it needs it or not. I would trust the animals. Do they still drink from it? My unit just sits there, gets scummy after several weeks, if I get lazy about cleaning, but the cats love it anyway. Good luck.
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
1029371
It's not that easy to clean because of the texture. Easiest way I found is to take it outside and spray it off with a garden hose and to use some kind of neutralizing agent (Nature's Miracle or something like that) to neutralize the urine so that the cats don't keep just urinating on the mat instead of going into the litter box.
1207884
Are you sure what you have is white algae, and do you have your fountain where sunlight can reach it? Usually you would find green algae. I'm going to venture a guess as to what you may be seeing is a calcium (hard water) deposit which a vinegar and water solution will remove if used correctly and if you rinse all parts of the fountain really well, neither you or cats or dogs would detect any residual odor on ceramic or stainless steel. If it were plastic then yes; plastic is porous and can be noticeable.
1436804
I only ordered the Catit water fountain. I thought it had quit working, but it just needed some deep cleaning. Now it works fine. There is a little motor with an impeller (looks like a fan). All these parts have to be removed about once a month and cleaned with a Q-tip. When I discovered this after speaking with a rep, he told me to pull off a couple covers around the motor. I was horrified! There was a ton of black goo that looked liked tar. Once I cleaned it out it was fine. I did not order any food bowl so I don't know about this. The water does NOT recirculate; it just churns around the existing water in the little plastic bowl, but there is a filter part that you can buy for extra. I only ordered the Catit water fountain. I thought it had quit working, but it just needed some deep cleaning. Now it works fine. There is a little motor with an impeller (looks like a fan). All these parts have to be removed about once a month and cleaned with a Q-tip. When I discovered this after speaking with a rep, he told me to pull off a couple covers around the motor. I was horrified! There was a ton of black goo that looked liked tar. Once I cleaned it out it was fine. I did not order any food bowl so I don't know about this. The water does NOT recirculate; it just churns around the... » Read More I only ordered the Catit water fountain. I thought it had quit working, but it just needed some deep cleaning. Now it works fine. There is a little motor with an impeller (looks like a fan). All these parts have to be removed about once a month and cleaned with a Q-tip. When I discovered this after speaking with a rep, he told me to pull off a couple covers around the motor. I was horrified! There was a ton of black goo that looked liked tar. Once I cleaned it out it was fine. I did not order any food bowl so I don't know about this. The water does NOT recirculate; it just churns around the existing water in the little plastic bowl, but there is a filter part that you can buy for extra. « Show Less
1523147
If you don't clean it regularly yes. But it isn't nearly as bad as other fountains. Actually it was my favorite cat fountain thus far. The blue light really mesmerized them.