Avalon A3F Bottom Loading Water Cooler Dispenser with BioGuard-3 Temperature Settings-UL-Filtered

Edit: Avalon reached out and sent me a new unit. Much happier with them now! 2 years. That’s how long this water cooler lasted, and even in that time it had issues. Last night it started making weird noises and now it doesn’t dispense hot water. 2 days ago it wouldn’t dispense cold water. If you’re looking for something to last a short time, go for it. If you want something that lasts, avoid this product. Also, I got the one with the filters.

Summary - Stay away from this product. Constant issues with the pump not recognizing the water bottle is refilled and issues with leakage. I’ve owned two of these units within the last 3 years now. My previous unit suddenly leaked all over my floor with no clear sign as to where it was coming from as the source was in the chamber above the bottle. Keep in mind the area the leak was coming from is never touched as it’s enclosed. My second unit that I purchased 4 months ago is now showing symptoms that previously constantly plagued the first unit - the machine would not pump water after filling the bottle. This issue requires constant attempts of opening and reclosing the door housing the bottle until it decided to pump again. I’ve attempted working with support and researching the water not pumping issue and this seems to just be a defect with this unit. Unfortunately I had to repurchase this specific unit as my only option is to bottom load my water coolers and this was one of the only units with a filtration system that can help with the fact that i’m forced to use tap water. This product at its core is extremely unreliable at doing its only job. I’ve scoured through reviews on this products page and at this point I need to accept that 99% of the negative reviews are legitimate. I’m seriously disappointed in this product and Amazon for even allowing it to be sold.

This is a 'holy grail' type of product I had long been looking for that ticked all of the boxes. As renters in a townhouse w/o access to a water line (for a water dispenser housed within a refrigerator), we'd been subsisting with a countertop PUR filter dispenser for about 13 years. But over those 13 years our family grew, and the PUR just couldn't keep up with us. It was important for us to purchase something that would actually filter water, because we didn't want to have to lug bottles to/from the store or subscribe to a bottled water delivery service. I searched high and low for a dispenser that had good filtration, multiple temperature options, and (importantly!) wouldn't require us to hook it up to a water line. This was a MUCH harder task than I initially anticipated; nothing had everything we needed. So we waited. Aaaaaand waited. Our PUR dispenser begged for mercy. And then, one fateful day, I found it... The Avalon holy grail!! We've now owned this dispenser for 3 months, and it is an honorary member of our family. It's handsome. It's user-friendly. The drum it comes with is high-quality and easy to refill in my kitchen sink. It *does* get heavy when I have to carry it from the sink back to the dispenser, but the fact that it's bottom-loading is a huge saving grace! The low growling noise it makes when we dispense water is a small price to pay, IMO, for clean, great-tasting water. It otherwise is a very quiet machine! I would recommend splurging for the overpriced Avalon stand (sold separately), as it makes the dispenser sit at a very convenient (taller) height, *and* elevates the machine itself from the ground, which I appreciate from a cleanliness standpoint. (We have a dog. She sheds. 'Nuff said.) Of course I hope it lasts us many great years, but even if it doesn't, I would buy it again in a heartbeat. It's that good, and worth the $200ish pricetag!

While looking to purchase a water cooler for family for the holidays, I noticed I did not review my purchase of this water cooler. I bought it in Feb 2023 and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I no longer need to purchase individual 16.9 oz water (unless it's an emergency). It works great to fill my sports bottle as I'm heading out the door. I also love the hot water feature to be able to make cups of tea (no longer use my Keurig or microwave for this). Even though the unit came with an empty bottle to use (of course how to fill it would be difficult), I purchased a few 4 Gal bottles of purified water from the local supermarket. I use these and just refill with reverse osmosis water. The collar for the probe assembly doesn't lock tightly onto the bottom and the assembly seems a little taller than the bottle. But it works just fine and the notification comes on when the bottle is empty. Two issues with the item though ... 1. The unit can be noisy when dispensing water. It is rather loud when you're standing next to it, but it's not noticeable in other rooms in the house. 2. BIGGEST PROBLEM ... the filters. They were rather difficult to install and IMPOSSIBLE to remove. The indicator came on and I was going to try to replace. They will NOT come off. I did find that I can just reset the filter light inside the door panel so it's not a big deal ... yet. ALSO, there are some useless hooks to place the filters along the wire mesh at the back of the unit. They will not hold securely. I hope this review helps others because it is a great unit and I'm enjoying using it immensely.

This is a must have! It is so easy to set up and use and is way better than having to foll up the big bottle and bring it home. I like that you can easily fill it up with tap water and have it filtered. The water tastes great. It is easy for anyone for any age to use and set up. It is a slim dispenser so it fits well in small areas. The cooling and heating work very well and the temperature of the water comes out perfect. My only critique would be that the door does not have second latch on the bottom so you sometimes have to push it hard. The dispenser looks nice with the stainless steel and I highly recommend it over a water cooler that doesn't come with filters.

Looooove it. Not terribly hard to set up.

just purchase the avalon a3f water cooler looks awesome nice looking stainless on the front i purchased the one with the filtration system ordered it about a week ago had to send it back and had another one set the next day. not sure what i did wrong because it's a pretty simple procedure to turn on a water cooler plug it in and then turn on your little switches on the back. so both units came it didn't have any problem heating up for hot water but either cooler would give me cold water it was the same as room temperature water what a waste of money.

5 stars: The filtration system is excellent. We use it with well water that is so rusty it is cloudy coming out of the tap, but coming out of the cooler it is clear and tastes very good. It is also very convenient to use our own water rather than having to buy bottles, then stir both the full and empties (no water delivery where we are). 1 star: the pump system is very finicky. If we wait until the red empty light comes on to refill the bottle, most of the time the pump will not run. It takes repositioning the bottle and the intake hose, priming the pump, slamming the door shut to engage the pump switch, pushing that switch manually multiple times, unplugging the unit overnight, prayers to the water cooler gods, or any combination of the above to get the pump to run. If we pay attention and refill the bottle when there are still a few inches of water in it, then it's fine.

Does not prime easily. Requires multiple attempts. Every time I change a bottle, I have to do various manipulations: first trying normal - does not work, then after emptying hoses - still does work, then fully emptying the dispenser water, then trying to raise the bottle - finally it works, but every time it is a hassle. This product is a nuisance. My guess is - they added filters, to the base model, but used the same pump, which is not adequate with filters. Poor, inadequate design. Is not recommended.