AvalonA3F Bottom Loading Water Cooler Dispenser with BioGuard-3 Temperature Settings-UL-Filtered

The unit stopped dispensing water and I’ve followed all of the instructions in the manual and still no water.

So, we've had the non-filtered Avalon dispenser for a while- love it, worked great out of box. I think we maybe just got unlucky with this one. The front fascia clips were broken on arrival, as was the drain port. The whole unit shook and rattled when refilling after dispensing. Completely unusable. Returning it and may try again, and will update this review if I have a better experience.

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 our second attempt at using a water dispenser. The first highly rated Brio self-cleaning model was sent back. I couldn't get the nasty tasting water to stop even though I read the instructions. So, I read the instructions, assembled it and flushed all (3) nozzles, not just the hot and cold as it states. I ran about 2 quarts of water thru all (3) nozzles until it was clear and tasteless. I tried the hot water one with hot chocolate and it was HOT! I had to let it cool a bit before I could drink it. It was hotter than our Keurig coffee maker. The cold water was almost as cold as our KitchenAid refrigerator water dispenser. The problem with the KItchenaid for water, is the cost of the cartridges. $57.37 with tax every 5 months. We and our dogs drink a lot of water. Anyways, the driving decision to buy this Avalon dispenser was because of the filter system and the use of tap water. Not knowing, I bought an $8.99 + tax 5-gallon bottle of water, which is going back today because, Avalon supplies the water bottle with the unit. Brilliant! It took me about 30 minutes to unwrap and install the unit. Again, I flushed all (3) nozzles and there is no nasty taste. Obviously, this is brand new, so time will tell. Just the savings on the bottled water is a plus. Our daughter has a dispenser and spends between $15.00-$22.00 a week on bottled water for a family of 4 and 2 dogs. Our filters are rated for 1,500 gallons or 6 months. At 15 gallons a week (which is on the high side) or 60 gallons a month. See there are savings. Even if we changed the filters every 12 months at $99.00. It still saves money. I'm hoping that they last longer than that, but, then again, time will tell. So, hot is hot, cold is cold enough. Room temperature is good for cooking. I call this a Win-Win. I am not a spokesperson for Avalon, just a happy customer at this point. By the way, I also bought the Amazon (4) year extended warranty. Last, make sure you tighten the filters with (2) hands. Make sure to slide the bottle all the way in, otherwise the door will not shut. Also, pull the water line to the side so you don't trap it against the bottle like I did, it will make a horrible noise. Good luck. Hope you have a positive experience. I will wait a few months and will update my review. Fingers crossed; I'm hoping it will be as positive then as it is today.January 2024 Update: We had an issue with the filter light flashing red. I contacted CS and they were very responsive and got right back to me. I ended up replacing the filters, figuring that there was an issue with them. I bought the Avalon filters from Amazon, replaced them and that's when I realized that I might not have pressed the red button 3 times as it states in the directions. That was in September 2023. No problems since. This unit is the best!! Clean tasting and always, hot, cool and cold! And, I bought the 4 year extended warranty from Amazon, just in case. Happy New Year!!