Avalon Top Loading Water Cooler Dispenser - Hot & Cold Water, Child Safety Lock, Innovative Slim Design, Holds 3 or 5 Gallon Bottles - UL Listed

This unit replaced an old GE unit that "appeared" to have begun leaking on us. In retrospect, it may have been more a cracked bottle cap issue that was letting air into the bottle allowing water to leak out. When we first got this unit, water "appeared" to leak from the unit as well. So I ordered some replacement bottle caps through eBay (what? Amazon doesn't carry any?), and that resolved the leakage issue. The unit works great though we don't use the cooling section, only the hot water section. It produces great hot water, sufficient for beverages and "Cup Noodles". I prefer the top loading feature over the bottom loading as water flow isn't dependent on electricity in case of a power outage, nor are we tied to the pump flow rate or pump noise, a common complaint with bottom loading units. Since we don't have kids that we are concerned about getting burned with the hot water, I put clear packing tape over the "safety" button on the hot water control to hold it down and now have one handed operation. I couldn't do that with the GE unit’s twist safety feature. The unit is good for filling thinner containers with hot water (it’s hard to add water to medium to larger pans from the unit due to the proximity of the cool dispenser control). We have a very good under sink filter with a dedicated filtered water faucet and use that for cold drinking water and refilling the 5-gallon bottle for instant hot water. We opted not for an undersink instant hot water generator due to the higher cost, limited undersink space, installation process and higher risk of an accidental undersink leak (we had a very expensive house flood due to an accidental disconnect under that sink in the past). This unit fit the bill. From an esthetic perspective, it would be nice if they offered it also in a “stainless steel” paint version which would fit better in with our kitchen décor.

At first I was going to go all out and buy a bottom loading, high dollar water cooler, but some of the bad reviews and problems people experienced scared me. So I chose to go with a basic and functional design. I didn't want digital touch buttons that could fail or a pump system that might leak. I chose this basic design, top loading water cooler, and I couldn't be happier. If I experience any issues, I will update this review. The noise is seriously almost non-existent. It looks great and appears to be well made. The hot water is actually hot although I did not measure the temp. The cold water is very cold too. It was a good buy.

Worked 6 month - the hot water 💦 tap started dripping for no reason plastic part , not fixable

Update: I’ll leave the original review down below. It’s back up to 5 stars because I was able to repair it and all features are still going strong a few years after purchase, despite a prolonged storage period. My memory is a bit fuzzy now but a sort of perfect storm had happened. The gasket had slipped which support helped me to correct but I actually tested if it was fixed with a bad bottle which just so happened to be my last bottle with any water. I’ve since recycled the bad bottle and haven’t had issues since minus one other bottle developing a visible crack and experiencing the exact same issue. This thing was spectacular while it lasted and the price was more affordable than other coolers of the same specifications. But a bit over a week ago I woke to nearly 5 gallons of water dumped on the dining room floor. Hot and cold water on demand. Easy enough to flush clean which I did every 3 months as suggested. It was a little noisy when it was heating or cooling water but I have an air purifier in the same room and I’d say it was only slightly louder than that boosted by the fact it did not run 24/7. Customer service was spectacular for me and that’s why I give 2 stars. They did seemingly try to help me self-repair and when the determination was made it might not be doable on my end only then did they inquire about an invoice to determine warranty status. Sadly I’m just outside of the warranty window. I purchased it in late January last year and it failed in the second week of February. They did offer me a 25% off coupon and their apologies when it became clear they could not replace it. But it feels a little silly to reward them with another purchase for a cooler that failed so quickly so I will likely pass on this brand in the future. At least at this price range. The issue is the reservoir up top where the water first feeds in overflows and the water slowly spills out. Something must be keeping the pressure from equalizing and stopping the bottle from flowing so I’d like to believe this is something that can be repaired on my end and I’d hate for it to end up in a landfill for a minor issue. Especially since the internal plumbing seems good.

Compressor is barely audible, and it uses very little electricity, Hot side reaches near-boiling (~195°F) in seconds. At only 12-13 inches wide, it fits perfectly where bottom-loaders won't. Empty bottle indicator light (blue/red) turns red when it's time to swap. This slim, UL-listed dispenser handles both 3 and 5-gallon bottles. Only hot and cold—no middle option (minor complaint for most).

Great product so far. Hot and cold water. Top Loader more reliable than bottom loader as pump and leaks from the other bottom loader from avalon. I thought it was scratched but the tape they use is abrasive and it was not a scratch it was just tape residue.

I received a unit and it worked well, for 3 days, then , the cooler stopped working all together, I contacted customer service , they sent me a few hints, and after a few communication, they told me to return it to amazon So they did an advance replacement, and they sent me a new one. I installed the new one , returned the old one in the box of the new one, and , in a week every thing was pretty much over, the unit makes a little bit more noise the the cooler I had before , but, nothing too alarming, I use it with a Santevia water purifier on top, and Santevia has a video telling you how to adapt the cooler for it . great result at the end, the water heater work very well as well. its nice to be able to put it on and off when you need it . So over all, if you include the good customer's service from both Avalon and Amazon , I am satisfied since at the end , the story is a happy one,

The reviews are already excellent for this product, but I am happy to add my 5 star review. There was another cooler I was considering to buy, but I am happy I followed the good reviews on this one, and paid a little extra, and purchased this one instead. The quality is evident and I'm loving it. The next step is to use delicious quality water, to maximize the daily enjoyment. The preset temperatures are perfect for both hot and cold water.

We had a bottom-loading water cooler prior to this one and wouldn't go back. I don't know why they are seen as "higher end" because other than the slight aesthetics of the water tank being hidden, they are inferior IMO - more working parts and significantly more work to refill. This is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy - just plonk the new water container on top and you're done. The other plus is that you can always see how much water you have left. So less expensive, and a better experience - what's not to love?! This model is super quiet, and the tap mechanisms are silky-smooth. So nice having refreshing cold water as summer approaches.

Unfortunately I received one slightly damaged and noisey when cooling function was on. I contacted the company about said issues. In my opinion they went above and beyond to keep a happy customer. They sent me a replacement unit. I think how well they treated me speaks volumes. These are nice looking units that function well at what I would consider a very reasonable price. My previous Cascade cooler lasted almost 35 years. I don't think anything these days will match that. Still good value though.