Petmate waterer leaks

Very irritating: We use a Petmate waterer for our cats. The new one
which is now about 3 months old has started leaking just like the
previous one we finally replaced, due to a pump fail and the fact that
stores don't keep replacement pumps.

This can't be brain surgery... it seems there are but two openings in
the base for the water to exit from, as well as the obvious seams
where everything goes together, but unless water travels against
gravity, I can't imagine how they could be involved.

The surfaces are clean, the filter is replaced regularly, the pump is
disassembled and cleaned, the grommet is tight, yet the thing manages
to empty itself onto the floor in about 8 hours. This is exactly what
the previous one began doing; we finally resorted to taping up a hole
inside at the top where it seemed that water could spill into (out of
the filter area) and possibly run down and out, we theorized, and then
we kept it on a towel which we regularly wrung out.

So, what's different here with this unit, compared to when it was
brand new and didn't leak? Beats me...

Google showed us quite a few hits on the problem, so it's evidently a
known issue but I never turned up a solution.

The Petmate website is all but worthless as far as customer support
goes. They don't even offer email assistance; you have to call their
800 number.

Theories?

on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 05:22:28 GMT, "Catman" wrote:

Very irritating: We use a Petmate waterer for our cats. The new one
which is now about 3 months old has started leaking just like the
previous one we finally replaced, due to a pump fail and the fact that
stores don't keep replacement pumps.

This can't be brain surgery... it seems there are but two openings in
the base for the water to exit from, as well as the obvious seams
where everything goes together, but unless water travels against
gravity, I can't imagine how they could be involved.

The surfaces are clean, the filter is replaced regularly, the pump is
disassembled and cleaned, the grommet is tight, yet the thing manages
to empty itself onto the floor in about 8 hours. This is exactly what
the previous one began doing; we finally resorted to taping up a hole
inside at the top where it seemed that water could spill into (out of
the filter area) and possibly run down and out, we theorized, and then
we kept it on a towel which we regularly wrung out.

So, what's different here with this unit, compared to when it was
brand new and didn't leak? Beats me...

Google showed us quite a few hits on the problem, so it's evidently a
known issue but I never turned up a solution.

The Petmate website is all but worthless as far as customer support
goes. They don't even offer email assistance; you have to call their
800 number.

Theories?

I chucked mine in the trash only after a few months of use.

--
Lynne

very strange - maybe there's been a major change with this company - I
dropped & broke the reservoir cap for my Petmate waterer a few years ago &
couldn't find any Canadian supplier who sold parts & emailed them for help. I
got a response the following day from customer service who promptly mailed me
the part no charge. Talk about excellent customer service - that was mid-2004
! My waterer is now at least 4 years old & still works as if new. I've just
been on their website & as you said, there's no info listed now. Here's who I
contacted back then:

" Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 1:16 PM
Dear Ms. xxxxxx
I will be glad to send you a new float at no charge. Please provide your
mailing address for me to send it to you.
Thanks,
Melba Lebredo

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2004 11:42 PM
To:
Subject: replacement parts for fresh flow pet fountain
Hello,
I have dropped & broken the white plastic lid/valve for the blue reservoir on
my cat's deluxe fresh flow pet fountain. Is this part sold separately? Or if
not, are the reservoirs sold separately? I was on your website & didn't see
it listed. Is the part carried by any of your Canadian dealers? I live in
Toronto.
I hope I will be able to buy the part, because if it is not available, then
the entire unit is no longer usable.

xxxxxxx "

Catman wrote:
Very irritating: We use a Petmate waterer for our cats. The new one
which is now about 3 months old has started leaking just like the
previous one we finally replaced, due to a pump fail and the fact that
stores don't keep replacement pumps.

This can't be brain surgery... it seems there are but two openings in
the base for the water to exit from, as well as the obvious seams
where everything goes together, but unless water travels against
gravity, I can't imagine how they could be involved.

The surfaces are clean, the filter is replaced regularly, the pump is
disassembled and cleaned, the grommet is tight, yet the thing manages
to empty itself onto the floor in about 8 hours. This is exactly what
the previous one began doing; we finally resorted to taping up a hole
inside at the top where it seemed that water could spill into (out of
the filter area) and possibly run down and out, we theorized, and then
we kept it on a towel which we regularly wrung out.

So, what's different here with this unit, compared to when it was
brand new and didn't leak? Beats me...

Google showed us quite a few hits on the problem, so it's evidently a
known issue but I never turned up a solution.

The Petmate website is all but worthless as far as customer support
goes. They don't even offer email assistance; you have to call their
800 number.

Theories?

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com

On Mar 20, 10:21 am, "mariib via CatKB.com" u22469@uwe wrote:
very strange - maybe there's been a major change with this company - I
dropped & broke the reservoir cap for my Petmate waterer a few years ago &
couldn't find any Canadian supplier who sold parts & emailed them for help. I
got a response the following day from customer service who promptly mailed me
the part no charge. Talk about excellent customer service - that was mid-2004
! My waterer is now at least 4 years old & still works as if new. I've just
been on their website & as you said, there's no info listed now. Here's who I
contacted back then:


Thanks; I'll email there and see if anything turns up.

e

On Mar 23, 9:32 am, "Catman" wrote:
On Mar 20, 10:21 am, "mariib via CatKB.com" u22469@uwe wrote:

very strange - maybe there's been a major change with this company - I
dropped & broke the reservoir cap for my Petmate waterer a few years ago &
couldn't find any Canadian supplier who sold parts & emailed them for help. I
got a response the following day from customer service who promptly mailed me
the part no charge. Talk about excellent customer service - that was mid-2004
! My waterer is now at least 4 years old & still works as if new. I've just
been on their website & as you said, there's no info listed now. Here's who I
contacted back then:

Thanks; I'll email there and see if anything turns up.

e

Well, I finally heard from Ms. Lebredo today via email; odd that it
took almost a
month for her to reply but she indicated that they didn't know what
the problem might
be but that they'd be glad to replace the unit if I'd send her my
address.

In doing so, my email came back as "error 554: denied" on each of the
3 times I sent it.
I have no idea why this might be, and I'm sure she wouldn't have put
me on a blacklist of
some kind (would she?), so I tried my hotmail account. Oddly, that
email appears to have
been accepted. Hmm... I guess I'll wait to see if they actually
replace it.

e