I specifically purchased this HoMedics tabletop fountain to serve as a flowing water element for Feng Shui in my space, and it has been perfect. The 3-tier leaf design looks incredibly elegant and fits beautifully on a side table or desk. Setting it up takes less than five minutes. No splash! Instead of using the included river stones, I customized the tiers with my own personal affirmation rocks and a pyrite crystal to really amplify the positive, intentional wealth flow energy of the fountain. The built-in submersible pump operates completely whisper-quiet, so you only hear the peaceful, soothing trickle of water flowing over the crystals rather than a mechanical humming noise. The soft accent lighting also reflects beautifully off the water flow at night, creating a stunning, warm glow. It has brought the exact sense of balance, prosperity, and tranquility I was hoping for. It is fun, lightweight, and has good consistent pump, power, and reliability.

I love the sound of water. I enjoy seeing it trickle each level down the fountain recycles the water to provide easy maintenance assembly and disassembly was simple and worry free. The lights were enjoyable at all times my pet cat enjoyed the fountain as much as I did and we spend time purring next to it. Thank you for such a good product. I hope to see more in the future.

"You can see, but you can't touch!" Here's what I mean by that review headline:

This product is exactly as displayed in the pictures. It looks very attractive and has a zen like feel to it. When you darken the room, it looks even more attractive. But when you touch it, it feels very very cheap! Basically, it is super pleasing to the eye and looks like a quality product from a distance, until you feel/touch it!

It's so flimsy, that the corners of two of the plates came damaged in the box. But for the price and the aesthetics, I thought it was worth keeping. So I returned the damaged one and requested a replacement. Luckily the second one came in descent shape. But because the plastic is very cheap, you do want to be careful when assembling it. Just so you don't snap anything off.

So here's some PRO & CON'S....

PRO'S

- Very attractive and eye catching.

- Has a zen like soothing appearance.

- Machine is very quiet. When running, it does not make any loud or disturbing noises. It runs very smooth.

- Budget friendly.

CON'S

- Made of very cheap quality plastic.

- The unit is very small in size. I decided to prop mine on an elevated black pedestal to give it a better aesthetic feel.

- Stones that come with it are very tiny and cheap looking. But you can easily pick-up some nicer looking ones from the dollar store.

- The stones are also quite dirty. I washed them several times and the water still wouldn't run clear. Then I read one of the other reviewers suggestion on boiling them in water. That did help a little.

Given its con's I would still recommend this product. When seen running from a distance, it does get a lot of attention, and stands out in the room. I just wish it was made of slightly better quality. But I guess given the price, one perhaps shouldn't expect too much. I do like it very much!

Yes, it is made of plastic & the parts may look cheap when you look at them individually, but once it is assembled & operating, it is quite charming. For $20 I think it is a bargain. I had another $20 HoMedics fountain that lasted about 5 years. My cat drank from it & was quite upset when it no longer worked. I primarily bought this for the cat to drink from as he has not liked any of the fountains designed for pets. Also, they all are priced way too high in my opinion & are not very attractive. I placed it on a black dinner plate to catch any leakage (none so far) & sat it on the bottom level of my foyer table where the previous fountain was located. It actually looks really nice on the black plate. The square fountain base is a nice contrast to the round dinner plate. I cannot hear the pump running & it does not splash too loudly. You can manage the level of water noise by how the rocks are placed & it will also control the amount of water splashing. I used distilled water as I have very hard water. Distilled water will increase the life of the pump versus tap water. Overall, the cat & I are both very pleased with the $20 fountain. I do not find the light to be too harsh, it has a nice warm glow. It was very easy to assemble. I added some of my own rocks from my previous fountain purely due to decorative purposes. It came with an adequate amount of small rocks. I have had absolutely no problems whatsoever with the fountain. I will probably order another one to place in my bedroom because I like it so much. It is well worth the $20 price. UPDATE: After approx 2 weeks of use, fountain started making grinding noise & leaked water all over the place. I had it on a black dish, but it overflowed the dish. Water was leaking from the bottom of the fountain bowl where the cord exits. Fountain was almost dry which caused the motor noise. Would have ruined my wood foyer table if I had not caught the leakage in time. Fountain performed flawlessly until it just started to leak. Can't trust this fountain. I had cleaned the fountain at least once after a week & used distilled water. No reason for fountain to leak except design flaw of placing cord exit in bottom of fountain bowl. The water was not flowing over from the top as I had just checked the fountain a few hours previously when I turned it on that AM. The water level was not too high & no water was leaking over the edge. DON'T BUY AS YOU WILL NEVER KNOW WHEN OR IF IT MAY START LEAKING! Very disappointed as I really liked the fountain. Returning for a refund. I am giving up on fountains after this disaster.

UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE: I gave in and ordered another one simply because my cat was pissed. It lasted a solid 5 months before it stopped working after a cleaning. With it being my 5th one, I was careful to use only filtered water and cleaned it once every 3ish weeks. My 6th fountain arrived today, and I am happy to report that it is the best one yet - no noise (with felt discs installed on base) and the water flow is fantastic. I realize that I seem like a nutcase ordering the same fountain over and over again, but it's only $20, which is cheaper than a automatic cat water dispenser. Plus, I haven't found one I like as much on my desk.

UPDATE, UPDATE: Holy terror of a grandson broke the first fountain that finally stopped making noise. My cat, who had started to use it for a water bowl, was super bummed, as was I. So, I did what any good cat mom would do and ordered another. It, too, was super noisy, but this time the noise didn't go away. It just kept getting louder. So, I ordered a replacement and IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL! I'm giving up and ordering a different fountain. NOTE: If you do get this fountain, make sure to clean it and the rocks weekly and use only filtered water. It get slimy.

UPDATE: Right about the time I hit "Submit" on the review below, the fountain stopped making the mechanical noise, sorta like my refrigerator that only makes ice when I threaten to pick up a bag. Plus, my cat and the fountain have bonded, so I no longer want to return it. It is very pretty. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is the need for it to have some padding underneath it. I used 4 round sticky felt discs, but I sorta feel like if cushion is needed like in a lot of the reviews, the fountain should come with them. If the discs hadn't already been present in my house, I likely would have returned it.

PREVIOUS REVIEW: I've had this fountain for less than 2 days and am going to return it. While made of cheap plastic parts, it does look very pretty, albeit short on rocks. The problem is with the sound and lighting. If the fountain is at eye-level, which mine is on my desk, the top light shines like a supernova right at your corneas. I had planned to put a dab of black acrylic paint on the portion of the top light that was blinding me while I worked but was using a small piece of electrical tape in the interim. But the noise then started. Upon putting it together, there was a shaking sound, which was corrected by attaching felt sticky discs to the bottom. However, now there is a mechanical noise that was initially corrected by turning it on and off but now seems to be constant. I'm not one to accept defeat, but alas, I can battle with this fountain no more and am going to have to dry it out and send it back. Super bummed.

This is an attractive and functional little fountain and an excellent value as well. The fairly large number of negative reviews it has received seem to revolve around two issues. One is the plastic (and in the opinion of some, "cheap" looking) construction and the noise of the pump.

First of all, regarding the plastic construction...this is a $20.00 pump (a great price for what you get by the way) and you are not going to get a fountain with copper and slate for that price. I did get a little bit concerned when I first opened the package, concerned that I might break it when I unpacked it if I weren`t careful. It had been very well packaged however and I Just made sure I was very careful when unpacking it. Once it was unpacked and set up however, I knew that I didn't have to worry about the quality of its construction. Not only did it seem very sturdy when completely set up, I found it very attractive as well. The fact that it is plastic doesn't detract from its appearance at all in my opinion.

As far as the pump goes, when I first started up the fountain, I also felt that the pump was louder than it should be. I was able to adjust the sound of the water by experimenting with the placement of the pebbles in the base and on the 3 tiers however, and the sound of the pump is no longer a problem for me. I think the manufacturer of the pump would do well to add a section to the instruction manual to the effect that by experimenting with the placement of these stones, one can increase the sound of the water flowing to the point where it drowns out the sound of the pump.

After having used the fountain for nearly a month now, I have discovered that the pump noise is EXTREMELY sensitive to the water level. It's important to keep the amount of water right up to the fill line (which is small and difficult to find). If the water level starts to drop...even slightly....the pump noise will start increasing and continue to do so the farther the water level drops. If it gets too low, the pump can be damaged. On the other hand, if the water level is kept at the fill line, the pump noise should not be a problem for most people. Also, I found that in warm weather I have to add about 10-12 ounces of water daily to keep the water level at the fill line (your mileage may vary). This is not the fault of the pump, it's just the way things work...in other words, normal evaporation.

There is also a water flow control on the pump itself so that you can adjust the amount of water through the pump. You have to remove two screws and take out the pump to do this however and I haven`t found the need to change it so far. Another point about the pump noise is that I was really only aware of it when I was within 1-2 feet of the fountain itself (and I have good hearing). Most people aren't going to notice the pump noise unless they are in an otherwise exceptionally quiet room and fairly close to the fountain. One last point about the fountain noise is that you need to keep the water level at the proper level. If it drops too much, the pump will become noisier but once the water level is restored the pump becomes quieter again.

One of the biggest positives in my opinion is that this fountain uses low voltage DC current for the lights and submersible pump. I've always been concerned about indoor fountain submersible pumps which use 120V AC current. Any time household voltage electricity is used in or around water there is a hazard of electrical shock and/or fire. Low voltage reduces this risk to near zero.

That is why most building codes these days require the use of a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) in certain household locations (i.e. bathroom, etc.) which will trip a circuit breaker and shut off the electricity if water has gotten into the connections somewhere and is causing potentially hazardous current leakage. You almost certainly have them in the electric wall outlets in your bathrooms (they have a red or black "reset" button between the two outlets) and possibly in your kitchen as well. You can also buy portable GFCI's at your local hardware and Amazon also sells them (http://www.amazon.com/TRC-90265-6-012-Shockshield-Portable-Protection/dp/B000XU5MEG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342325556&sr=8-2&keywords=gfci). They plug into any wall outlet.

Since this fountain is low voltage (as I mentioned previously) having a GFCI is not as critical. Still, it's worth having one on it if you want an extra measure of safety or if you are concerned about any water making its way along the electrical cord and into the transformer/wall plug (not likely but still possible). If you have an indoor fountain with a 120V AC pump, you DEFINITELY need a GFCI in my opinion.

Another point about this fountain is that mine HASN'T leaked at all. Also, if you inadvertently overfill the water level, such that it overflows the edges of the fountain it can create the appearance of leakage when in fact it is NOT leaking. Splashing over the edges of the fountain can be mistaken for leakage as well. I found that mine does splash a very, very slight amount (an almost imperceptible amount) but after all, it *IS* a fountain and that's what fountains do!! Again, any splashing can be minimized by experimenting with the placement of the stones. Still it's best to place it on a surface that cannot be damaged by water, such as Formica, tile, etc. You certainly aren't going to want to place it on that antique solid cherry lamp table!

I also like the placement of the LED lights. There are 3 of them and their placement is well thought out. One is just inside the very top of the fountain where the water streams out. Because the LED is amber, it creates the appearance of dancing water at the top of the fountain. It also can appear to be candlelight. I have also mistaken it for the flame of a candle many times because of this same lighting effect but I consider that a positive.

There are two more amber LEDs, one which illuminates the middle tier and the last one which illuminates the bottom tier. Some may find the lower two LEDs too bright but you can easily use a small piece of dark tape to direct the light downward instead of outward. I haven't found that to be a problem however. Overall, the lighting is very attractive, particularly for a fountain in this price range. You can spend $100-$200 or more for a fountain and get only one LED that shines down from its top however this fountain's lighting is far superior.

Regarding the sound of the water, it is quite audible and can be heard some distance from the fountain, about 10-12 feet or so. Still, it is not a large stream of water....about what you would get if you let a faucet partly open. It is very relaxing and satisfying however, but if you are looking for a more powerful water sound, you will need to spend more and get a larger fountain.

The fountain is very aesthetically pleasing, not only from the sound of the water flow but visually as well. It is also versatile. In addition to being a display fountain, it can also be used as a night light and a cat drinking fountain! As long as your expectations are properly set regarding it, (i.e. don't expect copper and slate for that price and understand that so far, even the very best electric submersible pump is going to make sound that is at least slightly noticeable if you pay close enough attention to it). I like mine so much that I am ordering several more.

PROs -

- Very Attractive Looking

- Low Price, Excellent Value

- Operates on Low Voltage DC Ccurrent

- Relaxing Water Flowing Sound

- Well Placed, Well Thought Out Multiple LED lighting

- Power ON/OFF switch on line cord

CONS -

- NONE - changed from NONE to Stopped Working Properly after little over 1 month.

UPDATE - 08/21/12

I have had this fountain in service just slightly over one month now. About a week ago, one of the 3 LED lamps in the fountain stopped working and there appears to be no way to repair since it is imbedded in the plastic structure of the fountain. A few days ago, the second of the three lamps stopped working as well. Right now, only one of the three lamps continues to work properly. It is now past the return window with Amazon so I cannot return it or receive a refund for defective merchandise. I am continuing to attempt to get Amazon or the product manufacturer to refund my money.

Also, Amazon's policy on reviews does not allow a change in the rating originally provided at the top of the review otherwise

I would be lowering the rating on this item to at least 3 stars.

UPDATE #2 - 09/18/12

After not all that much pressure on my part, Homedics, the manufacturer of this fountain agreed on August 30, 2012 to replace the fountain if I returned the defective fountain to them using their prepaid shipping label (no cost to me). I had sent emails which were not quickly answered but contacting them by phone seemed to be the ticket to getting the replacement. I received the replacement fountain via UPS today so I guess we will now see if the replacement fountain lights work any better than the ones on the original one. I will update this review again after a reasonable time to report how the replacement fared.

This is actually a nice little inexpensive fountain. I was surprised. My only wish would be for more rocks to be sent with the product to go in the base, but I added some from my hiking adventures to supplement and now it looks awesome! It says to use 8 oz of clean water, so I got filtered water from the fridge. Uses 2 AA batteries. Make sure you put those in BEFORE you fill it.

This fountain has some good points and some bad points.

Its good points are mainly aesthetic. It's a pretty little thing, comes with a good number of attractive pebbles, and you can adjust the water sounds by changing the pebbles around. The orange lights are a little bright for me, but in a dark room they make a nice pattern on the ceiling, and you could tape over them if you wanted them off.

The whole thing is made from cheap plastic, and the back is unfinished, so it's best up against a wall, but for the price, I still think it's very attractive - I've had other fountains before, and everybody who saw this new one said "Wow! That's nice!"

It's also small (a lot smaller than the measurements say! No dimension of this fountain is anywhere near 13 inches! It's more like 9" high X 8" wide X 7" deep, to be generous), but I like that because it fits nicely on my desk where I can see and hear the gentle trickling water while I work.

Now for the negatives:

In a nut shell, the pump is rubbish.

I see from the other reviews that some people have no trouble with the pump, and others find it intolerably loud - my guess is that this is simply because the pumps are badly manufactured and thus, inconsistent. You could be lucky and get one which works quietly and properly, or you could be unlucky like me, and get a pump which sounds like a coffee grinder.

I keep a lot of aquarium fish, so I am used to submersible pumps, and honestly, the only kind of pump I would expect to make a noise that awful is one which is ten years old about to die! It was horrible! I have never seen a pump so bad!

I cleaned it, I took it to pieces and lubricated the turbine - everything, but it was hopeless! I could not stop it from rattling, so eventually I cut the wires which held it into the fountain, sealed them over, and installed a cheap Jebao brand pump (under $20), which, by the way, purrs away silently and is perfect.

Unfortunately, since the lights are (bizarrely) wired in through the pump, the lights on my fountain no longer work, but this isn't a problem for me, since I bought the fountain for the sound.

NOTE TO "INTERNATIONAL" BUYERS: A problem that you might not expect is that, even though Amazon ships this fountain to various countries, they ship it with an American power supply! I live in Australia, so I had to buy a new power supply with an Australian plug and 240V transformer (I needn't have bothered, though, since I can't use the original pump anyway, and my replacement has its own plug).

I love this little fountain now, but unmodified, I would have had to chuck it out!

good

Very good and calming effect easy to install value for money. Relaxing to hear sound of water falling in this show piece.

لم تعمل سوى لدقيقه ووقفت بعدها وليس لها صوت كما هو مدون بالمواصفات لماذا عدم المصداقيه؟!

After waiting for a month for this to be shipped from Germany to Spain, item arrives with a USA plug. Totally idiotic when you buy something in Europe. Everything is cheap plastic and the silver paint on the 'leaves' will most likely just peel off. After buying a USA -> EU plug, the power adapter warms up but neither the pump nor the lights work. Total waste of a purchase. Save yourself the hassle and rather buy something else.

Had to buy a specialist plug for UK use, the fountain worked for about 30 seconds and then stopped. The item is not worth the money, cheap and flimsy plastic and the pebbles were chipped, altogether unhappy with this product.