Brita 35530 Ultramax Dispenser
by Brita
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Our Price: $39.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $35.99 (click here) Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Brita 35530 Ultramax Dispenser
Customer Review: Brita Ultramax -the smart way to go green
Summary: 4 Stars
I own this dispenser and find it to be very useful. It's so much better than lugging bottles or jugs of water home from the store. However, if you read other customer reviews you will discover that Brita has experienced issues with the device leaking. I gave this 4 stars Brita 35530 Ultramax Dispenser because I would have preferred the Brita company to have solved this problem rather than putting the burden on the consumer to come up with a workable solution after it was purchased. Nevertheless, nowing that problem existed before I bought it I was prepared to tackle and resolve this problem if mine leaked. Sure enough within a day I had leaking from the spout. Here's the easy solution I took to solve the problem. The Brita Ultramax Water Dispenser comes with one white round gasket that fits inside the container where the spout screws in. I got another one the same size and some white plumbing tape and wrapped the tape around the screw part of the spout and then put one gasket outside the container and the other inside and screwed the spout on & now we have no leaks and great tasting water. It really doesn't take long to filter the water and it allows you the convenience of turning your tap water into safer drinking water at a fraction of the cost. I buy a box of 4 filters at Walmart for under 18.00 & change the filter every three months or sooner depending on how much water I'm going through or if the filter indicator tells me to. The only downside I have now is that stupid filter indicator doesn't allow you to change the battery so after five years or sooner it stops working. I'd rather have a dial or a changeable battery than this design but I'll just date it w/a sharpie pen and wipe it clean when I see it needs changing. We love being able to have the larger size dispenser for making ice tea, coffee, and flavored drinks for on the go. It's been a great investment & I feel good about not putting more plastic to be recycled or dumped in our environment.Customer Review: Mold
Summary: 1 Stars
Throughout the years I have used and owned many different versions of the Brita Pitcher Water Dispenser. All of these filtered water containers have been great. The only complaint I have ever had with these filters is size. The Brita Ultramax Water Filter Dispenser was supposed to answer this problem. Unfortunately due to bad design, it introduced a multitude of problems that never existed with past Brita products.
Pro:
Size: This water dispenser can definitely hold a lot of water. (Ironically, this is really a disadvantage; as you will find below.)
Con(s):
Mold: If you do not let this filter dry within a maximum of two days, you will get mold. This mold will probably make you ill (sore throat) (Conversely if you look at it from another point of view - it will strengthen your immune system). To avoid this problem, the water dispenser should be washed every week at very least (to be safe you should wash it more often). I have never had this problem with Brita's other products (I have friends who never washed their Brita pitchers for months, and there is not even the slightest sign of mold when they do wash it).
Left Over Water: Due to the faulty design of the product, there will be left over water both above the filter and below it. Besides turning the product upside down, you cannot dispense all of the water. This is just stupid and hints at the lack of quality assurance testing of this product. Not surprisingly, this helps further contribute to mold growth.
Conclusion:
Save your money and buy Brita's other well designed pitchers or even Pure's pitchers. (The key word is pitcher.) You will only waste time and possibly your health with this poorly designed product.
Customer Review: One word - Mold
Summary: 1 Stars
Throughout the years I have used and owned many different versions of the Brita Pitcher Water Dispenser. All of these filtered water containers have been great. The only complaint I have ever had with these filters is size. The Brita Ultramax Water Filter Dispenser was supposed to answer this problem. Unfortunately due to bad design, it introduced a multitude of problems that never existed with past Brita products.
Pro:
Size: This water dispenser can definitely hold a lot of water. (Ironically, this is really a disadvantage; as you will find below.)
Con(s):
Mold: If you do not let this filter dry within a maximum of two days, you will get mold. This mold will probably make you ill (sore throat) (Conversely if you look at it from another point of view - it will strengthen your immune system). To avoid this problem, the water dispenser should be washed every week at very least (to be safe you should wash it more often). I have never had this problem with Brita's other products (I have friends who never washed their Brita pitchers for months, and there is not even the slightest sign of mold when they do wash it).
Left Over Water: Due to the faulty design of the product, there will be left over water both above the filter and below it. Besides turning the product upside down, you cannot dispense all of the water. This is just stupid and hints at the lack of quality assurance testing of this product. Not surprisingly, this helps further contribute to mold growth.
Conclusion:
Save your money and buy Brita's other well designed pitchers or even Pure's pitchers. (The key word is pitcher.) You will only waste time and possibly your health with this poorly designed product.
Customer Review: Great water filter and dispenser
Summary: 5 Stars
I believe I've had this product ever since it first came out. I was given this as a gift back in college by my parents and that was over 10 plus years ago. It still is going strong, not flimsy construction by any means. After all this time, I decided to replace the spigot because the rubber washer was looking worn but was not leaking. Brita has excellent customer service and all I did was email them for a new one and they sent it out asap. Now the unit is as good as new.
In regards to mold that some people are mentioning, I combat that with washing the unit every other or 3rd time it is filled. Anything that is clear that allows light in when water is present and sitting will eventually grow some green stuff. Soap and water take care of it quickly and I use qtips in the creases, corners, and underneath the back of the spigot. Works like a charm. I'm not sure I've ever come across anything maintenance free when it comes to holding water, not even my dogs water bowls so to have that expectation is not realistic.
They do have an insert at the top that allows water to go through so you can take a glass and pour it in the insert to help fill it back up if you want to keep it in the fridge. I didn't care for that method for myself as I'm not a patient person and would rather just fill it up all at one time than little by little so I just put it on my counter and fill it there with the top off. If you think the hole doesn't let enough water in, you can easily open it by shaving off a little plastic with a knife.
Other uses for this other than home use would be picnic, if you have to go elsewhere to work that doesn't have filtration, or perhaps a sports game if you are going for the day.
Customer Review: Very pleased with this product.
Summary: 5 Stars
We've had this filter for about a month now, and we're very happy we purchased it. For the last three years, we've used a Brita pitcher with no problems. However, we just moved into a larger apartment with a larger fridge and decided to try out the larger dispenser. Best decision ever!
Pros:
1. Price on Amazon was better than any that we saw in stores.
2. Results in great tasting water (we're in NYC).
3. Having a larger reservoir is such a luxury after being used to the Brita pitcher.
4. No need to remove it to pour yourself a glass.
5. Easy to refill; we just remove the top lid and run it under the sink.
6. I prefer the spigot versus pouring from the Brita pitcher.
Cons:
1. I'm not thrilled about having a meter that runs on a permanently enclosed battery. However, if and when it dies, we're in no worse position than we were when we used a Brita pitcher (which has such no meter) for three years.
2. As others have indicated, you can never totally empty all of the water through the spigot because it's opening is higher than the bottom of the reservoir. I suppose this was a decision they made to maximize the size of the reservoir. Either way, it's only a slight con, and any excess water would be poured out whenever the dispenser is being cleaned anyways.
Other:
1. Size; if there were a Brita dispenser with a larger reservoir, I would have bought that instead. We tend to drink a lot of water and use this water when we cook. As a result, we end up refilling the Brita dispenser almost every day or every other day. Maybe if there were several model dispensers with all different sizes?