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.

Perfect size and fit on dresser. It looks like the picture. East to assemble, pieces fit accordingly. The bottom plate can be rotated/adjusted depending on how you want the water to flow. The fountain is lightweight. No real issues, however it does is not completely silent and the pump it will make noise when water is not in fountain.

Great gift, great decore

Be aware you will need to buy more rocks if you want full and the rim of fountain and the plates may stain or plate coat will rub off of plate.

Pretty and easy to put together! I just wished it made noise it’s very silent. The platforms are plastic but for the price it’s nice.

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.

This product is pretty to look at, has a quiet pump (not all fountains are sold with one), and a beautiful look -- not to mention about 1/5th the number of river rocks that should be included (as they all do). Also, very easy to put together. Shouldn't take longer than about a minute to put it together, and is self-explanatory, so no manual necessary and no awful user-review 4 hour long vids showing how to not only perform the two steps required to assemble it, but will make you wait 4 hours prior to that watching them taking everything out of the box. Guys: STOP doing that. Women: STOP talking for hours about the product and your life stories that lead up to purchasing them and simply display the product in use -- under normal lighting and in the DARKNESS.

I don't care if I get reported for talking about this, but it has to be said because it's a scourge to just about every user-posted video, which are usually far better than the awful seller-uploaded tripe that blasts generic royalty-free music in your ear and lets you see in poor resolution video quality just how little they respect their own product. What's the point even reviewing a product if you're not going to do it correctly? Nobody wants to know about anything but how the product looks and functions and quality issues or other IMPORTANT issues should be voiced. Nothing else.

This water fountain has been a wonderful addition to my salon. It creates a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere that my clients love. The soothing sound of the water helps enhance the overall experience and adds a touch of elegance to the space. It was definitely a great investment and a beautiful finishing touch for my salon.” ✨

To be honest, I always second guess myself when I read one star reviews on here. I really rely heavily on the advice of counsel when making my decisions, and sometimes that really works against me. Often times I'll find a product that has 70% or higher 5 star reviews, but even three one star write ups can make me doubt everything I've ever considered buying on this site.

The same would have gone for this fountain. Except, the critical difference was that I didn't look at the reviews and I didn't buy it. Browsing on the site one day to fill up my wish list for my birthday, I decided that a fountain would be JUST the accent piece that my room needed. So when I saw the look of this one, I was instantly sold! Amidst doing other things, I didn't want to lose track of this item, so I added it to my list to look into again later. Well, long story short I forgot. And when my birthday came around and I unwrapped it, I was both happily surprised and terrified. I would feel so bad if my family and spent the $20 and it didn't work, and when I saw all the one star reviews on amazon my panic only worsened.

Either way I set it up that day and turned it on, and at first it was great. But within twenty minutes the motor of the little fountain was louder than my ceiling fan! I was so disheartened thinking that I wouldn't ever use this fountain as I was breaking down the box, when lo and behold, a small slip of white paper fell out.

It was a note from the manufacturer, and it stated that you needed to first THOROUGHLY CLEAN the rocks provided and to use filtered water when running the fountain. Thinking that I had nothing to lose I tried it out. So I took out the rocks and cleaned them, and I cleaned the fountain itself too, and I boiled some water on my stove. After letting the water cool and the rocks dry I put the fountain back together, put in the rocks and poured in the water.

Turning it on I waited, hearing the motor sputter a bit before it went silent. I couldn't believe that it worked so well and so fast, but it has been a week now and I've been waiting for the motor to get loud again ever since! So far it's been ideal, and I just make sure to refill it when its low with purified water and I haven't had a single issue at all.

I don't know if this will work for everyone, and I know that this problem wasn't what others had faced (like cracked plastic bases, dead led lights, and leaking) but it has solved one of the most complained about problems-- the unwanted nosies-- for me!

Sorry about the long winded review, but I hope that if you took the time to read it that it will help you get the most out of your purchase like I am. Ever since the problem was fixed I've been in LOVE with this fountain!

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.

good

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

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.

I was looking for a battery operated fountain. I’m using it in my balcony as a small table top. I just had to buy more river stones because the pack it comes with is not enough to cover the bottom. Otherwise, so far it works well.