Brio Self-Cleaning Countertop Bottleless Water Cooler Dispenser with 2-Stage Filtration System, Tri-Temperature Dispensing & UV Sterilization - Black - Perfect for Offices, Homes & Schools

I've had this unit for 3 months now. I bought it to replace my refrigerator's water dispenser after having a problem with mold. It was too costly to repair and probably would have just recurred anyway, so I decided to get a dedicated unit. I love clean drinking water and it's much cheaper than bottled over time with how much we drink.Energy:The surprising thing was how energy efficient it is. I tested on an average day (2 people using it for both hot and cold) using a plugin power meter. It used 0.76 kwh over a period of 24.8hrs. Honestly with how often I see the compressor or heater running, I expected a lot more usage.Temperature:That being said, the unit is actually not that hot or cold. I've measured it at around 160°F for the hot and 55°F for the cold. This is fine for drinking (my Asian wife drinks the hot or mixes it with some ambient and I, American, drink cold generally). But it's not hot enough to make coffee or tea with, and not as cold as the refrigerator water was. This may actually account for the low power usage. I'm fine with it that way, though. And I haven't been able to find a service manual to see if it's possible to adjust.Noise:The only really long-term annoyance is the noise. I mean it is a compressor and a moderately high speed fan, so I expected some noise. But due to how compact everything is, there's really no room for noise insulation in the unit. So it's definitely louder than the refrigerator when the unit is heating or cooling water.This may vary depending on where you put it. Mine is right out in the open on the counter with a window behind it which may amplify it a little over a cabinet or something. I mean you need to leave the back open for it to cool itself, so you can't put it in a totally enclosed space, but if it were in a cabinet with an open back and far enough away from the wall to allow air flow, it might be less noticeable.Service:I actually ended up with a bad unit from Amazon and had to contact Brio support. Overall it was a good experience. There was the typical fight to get past first line support by convincing them I'd tried everything to resolve the issue and that it was properly installed. But after determining the unit was defective, I was shipped a new unit from Brio fairly quickly. As a bonus, due to COVID-19 they didn't want the defective unit back, so I got some free filters and free replacement parts if anything should break after warranty, assuming I don't recycle it to save space or if I move.Installation:I had some issues installing due to my own plumbing, but installing the actual unit was a breeze. I had space on the counter right next to the kitchen sink and beside the refrigerator, and a hole already cut in the side of the cabinet for the refrigerator water line, so I just expanded the hole slightly to fit another hose. I left the refrigerator line installed in case I decided to bypass the water reservoir for the ice maker one of these days which requires more work than I have time for at the moment. But I could have just used the hole as is if I didn't want to leave that attached.Everything else was easy. Just turn off the water under the sink. Install the adapter included. Attach the hoses as shown in the instructions. And turn the water back on. YMMV depending on your setup, but that's not related specifically to the product. The hoses are very easy to attach and secure due to the design of the adapters. Big plus.Water Quality:Probably the most important thing is the quality of the water. And I'm quite satisfied. It's way better quality than the refrigerator ever was. Really no taste at all, which is the way I like it. The filters included are still working great after 3 months. I guess it's too early to see how long they'll last overall, though. Also, note that our water is not really that bad compared to some. Mostly it's just a chlorine and mineral taste issue. I can't say if it would help with real pollution issues or an otherwise unhealthy water supply.Ease of Use:For the cold and ambient water dispensing, it's just a simple button push. There is a very slight delay as it does its thing and it seems to always clear the lines after you let off the button so there's a little extra at the end you have to make sure to catch. Though the included tray is deep enough to collect a good amount of that, which is a big plus compared to the refrigerator which just had a plastic tray that was nearly flat with some ridges to allow the cup to sit above.The only minor complaint I have is around the hot water. The part of the manual for this seems to be for another unit. It says to push the child lock button and press the cup against the dispenser. This unit doesn't have a thing in the back that you press the cup against, just buttons on top. The confusing part is that the three buttons for dispensing are obviously buttons. They are mechanical, separate pieces of plastic that push down a little when you press them. However, the button to unlock the child safety feature is just a picture of a lock between the hot and ambient buttons. It's just touch sensitive and doesn't depress, so it's really hard to understand that it's actually a button at all and not just a diagram. Once you figure it out, it's fine, but it took me a while to even try touching it. Again, it's minor, but not very user friendly. I have to explain it to everyone the first time, because so far no one has figured it out on their own. Making it a mechanical button or explicitly saying with words or a diagram that you need to press that lock picture would help. Also, if nothing else, fixing the manual would be great so at least you could say RTFM.Conclusion:Overall, any minor issues I have with the unit's design are just that, minor. And there are not really any technical issues to speak of that any other unit wouldn't have. It really is mostly as simple as clean water at the push of a button. I can't justify even deducting a half-star (if that were possible). Maybe a 4.75 out of 5 if I had to give a more specific score. I'm quite satisfied 3 months in.