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60% of Americans drink bottled water! In reality, that isn’t even shocking, I guess. Our family has had a water cooler and bottled water in our home for almost 20 years. Small town, water treatment issues and contamination started us on the path. Years later, when the treatment plant is new and we have an RO system in our house, we are still using the water cooler, for quick access to a cold drink, in our downstairs family room. While there are times that flipping that huge three-gallon jug onto the top of the cooler can be a pain, the payoff in great tasting, clean and pure water, that is already chilled, is SOOOO worth it. I used to think we were pretty spoiled to have our cooler, but when you think about it, it makes so much more budget- and environmental-sense than buying individual water bottles that are discarded or have to be recycled. Refilling our one and only water jug, each time, is a huge money savings over cases of bottled water. So, I was re-thinking the whole “I may be spoiled” thing, when Primo approached me about reviewing their new bottom-load water cooler. After several weeks of living with, and using the Primo 900130 bottom load water cooler, I give up. I’m totally willing to concede that I am spoiled. Thankfully, I can live with that. :)
This beauty is more like a piece of furniture - definitely not an eyesore with a giant upside down bottle on top. I like the black and stainless steel. It's very sleek and modern. Ha! NOW I see my reflection in the cooler. That's some sharp picture taking, huh? :)
Never, again, will I summon super-human mom-strength to hoist a giant bottle, filled with sloshing water, over my head; and then, defying gravity and every law of nature known to man, spin it UPSIDE DOWN, aiming for a six-inch opening in the top of a machine that stands four feet off the floor! This is leisure, baby! I’m already used to it. :) Seriously, though — this product is ingenious. What on earth took so long for someone to come up with this? I would think it will revolutionize the entire industry, because why on earth would anyone want to go back to old-style coolers when this technology is available? In case you hadn’t figured it out, yet. I definitely like this cooler!
The bottom load feature is the absolute BEST feature. There are so many other great ones, but they pale in comparison to this wonderful advancement!
Primo wasn’t a familiar brand to me, so I spent a little time digging up information. The company was started in 2004, by Billy Prim, the successful entrepreneur behind the Blue Rhino company. (You may very well have a Blue Rhino propane tank in your gas grill.) He built on the no-waste, exchange system he devised with Blue Rhino and launched Primo to provide clean, pure water and dispensers to eliminate the waste of single-use bottles. Primo uses a 9-stage purification process to prepare it’s water and you will find it in locations all over the continental US. As a matter of fact, you probably have a Primo water filling station in a supermarket or store near your home. Just put your zip code into the Store Finder, on their homepage, to see all the nearby locations.
Our area still has all the Culligan branded parts, so my bottle says Culligan, but works perfectly in my Primo Cooler.
I was a little confused, when I went to purchase a bottle and fill it for the first time, because I didn’t realize that Primo had recently acquired the Culligan bottled water business. Every time I walked into a market that was supposed to carry Primo water, I found a Culligan water filling station. I was beginning to think Culligan had staged some sort of water bottle hostile takeover, but after a little investigation, I discovered the truth; and was told that it is indeed Primo water, in those filling stations, though all the branding on the in-store dispenser units has not been changed, yet. The other great thing is that if your local store doesn’t carry the Primo-branded water bottles, the Culligan bottles work in the Primo cooler. That was a relief for me, since that branding switch is definitely not complete, here in the Midwest. The only difference is that they have slightly different shaped necks on the bottles, so the Primo bottle will *snap* into place when you insert the probe into the bottle, while the probe head will just sit down over the neck of the Culligan bottles, without snapping.
Setting up the water dispenser was as easy as inserting the probe into the water jug, closing the door and flipping all the switches to ON. It's a beautiful thing!
The noise-level with the Primo cooler is very similar to our original cooler. If you have a fridge, you recognize that the compressor will kick in occasionally, to keep your appliance at a consistent temperature. So, it’s exactly the same with the water cooler. There is the background hum for a few minutes while the water is being cooled and then it’s quiet, again. I guess I don’t really notice it that much, since I’ve owned a cooler for such a long time. All Primo Water Dispensers are Energy Rated.
The probe head seated on the neck of the bottle.
The Primo cooler also supplies us with room temperature and hot water. My husband loves having instantly hot water available to steep a cup of tea or make some instant coffee drinks. My kids love it for hot chocolate mix. I know what you’re thinking and I was concerned about the same thing. We have toddlers running around our house and I definitely don’t want them messing around with scalding water. The dispenser buttons are across the top of the unit, not on the front, so they are very difficult for small children to reach at all AND the hot water button has a built-in safety feature, that prevents the button from being able to be depressed, without sliding the safety latch backwards and holding it, while you push down on the button.
The versatility of the Primo cooler and the savings over individual bottles, makes good sense for our family. The-bottom loading feature puts it over the top! Primo has even upgraded the model I reviewed (900130) to be 601090 and included a stronger compressor, a single dispenser nozzle, instead of one for each water temperature and included a full-indicator on the stainless steel drip tray. They just keep getting better.
One of you will win a water cooler just like mine! And ALL of you can save 15% off your total purchase in Primo's online store!
Busy-at-Home readers will enjoy 15% off their total purchase from the Primo online store, by using the promotional code BLOG2012. And one lucky Busy-at-Home reader will win the same model #900130 Primo Water Dsipenser, that I reviewed, for their own kitchen!!!!
Giveaway Rules: You must be 18 or older and reside in the continental US. (Not Hawaii, Alaska, or PO Boxes). The Mandatory Entry must be completed before any optional entries will be counted. Deadline to enter is midnight (CST), July 9, 2012.
Mandatory Entry: If you’re the giveaway winner, in what room in your house would you place your Primo Water Dispenser? Leave your answer in a comment on this post. Then click DO IT! and then ENTER in the Rafflecopter form, below. That’s it! You’re entered. You may take advantage of as many of the optional entries as you prefer.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received a Primo model #900130 Water Dispenser to test it in my own home and collect information for this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own, and based on my personal experience with the product. Busy-at-Home is administering the giveaway and selecting the winner via random.org. Primo will ship the prize directly to the giveaway winner.
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in the dining room
kitchen
in the kitchen
if i win i would put it in my dining room
In the kitchen, right next to the refrigerator!!! Cup O Noodles would be decoratively located nearby!!!
i like the way you think, Sandy!
**Thank you for hostessing a “Primo” giveaway!
Would love to use it in my kitchen.. Ain’t nothing better than cold, fresh water to drink!
I’d put it in my kitchen.
Kitchen!
I would put mine in the kitchen too.
It would replace the dog bowl between the kitchen and breakfast nook!
my tanning bed room
I would like it in the kitchen but I think it would take up to much space so I would have put it in our basement which would still work good
In the Kitchen/Dining area.
in my kitchen!
Dining room…but it is pretty enough I might as well put it in the living room for a conversation piece
great for those who do not have a built into fridge water dispenser.
I’d put it in the dining room. It would be out of the way but still accessible.
I would put it in my kitchen
in the kitchen
This would be great since we live in Las Vegas and I’m trying to cut down the individual water bottles.
Kitchen!
Nice giveaway! This would be great, I love that the water bottle is hidden.
My kitchen!
Would love this for my kitchen!
I don’t have enough room in my kitchen. If I won I would put it in the dining room or downstairs in the family room.
I’ll put it in the kitchen!
Kitchen!
Definitely the kitchen!
kitchen
Our dining room!
In the kitchen
in the kitchen
In the kitchen! Thanks for the giveaway!
in the kitchen!
I wouldn’t use the water cooler for myself – I would donate it to my kids’ nonprofit school so they can auction it off. But it would probably be best in a kitchen.
It wouldn’t go in my house. My grandmothers broke and she can’t afford a new one so me trying to fix it took the nobs off to change the hot and cold out and nearly burnt my hand off. I got them changed out but she can only use the cold now. So this would go right to Grammy in her kitchen!
in my kitchen
In a “Primo” spot in my kitchen!
lol – good one! Thanks for stopping by, Sue!
Kitchen
kitchen. love it!
Definitely the kitchen. I have the perfect corner for it too!
In the dining room.
I would use it in the office!
I so need this, I would put it in the kitchen. Thank you
I would put in the dinette area so convenient for where ever you are in the house
I would put it in the room between the kitchen and the living room. It would be perfect there. Thanks for the chance to win.
I would place this wonderful water cooler in my kitchen!
Would love to use it in my kitchen.. Ain’t nothing better than cold, fresh water to drink!
In the kitchen
I have a spot in my kitchen just waiting for this!
This would go in my kitchen!!! I would love to win this. We go through so much bottled water jugs!
This would go in the Kitchen!
in the kitchen
I would put it in our home office – so our clients could enjoy it as well. Thanks for the opportunity.
i would put it in the kitchen debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
It would have to be in the dining room. I live in an apartment so I have the very itsy, bitsy miniscule kitchen. Landlords believe that since we live in an apartment that we don’t actually cook. I would love to have one of these fabulous Primo water dispensers I would drink more water and less soda.
its pretty enough to be anywhere – but it will go in my kitchen!
I would have it in my Kitchen
Definitely the dining room!
This would go in the breakfast room next to the kitchen.
I’d put it in our second dining room.
I guess I’d put it in the kitchen. Possibly the dining room.
This looks great I have been wanting to try a water cooler system, but didn’t like idea of lifting/loading the big water bottles (have back problems). I’d place it in my dinning room or kitchen most likely.
I would put it in a space between my kitchen and family room. I love the look of it.
I would put it in the kitchen
I would put it in the dining room or maybe even my computer room so I don’t have to travel so far to get a glass of water.
I would put the cooler in my kitchen.
Kitchen, even though the amount of water my husband drinks i should put it in the bathroom!!
I would put this in my kitchen
Kitchen!
I have the perfect corner in the dining room.
I would put it in the home office
I would put mine in my kitchen.
I would put it in the kitchen! I LOVE this thing!! When I was pregnant, a few years ago, I had a water dispenser in the bedroom, because I drank sooo much water. I would drink 1/2 gallon at night (up and down). I know I’d use this Primo Water Dispenser every day
I’d even make coffee with it!
Definitely in my kitchen/family room!
In my kitchen.
kitchen
mneuhouser at gmail dot com
I would put it in the kitchen.
The kitchen
The space between my kitchen and dining room
I would place it in my kitchen
my dining room
I would keep this in out Dining area!
I would place in the kitchen. Thanks
The kitchen or the laundry room.
Facebook Name: Leslie Galloway (www.facebook.com/GallowayLeslie)
I will place it in my kitchen
If i was to win this i would put it in my kitchen. Thanks
I would keep the water in the kitchen.
I would use it in the dining room.
Kitchen of course!
How beautiful! I’ve always loved the stainless steel look. Didn’t even know they made ones like this. Hmm ,well, I think I’d either put it in the sun room or in our combined living room/kitchen
It would go in my kitchen.
I would put it between the kitchen and dining room!
This would go in my kitchen.
Well our kitchen dinning and den are all one continous room so I would put it between the kitchen and dinning room.
I would put it in my dining room.
In my kitchen
I’d put it in the kitchen, where it’d be in constant use! My family drinks about 2 gallons of water a day…
In the living room because then it would be centrally placed for everyone in the family
I would probably put the water cooler in the kitchen or maybe the dining area. Not real sure yet.
Blessings,
Kat
It would go in my kitchen next to my cookbooks.
The master bedroom!
It would go in my kitchen
I’d place it in my kitchen. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
I would place it in the dining room (in the corner) for easy access at dinner time.
dining room/kitchen area
I HAVE to have one of these! Safe enough to put in my kitchen and not worry about my daughter pulling it over on herself.
I would give it to my mom for her kitchen.
Kitchen
In the kitchen
It would go in my kitchen with the rest of the stainless steel appliances!
I’d put the Primo Water Dispenser in my kitchen
*Thanks* for the giveaway!
Dining room