Avalon Water Dispenser Cleaning: How to Clean It

On this page (9 sections)

1. Which type of Avalon do you own?
2. What do you need on hand before you start?
3. How do you handle Avalon water dispenser cleaning on a jug cooler?
4. Which cleaner works on an Avalon cooler?
5. How do you clean a bottleless Avalon unit?
6. What are the signs an Avalon needs cleaning sooner?
7. What should you avoid when you clean an Avalon?
8. How often should you clean an Avalon water dispenser?
9. Start your Avalon water dispenser cleaning with the right guide

Avalon water dispenser cleaning starts with your unit type. A jug cooler takes a 3 or 5 gallon bottle, while a bottleless unit connects to a water line and uses filters.

Avalon makes top-loading and bottom-loading jug coolers, plus full-size and countertop bottleless units. The steps differ between them, so follow the Use and Care Guide for your model wherever it differs from this guide.

Skip the section that doesn't match your unit. For the wider picture, our complete bottom-loading water dispensers guide explains the jug type, and the general steps for any water dispenser show the order to work through.

Which type of Avalon do you own?

A jug cooler takes a bottle, and a bottleless unit has no jug and needs a water line. Check the model number on your unit, then match it to the right guide.

• Bottom-loading jug cooler. The A4 loads a 3 to 5 gallon bottle at the bottom, has three temperatures and a stainless steel cabinet, and its model number is A4BLWTRCLR.
• Top-loading jug cooler. Avalon's top-loader holds 3 or 5 gallon bottles and has a child safety lock on the hot water spout.
• Bottleless unit. The full-size A5 and the countertop A12 connect to a water line, and each comes with filters and an installation kit.

If the model number on your unit doesn't match your guide, check Avalon's website before you clean, since the steps may not fit your unit.

What do you need on hand before you start?

A damp cloth, dry towels, your Use and Care Guide and the cleaner it names cover most of the job. Gather them first so you don't reach for a product the guide doesn't mention.

• A damp cloth for the outside, the cabinet and the spouts.
• Dry towels for anything you take off.
• Your Use and Care Guide, open to the cleaning pages.
• The cleaner your guide names, covered in the cleaner section below.

How do you handle Avalon water dispenser cleaning on a jug cooler?

Unplug the unit, remove the empty bottle, clean the spouts and the area around them, then clean the reservoir with a cleaner your guide names. Rinse well, and let the unit dry before you load a bottle again.

Avalon water dispenser cleaning for a jug cooler

Unplug the unit first, then take out the empty bottle. The A4's empty-bottle light shows when a swap is due, which makes a bottle change a good time to clean.

Wipe the bottle area, the stainless steel cabinet and the spouts with a damp cloth. Use a soft cloth on the cabinet and check the Avalon guide before you try anything stronger.

Look at the spouts for film or dried drips. Hot water can burn, so take care near the hot spout.

The A4 weighs 38.1 pounds, so slide it out from the wall carefully if you want to wipe behind it.

Clean the reservoir and rinse well

Use only the cleaner your Avalon guide names for the reservoir. Rinse until no cleaner is left, then let the unit dry before you load a bottle.

If your guide doesn't name a cleaner, contact Avalon before you use one. Have the model number from your unit ready when you do.

Which cleaner works on an Avalon cooler?

Use only the cleaner your Avalon Use and Care Guide names. Cleaners made for water coolers are common, but never mix two cleaners together.

IMPRESA says its cleanser is for reservoir cleaning and buildup removal. The pack has two 8-ounce bottles, which IMPRESA says is enough for four cleaning sessions.

Some kits use a no-scrub routine. Yadool's kit says to pour in the cleaner, wait 15 minutes, then rinse.

Our water cooler cleaning kits guide compares the common kinds and explains which to skip.

How do you clean a bottleless Avalon unit?

Unplug the unit, wipe the outside and spouts, follow the self-cleaning steps in your guide, and replace the filters on Avalon's schedule. Avalon recommends a new filter every 6 months or 1,500 gallons, whichever comes first.

What the self-cleaning feature does and doesn't cover

Avalon names a self-cleaning feature on its A5 and A12 bottleless units, and on bottom-loaders such as the A3. Check your guide for the parts the cycle covers, and clean any part it leaves out by hand.

Keep the outside and spouts on your weekly wipe, since a cycle inside the unit doesn't wipe them.

Avalon lists a child safety lock on the hot water spout of these models. Hot water can burn, so unplug the unit before you wipe near that spout.

Filter changes and the indicator light

The A5 has a nightlight and a replace-filter indicator that lights when a filter needs changing. Avalon's genuine replacement filters come as a set of one sediment filter and one carbon block filter, and Avalon says they're NSF certified.

Avalon says a knock-off filter will void the warranty, so match the filter to your model.

Avalon's installation kit includes a filter flushing adapter, so read the install guide before you change a filter. Water line work follows that guide, not improvised steps.

After each change, write the date down and set a reminder for six months later. Track gallons too if you can, since Avalon's rule is whichever comes first.

Countertop bottleless units

Avalon's A12 is a countertop bottleless unit with the same dual filters and a self-cleaning feature. It sits at counter height, so the spouts and the front are easy to reach for a weekly wipe.

Our Avalon A12 countertop bottleless review looks at that model in more detail.

What are the signs an Avalon needs cleaning sooner?

A bad taste, an odd smell, film on the spouts or water under the unit means it's time to clean early. Start with the spouts and the bottle area, since those are the easiest places to check.

If you see film or slime there, clean that area with the cleaner your guide names before you do anything else.

If the taste stays off after cleaning, follow your guide's advice and ask your local water utility about your tap water.

What should you avoid when you clean an Avalon?

Skip bleach, never mix cleaners, and don't swap in a filter that isn't a genuine Avalon. Keep water line work to Avalon's install guide.

• Skip bleach on any part of the cooler.
• Never mix two cleaners together.
• Don't clean the unit while it's plugged in.
• Don't use a non-Avalon filter, since Avalon says a knock-off will void the warranty.
• Don't improvise water line work. Use Avalon's install guide instead.
• Don't skip the rinse before you load a bottle.

If your guide doesn't name it, don't do it.

How often should you clean an Avalon water dispenser?

Plan a quick wipe each week, a deeper clean every few months, and a filter change on Avalon's schedule for bottleless units. Your guide's schedule comes first, and a busy office should clean more often than a home unit.

If the unit sits in a shared office, pick one day each week for the wipe so it doesn't get skipped.

The full schedule, and the signs that call for an earlier deeper clean, are in our how often to clean a water dispenser guide.

Start your Avalon water dispenser cleaning with the right guide

Follow the jug steps if your Avalon takes a bottle, and the bottleless steps if it connects to a water line. Use your Use and Care Guide whenever it differs from this guide.

If you also have a Primo, read how to clean a Primo water dispenser. If you're still choosing between self-cleaning brands, see Avalon vs Brio self-cleaning water dispensers.

Frequently asked questions

How often should an Avalon bottleless filter be changed?

Avalon recommends replacing its bottleless filters every 6 months or 1,500 gallons, whichever comes first, and the A5 cooler has a replace-filter indicator that lights when one is due. Add a calendar reminder too, since a light is easy to miss in a busy kitchen or office.

Can I use bleach to clean an Avalon water cooler?

No, skip bleach on every part of an Avalon cooler, and never mix two cleaners together. Use only the cleaner your Use and Care Guide names, rinse well, and let the unit dry completely before you load a bottle again.

Can I clean an Avalon bottleless unit myself?

Yes, for the outside, the spouts and the routine steps in your guide, while water line connections and installation follow Avalon's install guide. If the guide doesn't cover a task, contact Avalon before you start, and don't guess at the steps.

Does the Avalon self-cleaning feature replace cleaning by hand?

Not on its own, since the guide for your model decides which parts the cycle covers. Avalon names a self-cleaning feature on its A5 bottleless cooler, so read that section of the Use and Care Guide and clean any part it leaves out by hand.

Which filters fit an Avalon bottleless cooler?

Avalon sells genuine replacement filters for its bottleless coolers as a set of one sediment filter and one carbon block filter, and says they're NSF certified. Match the set to your model, since Avalon says a knock-off filter will void the warranty.