We’ve had our Drinkwell Original fountain 
for about three years now. Our cats love it so much that it’s the only thing they will drink out of. Last month we went on a weekend trip and forgot to top off the fountain before we left. When we got home the fountain was dry and the pump motor had seized. Parts can be hard to find for these fountains and they can be expensive. So, I did some research. The pump motors for the Original will be made by either Askoll or Resun. Our motor happened to be made by Resun. You can purchase the motor, o-ring and impeller from VetVentures.com for $18.50 + shipping. That was more than I wanted to pay so I did some more searching.
Resun makes a lot of pumps. They also make aquarium filters. Their filter model HF-2001 uses the same motor as the pet fountain. But, it’s almost impossible to find parts for the Resun filters and you can’t buy the motor by itself. If you can find one of the Resun filters for a good price, you can pull out the motor and put it in your fountain. I couldn’t find a good price on the Resun HF-2001 so I did yet more research.
Hagen makes a line of aquarium filters that look almost identical to the Resun HF-2001 filters. These filters go by different names with AquaClear 20 Power Filter being the most common. Hagen has different product lines including Fluval. But, for our needs, the important thing is that there are many Hagen products that use the same motor that will fit our pet fountain — the Hagen a-16000. If you can find a good deal on this motor or one of the filters that use this motor you’ve got yourself a good deal. I picked up an AquaClear 20 Power Filter on eBay for $10, shipped. 
Vet Ventures has more information on the various fountain models. They also sell all of the replacement parts you may need for your fountains.
If you’re looking for more information on the Hagen filters, Hagen’s website has a wealth of information on their Hagen, AquaClear and Fluval products including general info, parts diagrams, operating manuals etc.
Tags: Drinkwell, Hagen, pet fountain
November 13, 2009 at 3:53 am |
thanks, I have been searching endlessly on line for a replacement pump. This information has really been helpful.
January 17, 2010 at 4:08 pm |
Thanks a lot for the money saving advice! The same thing happend to us (we went on a trip and upon returning found that our Drinkwell motor had seized).
January 30, 2010 at 3:28 pm |
Wow! I can’t believe there was actually an in depth article regarding this. We did the same as the above readers, left for vacation and came home to a broken filter. Thanks for all the research you did and great advice.
January 30, 2010 at 5:35 pm |
You’re very welcome. I’m glad that so many people have found the information useful.
March 14, 2010 at 1:51 am |
This information was really helpful for someone like me who wouldn’t know where to begin to compare motor types and sizes. Thank-you so much! I just wanted to comment that I searched pretty thoroughly and the best price I have found on the AquaClear 20 Power Filter is $23 including shipping at Amazon. I haven’t found the $10 shipped deal yet on eBay but if you have any pointers on search tips I would be so grateful! I also found an almost brand new Drinkwell Pet Fountain for $19 shipped on eBay and am considering just purchasing it for the motor. Thanks again, sincerely.
July 5, 2010 at 12:52 pm |
Thank you! My pump is very noisy after five years and I really didn’t want to spend a lot to replace it. Given the cost of a new pump from Vetventures, one may as well purchase a new fountain. Excellent research and advice!
September 28, 2010 at 10:18 am |
My original drinkwell developed a leak. The leak seems to be around the pump. I can’t find any cracks. Is there some waterproof stuff I can get that will not harm my cat and will still make it removing the pump possible. Thank you for your help. BTW I’m computer illerate so the best way to contact me is by email.
September 29, 2010 at 8:28 am |
Hi Ellen,
There is an o-ring seal between the pump and the body of the fountain. The o-ring might be cracked or it may just need cleaning. Sometimes hard water deposits will push an o-ring away from the mating surface and cause a leak. The pump can be removed by rotating it towards you — as you’re looking at it with the fountain upside down. Be sure to empty the fountain of all water first. =)
September 29, 2010 at 10:12 am |
Thank you for the information, but I must confess I am really dumb about these things what is an o-ring and where do I get one. Oh, and how do I recognize it on the motor I have.
September 29, 2010 at 10:57 am |
Hi Ellen,
Here are links to information from the manufacturer of the DrinkWell fountain. The first link is the user manual. The second link is their list of spare parts. This should give you a better idea of what you’re looking for.
User Manual
Parts List
September 29, 2010 at 12:13 pm |
I can’t thank you enough woodgeek. You really are great. Your quick responsed and easy to understand directions are great. I will follow your links.
January 7, 2011 at 11:48 am |
I gave up and ordered a replacement pump from Vet Ventures, it came out to be around $25 shipping and all, but the pump I got was heavy duty with a great cord that is very thick. Since I got some house rabbits I am glad I got the heavy duty cord, but I would like to know if the ones you are talking about have the heavy ribbed cord. I know at some point I will need another motor.
April 7, 2011 at 11:04 am |
This is indeed a very helpful site. Thanks for sharing the results of your research.
July 2, 2011 at 11:50 am |
I’ve about HAD it with my Drinkwell (orig.) !! First time I pulled the motor it cracked the bowl. It was still under warranty so they replaced it free of charge. But now the motor has seized (lack of water) & it’s next to impossible to find a replacement. And I’ve only had it for 7 months now. I’ve had 2 PetMate fountains for over 2 yrs & they’ve never cracked & when the one motor needed to be replaced ‘cuz I dropped the plug end & the end quit working, the motor still worked with the new plug end, I found that new motor at Wal-Mart. com. I don’t think I’ll be buying another Drinkwell.
November 6, 2011 at 10:19 pm |
It can be difficult to feel the love for a product that needs parts — especially when the parts are hard to find. I’ve stopped using our
DrinkWell fountain because of the continual need to clean it out. With three cats, even when I use a filter, I have to clean the fountain out weekly to keep the water clear of cat hair and other “gunk.”
July 10, 2011 at 7:25 pm |
I need a new impeller. Will the aquaclear 20 power filter pump impeller work on the Resun HF-2001?
November 6, 2011 at 10:21 pm |
I apologize for the slow response. Yes, the impeller from the Aquaclear 20 will work with the Resun HF-2001.
September 26, 2011 at 6:49 pm |
a. light 9/26/11 i need 2 impeller units for hagen a 16000 pumps
November 6, 2011 at 10:22 pm |
Those shouldn’t be too hard to find. Google is your friend. =)
January 25, 2012 at 1:49 pm |
You saved our DrinkWell! We have three cats, one who only has one eye and has trouble seeing standing water. Without the fountain it’s hard to get him to drink. When I woke up one morning and discovered the motor had seized in the night, I was extremely anxious to fix or replace it but unsure if we could afford a new DrinkWell (it would be our 3rd). A little research online turned up your blog, and twenty minutes later I have a replacement pump purchased & on it’s way in the mail! Thanks so much!!!
January 25, 2012 at 3:14 pm |
I’m glad to hear that you got your Drinkwell fixed. They’re the only thing our cats will drink from now. = )
January 30, 2012 at 3:18 pm |
If our fountain went dry and stopped working, is the whole pump bad or just the impeller? I noticed the impeller is crooked and was wondering if you knew if we needed a whole new pump, too.
Thanks for any help!
January 30, 2012 at 8:32 pm |
Thanks for the information, I was able to silence our motor by gently tapping on the metal rod that slips into the impeller. Yay!
I did end up buying a replacement motor/pump from petsafe, though. Unfortunately, while the new motor does screw in to the hole in the back of the bowl like it’s supposed to, and it feels very snug, it does leak a bit when it runs. I looked very closely at the old and new motors and I think the new motor is ever so slightly smaller, just enough to let water slip through when it’s running.
I was thinking of trying to put a larger o-ring on the motor, or maybe a ‘fatter’ o-ring to take up the slack. What do you think? Is a bit of leakage normal for a new motor and maybe it will stop when the o-ring ‘seats’ itself?
Thanks for any help or advice.
January 31, 2012 at 12:41 pm |
No, that leakage isn’t right and a larger o-ring might crack the housing. You can try some mineral oil on the o-ring and make sure it’s clean. But if you can see the motor is smaller, ask them to send you a new motor with return postage for the incorrectly manufactured one.