This is my second automatic sprouter from Tribest. I have the 2000 and the 3000. I feel like the people who gave the sprouter a bad review were not caring for it properly. You are supposed to change the water on the sprouts daily. You won't get that buildup or sludge that some folks are talking about. Personally, I don't know how you would want to even eat the sprouts that have been sprayed with water that came from the pumps that looked like that. I don't change the water 100% daily, but I do the first two days because #1 I do not rinse the seeds before I put them in the sprouter and they will be dirty, and #2 because the water is dirty and sometimes sudsy, I change it to make sure it is clean. I've sprouted a lot of different seeds and have had great results with both sprouters. As far as the pump is concerned, mine cut out on me too, but I unscrewed the bottom and took a look at it. Everything is plug in. The cord, the pump, etc. I unplugged and plugged it back. I think it become dislodged because of all the handling and sometimes twisting I do to clean the pump. Anyway, I put it back in and voila, it worked and has been working fine. I feel like I have to speak up for this wonderful piece of equipment from Tribest because I have a number of their products (dehydrator, juicer, sprouters) and love them all. They are quality and long lasting. If you purchase the automatic sprouter what you have to understand is that it is a closed automatic sprinkler system. That means that the water is recycled. It also means that as the water filters through the seeds there will be debris and dust from the seeds themselves. The recycled water is going to be dirty at some point so it is necessary to make water changes. It's easy to think that you fill the tank once and it's all set, but that is not the way it works. If you do that then you will create sludge, slime and mold. If you don't want to do the work, then don't buy the product. There are other ways to sprout as have been mentioned, but I love this concept and have been doing this for several years. BTW I also have 2 tiers on my 2000 and 2 tiers on my 3000. I sprout a lot. If you are into sprouting in a big way, this will be an asset. If you just do it once in a while stick to the jars or bags or bins. Just don't forget to water your seeds at least twice a day!