Toronto woman buys cute fountain from Dollarama. Then she plugs it in—and almost burns down her house: ‘It was only $5’

‘0 out of 10: would definitely not recommend.’

A Toronto woman purchased what she thought would be a soothing water fountain from Dollarama. Minutes later, she is stunned to find it smoking.

TikTok creator Emily (@soemilymills) posted a video that chronicles the entire situation from start to finish.

“So, I bought this cute thing from the dollar store thinking it’s going to be nice and soothing, and it literally sounds like a dentist office, and my dog hates it,” she says. “I mean it works.”

What’s Wrong with This Water Fountain From Dollarama?

The video cuts to what seems to be a few minutes later. 

“So, I added more water, and it’s getting quieter, but it’s getting messy now,” she says. The water fountain clearly contains more water, and the excess is spilling over the base.

A few minutes later, the situation wasn’t much better. “OK, well, it just stopped working,” Emily says. And then, Emily shows viewers the back of the fountain. “Oh my god, it’s literally smoking,” she says. 

She then shows footage of the fountain sitting outside because it smelled “like fire.” It is no longer visibly smoking at that point.

How a Dollarama Purchase Almost Went Terribly Wrong

Emily ends the video by showing a photo of the box the fountain came in. It is the Tabletop Water Fountain with Natural River Stones. A very similar-looking fountain is for sale at Walmart for $18.

The listing, which attributes the fountain to a brand called AFUADF, says that the fountain is “tranquil and relaxing” and intended for the bedroom, living room, or office.

Emily, however, was not pleased with the results. “It was only $5,” she says. “The light never worked. Zero out of 10: would definitely not recommend.”

Why Experts Recommend Against Discount Electronics

Electronics and appliances are some of the products that consumer experts commonly recommend against shopping for at discount stores—and that is for a good reason.

Back in 2007, Family Dollar Stores announced the recall of oscillating ceramic heaters due to concerns about a fire risk. A similar recall of 20,000 heaters happened in 2013. The company also recalled a set of decorative lights in 2012. In 2022, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Dollar Tree had recalled more than 1 million hot glue guns because of fire risk.

According to Electronic Asset Security, low-cost electronics unfortunately come with the risk of fire and electrocution due to a lack of quality control and safety standards at some manufacturers. That can be caused by cheap chargers and power adapters, which are supposed to convert the electricity from the home outlet into an appropriate voltage for the device. If the charger or adapter isn’t designed well, it can overheat. That can result in smoke, sparks, and even fire. 

Ultimately, consumer advocates recommend spending a little more money on home decor, appliances, and electronics to avoid the risk altogether.

AllHipHop contacted Emily and Dollarama via email for comment. We will update this story if they respond.

@soemilymills 0/10 definitely would not recommend 😭 cute dollar store find almost burnt my house down 🫣 #dollarstore #dollarstorefinds #dollarama #fire #nope ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design

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