One of my favorite places to be in the summer is outside on our backyard patio. Our landscaping makes it feel like we are in a wooded area, and I love sitting outside and watching the local wildlife hop and fly around. One thing that I was really missing was the sound of water. Adding a fountain and the sound of running water can not only help cover unwanted noises like traffic, but can provide a place for local wildlife like birds to grab a quick drink and make a pretty water feature. In our yard, we can hear some nearby traffic and by adding a DIY Solar Powered Water Fountain, the water feature would not only help cloak the car sounds, but the bubbling water would be so relaxing to listen to. I wanted to share a few tips I learned when making my DIY solar fountain from solar power fountain kit because it wasn’t with out a learning curve (you can see the entire experience in the related video, an ad will play first.).
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Solar Powered Fountains Can Be Placed In Areas Without Electricity
I knew I wanted solar because I didn’t want to have to run an electrical cord or any kind of underground electric. Our outdoor lights are all solar and we love them. But, I knew solar power has it’s limits as well. The first solar fountain I bought was more on the inexpensive side. It not only had a very weak “outflow”, but it hardly ran unless the it was in direct sunlight, and I mean sunlight so direct it was blinding. I decided to buy the next step up because the reviews were much better and it had a battery backup that would hold a few hours charge from the solar panel so it would run when the sun had intermediate cloud cover. Tip to know: The solar powered fountain needs direct sun and it also had a long cord so the solar pump itself didn’t have to be in a sunny location, only the panel.
Here is the link to the supplies and the solar fountain I ended up using.
Additional Tubing Maybe be Needed for the Solar Fountain
I ended up adding an extra flexible bit of aquarium tubing from the pet store because I wanted it to cascade down a board instead of shooting up like a typical bird bath so there was a louder water noise and more of a trickling down effect.
Use a Watertight Container will Work for the Fountain Basin
To build my solar fountain, I used a vintage galvanized tub I already had as the fountain base. The container needs to be watertight to work and big enough and deep enough for the water to circulate in. The solar fountain could also easily be done with a planter or flower pots using a large pot as long as it will hold water.
Make Sure to Follow the Water Pumps Directions for Proper Water Flow
The solar powered fountain I bought recommenced not having the fountain pump until directly on the bottom of the water tub. I placed the water pump on the brick in the bottom of the container on some bricks (you can also use bricks to raise the water level if needed.). To create a surface to have the eater trickle down, I propped the board up against the birch tree.The tubing was then brought up from the pump around the backside of the board and secured to the top of board with looped twine. To camouflage the nozzle, I bundled birch tree twigs to create an organic look, and then surrounded the tub with pots of ferns.
Different Water Nozzles will Have Different Effects
The water had different nozzles, so I picked one that once the water shot out, it would hit the branches and trickle and drip down for a more organic sounds. Some of the nozzles sounded like a hose was running, and some of the pump nozzles had more of a drip pattern.
Add Water Plants to the Solar Fountain Basin
Decorate around the basin and add water plants to the inside of the rub. I decided to forgo any water plants right now,and added ferns around it. It could easy create a beautiful water garden with some plants and river rocks. I love how lush it looks and how relaxing it sounds! It was so easy to put together and I am thrilled with how well the solar powered fountain works!
Keep Mosquito Control in Mind
The solar fountain I bought does have a small battery to keep it running longer after the sun goes down or on a cloudy day, but stops sometime in the middle of the night. Since it doesn’t work all night, I do have a half of a mosquito dunk in the water so it doesn’t become a breeding ground. It’s no fun to sit outside if you are getting eaten alive! The solar fountain pump is small, so I don’t have to worry as much about the water level. The version of solar powered fountain I purchased also has a safety on it to shut off if there’s no water running through it I don’t have to worry about the pump burning out.
Change the Water in the Solar Fountain Regularly
The upside is that the DIY water fountain has also become a sort of a birdbath. The robins, squirrels and wrens really love it and will give me the side-eye as they take drinks and bath and I love listening to the fountain run as I sit outside! The downside is the water can become dirty and should be changed every few days so it doesn’t become a breeding ground for bacteria and algae.
If you liked this post, you might also like this post about how to make a DIY solar lamp.
