How to Build an Easy Outdoor Water Fountain

Homemade water fountains provide that special economical advantage that of course is not available should you has to venture outside for buying the fountain.

Buying alone is not the case but its maintenance itself is also a concern for the fact that once you have assembled the fountain yourself then you would be able to do maintenance of indoor water fountains or outdoor water fountains.

So here is my quick guide to make a working water fountain. You can definitely add more creativity to the whole thing but the basic still remains the same.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flower pot, at least 16" wide and 12" tall
• Water Pump
• Electrical Outlet mounted to either grounding rod or wood plank
• Electrical lines run through conduit
• power drill
• 5/8" drill bit
• coarse cylindrical rasp

1. Select a site in the yard. Choose a level spot in the yard without low-hanging branches. You should try to make the fountain area a focal spot in your yard. It could be an area that you have been waiting to pretty up for a while.

2. Choose a container (you won't need to waterproof your pot if latex has been mixed into the concrete; if not, buy a sealer or freezing will gradually chip the pot). The larger the size of the pot, the large your pump may have to be. It also depends on how high you would like the water to rise.

3. 

   Use a 5/8-inch drill bit, then a coarse cylindrical rasp to enlarge the drainage hole. Be careful not to crack the pot when you are doing this. Set your drill on a lower speed if it has more than 375 torque. DO NOT use an impact driver, for obvious reasons.

4. Select the proper pump. There are many options to choose from depending on whether you want water shooting into the air from the fountain or a gentle bubble. At this time you could also add something to the side of the pump to have the water flow from. The possibilities are endless.

5. MOST IMPORTANT...test the pump to see if it works. Place the pump inside the container with the cord running outside of the hold you drilled in step 3. Be sure to use a silicon sealant to lock the cord in place and completely plug up the hole.

6. For this next to last step, you will need a grounding rod and/or wood plank to bury into the ground. You will also need a weatherproof socket box to plug the water pump into. Bury the rod into the ground according to your local township code (mine is at least 24 inches), and attach the box to the rod or wood that you have buried. From the box, run conduit to the nearest electrical hook up and splice in the wiring, making sure that a complete weatherproof seal lasts for the entire stretch of wiring.

7. Plug the pump in and enjoy your new fountain pump. For decorative purposes, you could build a small garden around the pump with a mix of colorful annuals and perennials, and maybe some flowering shrubs.

Tips & Warnings

• Add 2 tablespoons of bleach to the container each week to prevent the spreading of algae. Use an animal-safe algaecide if you have pets or wild animals using the fountain as a drinking spot.
• Be sure to turn off the correct circuit before connecting your electrical wiring.
• Turn off your pump when no one is home to prevent any fires from occurring.
• Place the fountain in an area that does not get much wind, or you will constantly have to refill the water in the fountain

[maryanne09]

on 5/26/2009 Great article on How to Build an Easy Outdoor Water Fountain! 5*'s recommend :o)

[xopinkdiamondz]

on 5/25/2009 Great article! Sounds fun! Thanks for the add=) 5* and a recommend!