How to Design a Water Fountain
Water fountains have been sources of tremendous beauty and peace for hundreds of years. Many cities construct large, ornate fountains to symbolize their power and grandeur. You can build your own simple water fountain with basic tools and a little work. Your fountain will improve the beauty and value of your home and garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pond liner Garden water pump Decorative elements (e.g. stones, statues)
Instructions
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Draw a basic blueprint for your water fountain. A simple, small water fountain in your backyard involves little more than a shallow pond, a pump and basic decorations. If you want something more elaborate, with lots of water spraying high in the air, you will need a much larger pump and detailed design plans. Look for objects such as statues or stones to work as an emission point for the fountain.
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Dig a shallow hole for your garden pond in a highly visible area of the yard--there is no reason to build a fountain where no one will see it. The smaller the pond and the more powerful the pump, the higher the jet of water that will emanate from your fountain. If you want a large jet of water, go for a smaller pond or a more powerful pump. For a small pond, you will only need about a 110-120 GPH (gallons per hour) pump.
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Line the pond with a layer of sand and then cover it with a preformed pond liner. For a larger pond, you will need to use a flexible, plastic liner. You can place the pond wherever you would like, but realize that it will need electrical access to power the pump.
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Ring the pond with stones or plants. Different types of stone create very different aesthetic effects. Experiment with different stone and plant combinations until you find something that matches the rest of your yard. Select a statue or decorative item as the emission point for the water jet.
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Place the pump at the back of the pond in the water (only plug in the pump while it is in water). Connect the emitter tube on top of the pump to the statue or other emission object. Basicall, anything can work to propel the water jet as long as it can be connected to the tube and as long as it will not decay in the water. More elaborate fountains with large pumps can send the water shooting through a large structure or up a long hill. Plug in the pump and enjoy your new fountain.
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Tips & Warnings
Instead of shooting the water in a jet, try allowing it to run gently down some rocks into the pond.
Never turn on the pump unless it is in water.
