How to Make a Table Top Water Fountain
A tabletop fountain can be just the needed touch for a newly decorated room. Some of these fountains can be expensive if you buy them from a home store, but you can create your own without spending a lot. By building your own, you can design a fountain that not only matches your interior space, but also complements your personality. One option is a tabletop fountain with stacked slate tiles for the water to bubble over. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Decorative bowl
- Waterproofing sealer
- Drill
- 1/4-inch drill bit
- Plastic plumbing coupling, large enough to cover your pump
- Submersible water pump
- Garden rocks
- 4 slate tiles
- Small plastic tubing
Instructions
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1
Select a decorative bowl that will match the room where you want your fountain. Choose a bowl that is deep and wide enough to accommodate a small water pump and rocks.
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2
Apply a layer of waterproofing sealer to the inside of the bowl. Allow the sealer to dry.
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3
Drill holes near the bottom of the plastic plumbing coupling, using a drill with a 1/4-inch drill bit. The coupling will cover the submersible pump and allow you to stack the slate pieces on top of it. Drill one hole large enough to accommodate the pump's electrical cord. The other holes will allow water to flow to the pump.
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4
Place the submersible water pump in the center of the bowl. Cover the pump with the coupling so the power cord sticks out of one of the holes you drilled. Run the power cord outside the bowl.
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5
Fill the bottom of the bowl with garden rocks. Pour water into the bowl until it reaches the intake filter on the water pump.
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6
Take four pieces of slate and drill a hole in the center of piece, using a 1/2-inch masonry bit in your drill. The hole must be wide enough to accommodate the plastic tubing that will be attached to the fountain pump.
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7
Attach the plastic tubing to the fountain pump. Stack the four pieces of slate on top of the coupling, starting with the widest piece and ending with the smallest. Thread the tubing through the hole of each piece as you add it to the stack. Leave the end of the water tube flush with the hole in the top piece of slate.
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Plug the power cord into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet and wait for water to flow from the tube at the top of the slate stack. Readjust the speed on the water pump if you want to modify the flow.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a bowl that is wide enough for the four pieces of slate that will be stacked on top of the pump. Do not worry about the rocks at the bottom of the bowl; they are mostly used to fill out the bowl, and won't be seen when you're finished.
Most pumps for small tabletop fountains are about 5 inches long, so choose an appropriately sized coupling to cover it. The holes drilled into the coupling don't have to be perfect, since it won't be seen when your fountain is completed.
Always plug a water fountain into a GFCI outlet; it will cut power to the pump if an electrical short occurs.
References
- Photo Credit Bowl image by Jellie from Fotolia.com
