The Joy and Ease of Backyard Water Fountains

By Seth Mullins

Running water can produce sounds that are among the most soothing for the mind and soul. Mankind has utilized it literally for millennia to promote feelings of relaxation, repose and contemplation. People in the modern day, if they have no easy access to nearby bodies of natural running water, will often bring these rejuvenating effects into their own yards with such landscape wonders as pump-generated artificial streams.

The most economical and time-efficient way to bring the sights and sounds of flowing or spraying water into your own home environment is to install a small submersible pump into any available pool and - viola! - You have a fountain.
 
If you already have a pond on your premises, this will provide a ready-made home for your new fountain. In the case of water gardens, however, keep in mind that certain plants like water lilies won’t survive well in constantly turbulent waters. Fish, on the other hand, will thrive on the aeration provided by a filter and pump. So finding a balance that will support both of these forms of life should be your first priority.

When selecting your pump, consider the kind of spray that you want to achieve - i.e., how many gallons of water will need to be pumped per hour and the distance that it will need to go. Generally, a pump should circulate half the volume of water in a pond or pool every hour.

Different jets will create various kinds of “water sculptures,” the choice of which will depend upon personal preference. Some varieties include the tiered, geyser, bell, bubble, ring and fishtail jets. Geyser and bell jets create the least amount of agitation in the water and thus are a good option for use with aquatic plants. The basic rule of thumb with jets is to create a spray no taller than half a pond or pool’s width.

If you lack a ready pond, this is no liability thanks to the economical size of submersible pumps. Decorative containers, to be used as reservoirs, are available at any garden center, as are the other basic materials needed: rubber tubing, the pump itself, and stones, plants or marbles to camouflage your hoses. Again, what you choose from the variety of styles offered will be a matter of personal taste. One can find everything from basic stone sets to elaborate gargoyles and spouting fish.

Ideally, we want to locate our small fountains close to an electrical outlet, because the pumps operate on normal household current. If this is impossible, the next best alternative is to have an electrician run an underground wire to the pool site and install an outlet there. This obviously adds to time and expense, but it might be worthwhile to keep unseemly hardware hidden from the eye.

Water fountains can provide the cheapest and simplest means of bringing beautiful ambience into our home environments. The few basic materials needed are readily available, and within as little as an hour or two we can be enjoying the soothing songs of water in motion.

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