Easy Low Cost Low Voltage Pondless Waterfall?


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Old 05-11-15, 01:20 PM
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Easy Low Cost Low Voltage Pondless Waterfall?

If there ever is such a thing as "easy."

I plan to build a simple pondless feature.

Pump: Can any low voltage 12v pumps push the water up to say about 4 feet, with maybe a 2-3 feet spillway? Id like to use an LV pump as I won't need to get permits and it'll be much safer in event of an electrical short.

Spillway: I was thinking of using PVC pipe, cap both ends, drill holes, and attach the water hose. This would be in a "T" formation. I would then hide it into my rock basin. I could adjust waterfall flow and waterspread easily by trying different diameter PVC, more/less holes, adjust water flow pressure.

Reservoir: For the reservoir, I read of some using a large plastic trash can as a durable liner (saves on using pond liner), fill with plastic pails drilled with holes, including one pail for the pump. Fill this as needed with pea gravel or drain rock.

Cover for reservoir? Any ideas? It needs to be solid enough to support the weight of the rocks and people standing on it. Some kind of rust-proof grate.

This is all only my thoughts after having done some research. Ive not built a pond before so youse advices and experiences to share are appreciated.

Thanks.
 
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Old 05-11-15, 09:20 PM
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36 views and no advice? Surely someone has some wisdom to share. Thanks.
 
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Old 05-11-15, 09:39 PM
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Welcome to the forums. There are no paid repliers here, just volunteers. Sometime it takes a while for someone who can help to be on line and see your post.
 
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Old 05-11-15, 09:41 PM
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Can't really give you too much help with the pond but as far as the pump goes.... a 12v pump would probably not be the best choice. A 12v pump is not designed to give that type of service and then you would need a battery and charger.... requiring AC for a charger.

It would really be best to run a single line 120v 20A to your pond area that you could run the pump off of and maybe some accent lighting. You could install a GFI receptacle and you would be protected from shock hazards.

Dane and the other pros will stop by and give you some good advice on your project.
 
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Old 05-11-15, 10:26 PM
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Yeah, thats what I thought. LV doesn't have the GPH power that I'd like. Oh well, pay an electrician to run a line, install a GFI (wouldn't go wo it around water and electricity) and get a permit. Do it right. At least the pumps don't cost too much and I'll be saving quite a bit DIY.

And yes I know sometimes it takes awhile for responses to show. This forum hasn't had any activity for awhile too. Thanks for the replies.
 
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Old 05-14-15, 10:10 AM
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So anyone with suggestions on my DIY here? Or some wisdom to share?
 
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Old 05-14-15, 11:08 AM
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Ask some questions and we'll offer advice.

Probably the biggest thing I have problem with is your reservoir. A trash can will require you to dig a very deep hole, not the easiest thing to do. A larger diameter, shallower basin would make the digging easier. You can look at agricultural/animal suppliers they use containers like that for watering and feeding animals.

Keep pump access in mind. Don't go crazy burying everything under hundreds of pounds of pea gravel as you'll have to shovel most of it out to service the pump.

You may also want a automatic top off to add water to the system to offset evaporation. On the cheap end you want a easy way to check the water level in the reservoir. If the water level gets too low it may damage the pump (depending on the pump you choose). Depending on your waterfall design and how much water you move and the temperature and humidity you can evaporate several gallons of water per day so it's something you may have to address regularly.

You will also want a way to drain your pond/reservoir. As the water evaporates the minerals will remain behind so over time the water will contain more and more minerals which will leave deposits on your waterfall and rocks. Any dirt or debris that falls into the water will also accumulate over time so you want a way to flush it out so you can start fresh occasionally.
 
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Old 05-15-15, 05:00 PM
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Dane

Superb advice. just what i needed as this is a totally new arena for me.

So a more shallow reservoir is better for pump access. Lets say Im going for 1 small pond (before it goes to the pump reservoir) and a 3-4ft waterfall, what would you suggest for the size of the reservoir and how much GPH pump should I get? Any particular brands you prefer?

I plan to turn the pump off when I'm not around. Is that ok to do? Seems a waste to run it when Im not there.

I didn't think of a drain. What do folks do for that?
 
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Old 05-16-15, 05:35 AM
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You've got a huge range to work with for the reservoir size but you need to consider: It needs to be big enough to hold all the water when the pump is off as all the water will drain down into the reservoir. Then when you turn the pump on water will go up into the piping and waterfall before any makes it's way back to the the reservoir and you don't want the intake to suck air. So, you have a certain tidal volume to consider. Depending on your waterfall it could be several gallons. Then consider how often you want to add water. A larger reservoir will obviously provide more water storage so you don't have to add water as often.

Keep in mind that everything you add to the reservoir cuts it's storage capacity. Buckets or something completely open will hold a lot of water but if you fill with pea gravel 50-80% of the reservoir's volume can be taken by rock, leaving you with very little water capacity.

An easy way to drain the pond is to put valves in your pipe going to the fountain or waterfall. When you want to drain the fountain you just close the valve to the waterfall and open a valve that leads to a hose or just directs it onto the ground. Then run the pump until it's pumped out the water and stops. You can do the same thing without valves if you can get a bucket under your waterfal. When you want to drain the water just put a bucket under the waterfall and dump the water elsewhere. With either method make sure to turn the pump off when it's stops pumping water as running dry can damage most pumps.
 
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Old 05-16-15, 10:40 AM
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The first 12 volt pump I can think of is is a bilge pump for a boat. However, the current draw would likely be quite high, so you would need a pretty hefty transformer/converter so running a 120volt line is likely the better option.

Family Handyman magazine always has some pretty good ideas for water features. This one: How to Build a Low-Maintenance Water Feature | The Family Handyman is one that came to my mind from your description of what you want to do. There are others on there (look in similar projects) so you may want to look around. Come back with any other questions.
 
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Old 05-16-15, 11:05 AM
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Yet more great advice.

Tolyn. That was the article for my inspiration. Low cost and simple.

So, I don't have to put gravel and fill material in the reservoir? I was kinda wondering what that was for? It takes up needed volume but is it a kind of filter? Maybe all I need to do is have the bucket or large pail for the pump and have the pump in one of those mesh bags.
 
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Old 05-16-15, 12:27 PM
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Yeah, the gravel will keep out debris and keep anybody from falling into a hole. I'm sure you can make it any size you want. I would think doing 3 buckets would be enough. As Dane mentioned, the bigger the reservoir, the less often you have to add water.
 
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Old 05-16-15, 12:50 PM
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Excellent Tolyn. Any pumps brands recommendations?

How about this one? Is this enough GPH for a 4 ft waterfall? I just went to Amazon and looked at the ones with highest ratings. Pretty good price too. It can be run wet or dry too and has a 33 ft cord

http://www.amazon.com/Cyclone-Pump-3..._tr_13764351_3

For the pump reservoir for strength, I was thinking can I dig a hole, line it with cement blocks, cover it with a stainless steel grate or other material. Would that work? I just have to figure out what to use for the cover
 

Last edited by Holytrails; 05-16-15 at 01:09 PM.
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Old 05-16-15, 02:24 PM
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That pump is a bit on overkill side unless you are looking to replicate "Old Fathfull". According to the article they used a 300 GPH so I would recommend something in the neighborhood of that. Add a valve if you want to be able to adjust the flow. This one has a filter and adjustment built in: Amazon.com : Hydrofarm AAPW550 550-GPH Active Aqua Submersible Pump : Pond Water Pumps : Patio, Lawn & Garden Just one of a few I saw with good reviews.

I think placing the pump in a bucket as they show is a good idea. If you want more space for water, lining a pit with block is a good idea but you will still need to install a liner. To cover it all you could lay down some pipe or rebar, then your stainless mesh and then lay larger rocks that won't go through the holes over the top.
 
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Old 05-16-15, 03:22 PM
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How much water activity do you want? If you imagine the flow from a garden hose it's roughly about 6 gallons per minute which might be fine for a small babbling feature.

Stainless steel grate... Oh, please post back the prices you find for that. I thought you wanted this project to be inexpensive.

Where are you located (no, I don't really care)? If you want to do something interesting on the cheap you have to look at what's available to you locally. Do you have any factories or farmers that have something tossed aside as waste that you could use. I live in a southern textile town. Some of my rain catch barrels were used by the mills for sewing machine oil. The others contained olives from Turkey as they were shipped over in bulk before being packaged into little grocery store jars.
 
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Old 05-17-15, 01:38 PM
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Im planning on making the spillway about 4 ft high x 3ft wide, maybe one or two little ponds/pools before it goes into the reservoir. i don't need a gush just an "average" flow i guess. how many GPH might that be?

yeah, I'm not in an area with much material laying around. Even my rock I'm going to have to pay retail at the local rockery. I'd love to find an old open mill or construction area but everything around here in the city is built up.

for the reservoir cover, what else could i use? I've no idea what SS grating may cost. any suggestions?
 
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Old 05-17-15, 02:39 PM
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Stainless steel grating is extremely expensive so scratch that off your list. Many people just fill the reservoir with rock. It takes up a lot of the volume available for water so you need a bigger reservoir but it's cheap. Another option is to price kits. They also make plastic "milk crates" for about $30 to put in your reservoir. They provide a big open area for water capacity and can support a layer of rock on top for decoration.



To get an idea for water volume time how long it takes your garden hose to fill a 1 gallon or 5 gallon container. Most are very roughly around 6 gallons per minute. You can play with that letting the water run over the edge of a bucket or off the end of a table to get an idea for what 6 gallons per minute looks like. To see what more water looks like fill a 5 gallon bucket and pour it over things at a timed rate rate like emptying the bucket in 10 or 20 seconds.

You don't need a lot of water depending on the effect you want. A smooth sheet of water pouring over a clean edge can move a lot of water but not generate much sound or movement. Drizzle it in smaller, rough streams into a pool of water and you can get a lot of sound (and some splashing).
 
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Old 05-17-15, 02:50 PM
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I would think it would be pretty easy to get free 5 gallon buckets to use for reservoirs off of construction sites. Just look for dumpsters. Or buy new ones for about $3 and $2 for a lid.
Did you read the article? It seams to be a fairly easy/inexpensive way to do it.
 
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Old 05-18-15, 10:58 AM
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After thinking about the time to make and maintenance required, I might just do one of those one spout fountains into a Japanese basin look. I can very easily make my own bamboo fountain and use a low voltage pump.

Amazon.com : Bamboo Accents 36" Home Garden Patio Lawn Traditional Water Spout With Pump Fountain Kit : Outdoor Fountain Accessories : Patio, Lawn & Garden

i wouldn't buy this one, its only an example of what I'd make

And get this for the reservoir...

Amazon.com : Laguna Decorative Water Features Reservoir, 8-Gallon : Fountain Reservoir : Pet Supplies

Now for a low voltage pump? Any Ideas?
 
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Old 05-18-15, 03:31 PM
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I don't know of any good low voltage options for a pump. If you do find one you like pay attention to the wire length from the transformer to the pump. Low voltage does not go long distances very well.
 
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Old 05-18-15, 11:57 PM
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Doesn't seem like there's a lot of LV pumps available.

and i have to install a new GFI outlet anyways. i might as well go with a 120V pump that'll likely be stronger and last longer. And i won't need to buy a transformer. extra cost.
 
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Old 05-19-15, 06:45 AM
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And once you have a GFCI protected 120vac nearby you can also think about lighting, fan or radio or anything else you may want while on the patio.
 
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Old 05-19-15, 08:43 AM
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Dane.

Excellent! Thanks for helping me to expand my thinking. The possibilities just widened.
 
 

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