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Solar fountain – beautiful and useful at the same time
Many companies and craft businesses are based in industrial shops on the outskirts of the town.
This is quite practical on the one hand due to the generous space available. On the other hand, the more demand-oriented facilities also have their disadvantages. For visitors and customers, functional office buildings, high-rise warehouses and large-scale truck turning surfaces seem rather dismissive at the first moment.
This is why many company owners try to make the area in front of their central building more inviting with lawns, plants and a pretty garden pond. If a small fountain is also bubbling, a previously functional door is transformed into a friendly and inviting entrance area.
We will be happy to explain how fountain pumps work and what advantages a solar fountain pump offers you.
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Why should a fountain be installed?
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What are the advantages of a solar fountain?
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What different solar fountains are there?
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What was to be observed when installing a solar fountain?
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Frequently Asked Questions about Solar Fountain
Why should a fountain be installed?
As already mentioned, a well increases the recreation value of a garden pond tremendously. The water feature is nice to look at and the gentle rippling has a very soothing effect. For this reason, many employees enjoy the relaxing effect of a company garden pond with fountain during the lunch break.
But a fountain offers further advantages: The sparkling fountains add oxygen to the water. This leads to a much better water quality. And that in turn benefits the fish living in the pond. In addition, oxygen-rich water is not so susceptible to algae blooms.
Another advantage: A annoying mosquito plague is also avoided. Because the moving water surface makes it difficult for mosquitoes to lay eggs. This will not make your pond the breeding ground of the annoying gustfish. An advantage which is also appreciated in the private garden.
What are the advantages of a solar fountain?
Unlike fountain pumps that draw their energy from the mains, solar-powered fountains have decisive advantages:
Easy to set up
The power is supplied via a solar panel. Therefore, it is not necessary to lay a complex electrical installation with earth cable. A solar fountain can be mounted in just a few simple steps and is thus ready for use in the shortest possible time.
No ongoing costs
Since the light of the sun is free of charge, there are no current electricity costs when operating a solar fountain. This will help to save the budget of the property administration on a sustainable basis.
Regenerative energy
Solar energy is one of the renewable energies. Therefore, no valuable resources are wasted for the power supply of a solar fountain.
Even in the dark
By using a rechargeable battery, the solar-powered water feature can also be operated in the evening hours or at night. The excess energy of the solar panel is simply charged into the battery during the day.
In the dark, the rechargeable battery can then not only supply the pump. With decorative LED lighting, the fountain in the pond becomes an absolute eye-catcher in the garden.
What different solar fountains are there?
Under the umbrella term solar fountain, there are pond pumps, stream pumps and also pond aerators, which are supplied with power with the help of a solar module.
By the way: A solar panel achieves the specified peak power only with optimum solar radiation. This is why the pumps of the different solar wells have a wide operating voltage and still provide sufficient water even at low voltage.
Solar pump sets
Solar pump sets contain all the components required for immediate operation. The standard components are the solar panel, the water pump, a variable rising pipe and various nozzles.
The electrical connection cable is usually long enough for the solar module to be placed optimally in the garden.
Solar stream pump sets
A solar stream pump set enables the improvement of the water quality in an inconspicuous way. The water pump installed in the pond transports the water into a covered hose to the top point of the stream.
Through the artificial stream, the water flows back into the pond via stones and stairs. The pump normally has a hose connection, the required hose is not part of the kit.
Solar Pumps
Solar pumps are aimed at experienced users who know exactly which other technology is still required. A possibly existing solar panel with sufficient strength can be used for power supply.
Or you are looking for a solar panel suitable for the pump in our shop. Thus, with a little expertise, beautiful fountains or perfectly arranged streams can be realized individually.
Floating pond pumps
Floating solar pond pumps are the fastest way to create a waterfeature in your own pond. After unpacking, they are simply placed on the water surface - done.
The solar module is part of the floating body, which eliminates the cable between the pump and the solar panel. Due to the built-in solar module, the small solar islands usually have less output than the stationary versions.
Floating pond aerator
With the floating solar pond aerators, the water quality is in the foreground.
They do not produce a fountain, but the integrated solar panel operates an air pump, which enriches the water with oxygen.
Floating pond aerators are simply placed on the surface of the water and ventilate the pond water with a spring stone when the sun shines.
Solar pond pump LED ring
The solar pond pump LED-ring is an ideal accessory for different systems with battery operation.
It is simply pushed over the rising pipe of the pump and illuminates the water fountain in the dark.
The combination of lighting and moving water makes the fountain an absolute highlight in the garden.
What was to be observed when installing a solar fountain?
The construction of a finished solar set is very simple. To do this, you only have to proceed according to the manufacturer's instructions in the operating instructions.
Protect aquatic plants
When positioning the well in the pond, make sure that there is sufficient distance to the swimming sheets of pond plants and water lilies. Because when water drops of the fountain land on the top of the leaf, they look like a burning glass when the sun shines. This will irreversibly destroy the plant's cell structure.
Our practical tip: Pump installation
If a fountain or stream pump is to be installed on the bottom of the pond, it makes sense to install it elevated. For this purpose, it is simply placed on a suitable stone. The raised position prevents sludge from being sucked in from the ground and the pump does not become dirty so quickly.
The right place for the solar panel
The place for the solar module should be chosen so that it can be exposed to the sun as long as possible during the day. The angle of inclination of the panel must be set so° that the sun's rays hit at a 90 angle.
Water sensors
Important!
With many solar pond pumps, the pumped medium is also used for cooling and lubrication. For this reason, the pumps must not be operated dry. Also not for test purposes.
Some manufacturers have therefore integrated sensors and a protective circuit in the pumps. In the attached example, the sensors are identified as metallic contact points on the side of the pump housing.
Only when the pump is deep enough in the water will it start when it is switched on.
Frequently Asked Questions about Solar Fountain
Why does my new battery solar fountain not work on battery power?
The factory setting is that the battery of a solar fountain set is discharged. Therefore, the rechargeable battery must be charged first. To quickly charge the battery, it is advisable to turn off the fountain for a while. This allows the entire module current to be fed into the battery. For the exact procedure, refer to the operating instructions.
Why does the new stream pump not deliver the specified 2500 liters per hour?
For pumps, two values are always given: Once the maximum delivery height (meter of water column) and then the maximum flow rate (liters per hour). However, both maximum values are not reached at the same time. The two values depend on each other. Because the higher the delivery height, the lower the delivery rate. In the technical data, the manufacturers often indicate diagrams from which the flow rate indicated for the delivery height can be read. Due to friction losses in the hose, the actual value can still be below the value read.
How high must the flow rate of a stream pump be?
For this, the size of the pond is crucial. The stream pump should be designed in such a way that it can still circulate about 50% of the pond water in one hour at the required delivery height. It would then take two hours for the complete pond water to be recirculating. If the pump is dimensioned too small, the entire amount of water is never moved and oxygen deficiency would be the result.
Do ich necessarily need a pond to install a fountain in the garden?
No, it is not necessary to create a pond in the garden if only a well, fountain or stream is desired. There is no danger that small children can fall into the pond while playing. However, a collection container for the water is needed. This can be sunk in the ground and thus inaccessible for the children in the garden. Important: The water level must be checked regularly. In hot months with high evaporation, there is a risk that the pump will run dry.
Can a solar fountain for the garden also be used on the terrace?
Those who do not have a place in the garden for a pond with a fountain can also lay the fountain on the terrace or the balcony. For this purpose, suitable miniature ponds are offered in specialist shops. With a bit of craftsmanship, however, a plastic bath from the DIY store can also be covered with wood. However, you should make sure that the fountain is not too large and that the water sprays outwards.