Few things in life are more relaxing than listening to a babbling brook or a waterfall. This wonderful slice of nature is something that is built into us as human beings. Nothing seems to put people at peace as quickly as an outdoor water fountain. These outdoor fountains are quite easy to construct, and can give you hours and hours of peaceful relaxation. Here is how to build an outdoor water fountain that you can be proud to show off to your friends and family:
The first step to building your fountain is to design the look and feel. You need to consider the location of the outdoor fountain, as well as what type of fountain you would like. Do you want an Asian theme? Do you want a natural looking fountain? Are you going to add fish to the mix? Each of these things are very important to building your outdoor fountain.
Next, you will need to make sure that you have an electrical source to supply power to the pump. The pump is the engine of your outdoor fountain. This is what will push the water up to the fountain spout over and over. These come in various sizes and makes, and it depends on how large the fountain and reservoir will be as to how large of a pump you need. Also, you need to consider how high the fountain head will sit. You will also need some plastic or copper tubing. Plastic is the easiest to work with if you are new to outdoor fountains.
Next, you will want to obtain a reservoir. These can include plastic sheeting, waterproof containers, and planters. Anything that can hold water will do just fine, and can serve as a great reservoir.
You will also need what is called a fountain head. This can be as ornate as a grand dragon, or as docile as a simple tube running through a pile of rocks and exiting out into the reservoir directly. It is completely up to you, but the fountain head must allow for the passage of water back into the reservoir cleanly.
Dig your hole where you wish for your outdoor fountain to be. You can also pile up rocks, plants, or any other decorations around the reservoir if you wish for it to be above ground. Take careful note that you are not digging in areas where there are gas or power lines.
Once you have the location and the hole, place the reservoir inside. You can use sand, dirt, or rocks to level the reservoir and decorate the edges with flowers or any number of other things. Get creative! Keep in mind that you will have to clean out the fountain, however. As you get creative, try to find ways to decorate that will not add to the maintenance.
At this point, you can place the pump and the tubing. The tubing has to connect to the reservoir and the fountain head. The pump should be put in a place that is easily acceptable for maintenance as well as practicality.
Once this is in place, fill the reservoir with water and turn on the pump. You will probably need to adjust the speed on the pump to get the desired trickle. Make certain that the water is not being pushed out of the reservoir as well.
This simple and easy to build outdoor fountain can bring you joy every single day, and can be changed on occasion for visual purposes. If you have a bit of ingenuity, you can even create an outdoor fish enclosure with pumping water to really set it off.
