Proper fountain maintenance doesn’t stop at the surface of your fountain. Water maintenance is just as important as caring for the fountain itself. Caring for your fountain’s water will keep your fountain looking and functioning great for many years to come. Follow the tips below to learn how to care for your fountain water.
1. Refresh Water Monthly
Fountain water should be drained and replaced every month in smaller fountains. Replacing the water helps prevent algae growth and mineral buildup.
2. Treat Water
To help prevent white scale and hard water mineral deposits, treat tap and other hard water with a mineral deposit inhibitor. You can also use distilled water in your fountain to help prevent buildup and stains. Protec and Fountec are two solutions we recommend to treat fountain water.
3. Clean Regularly
Each time you drain the fountain water, take a few minutes to clean off any beginning mineral buildup spots. Use clean water and a non-abrasive sponge or rag to wipe off any buildup. Doing this monthly can help prevent major build ups that are difficult to remove.
4. Use A Cleaning Solution
For most white scale and hard water mineral deposits, you can mix your own cleaning solution. Equal parts white vinegar and water mixed together will help remove the scale. For more hard-to-remove mineral deposits (only on a granite fountain), you can use a solution of equal parts muratic acid and water. Use a soft nylon bristle brush dipped in the solution to scrub off the stains on the surface of the fountain.
Caring for your fountain water is important to keep your fountain and fountain pump in working condition. If you are interested in learning more about fountain care, check out these blogs:
Warmer weather is here and summer months are approaching! Follow our stone fountain maintenance tips to keep your fountain looking and working great this season.
Clear Debris
Remove all leaves, twigs and dirt that may have collected in your fountain basins during the winter. Leaving organic matter in the basins can stain the stone and damage the fountain pump.
You should also clear debris from the fountain pump. Pollen, leaves and dirt can collect and clog the pump. To clean it, remove the cover and rinse out the filter. Another way to clear buildup from the pump is to gently scrub away debris with an old toothbrush.
Clean Stone Fountain
Before filling your fountain with water, you should clean its surface. Simply spray it off with a hose and scrub dirty areas with a nylon brush. Spraying off the fountain and scrubbing it down will remove dirt, bird droppings and other remnants from the colder months.
After cleaning the stone fountain surface, fill the basins with fresh water.
Replace Water
Depending on your fountain size and if you are treating the water, you may have to replace the water a few times after the initial fountain fill. Replacing the water flushes out dirt and other debris to provide a better flow through the fountain.
Run Your Fountain
The easiest way to keep your fountain in great condition is to keep it running. This keeps the water moving, reducing the chances of buildup and extending the life of your fountain pump because it is turned off and on less often.
Download our free fountain maintenance checklist to learn more about caring for your fountain!
Choosing The Fountain Pump That is Right For Your Water Fountain
April 13, 2012
Carved Stone Creations has extensive experience in fountain design and installation and we can help you to pick out and install the fountain pump that is right for your water fountain. We can either work with your landscape architect or contractor to specify the necessary waterlines. Or we can coordinate with a plumber and electrician to have the power sources needed and set them up before we install the fountain. We carry a selection of commonly used fountain pumps in our online store, and we can source other pumps if necessary to meet your fountains specific needs.
Purchase a Right Fountain Pump
If you are considering purchasing a fountain from us consider the following questions. This will help us determine your fountain pump needs. How large is the fountain you want to run (total height & pool diameter)? How high do you want your fountain to spray? The fountain pump output is determined largely by the height that you wish water to spray from the fountain and volume of water. Water pressure is needed to accomplish that as well. Finding a fountain pump which will work within its peak efficiency curve will while meeting the fountain’s operating criteria at the same time will help to extend the life of the fountain pump. How far will the water drop from its maximum spray height to the pool or pond below it? The amount over spray or spillage that occurs is a by-product of how far the water has to fall to return to the pool. The greater the height, the more likely it will spray or spill over the sides of your fountain surround or basin, especially on a windy day.
Splash Factor
Even a seemingly large diameter surround may not be adequate to contain over spray or spillage if this issue isn’t factored into consideration. You can estimate how large the fountain surround should be by determining the Splash Factor. Measure the distance water has to fall to return to the pool compared to the distance to the edge of the pool surround you wish to use. The distance to the pool surround should be greater than the drop to the pool in order to prevent spillage and over spray. You can also minimize this by angling spitters towards the pool. So that the spray hits the water at an angle instead of a vertical drop.
Will it include multiple spitters, tiers, or bowls which will need a waterline to feed them? Some applications with multiple water features may require additional pumps to adequately feed all of the water features. Do you want to include multiple spray nozzles or a spray ring to your fountain? We can add a spray ring to your fountain as well. Spray rings are a fantastic way to accent your fountain and draw attention to it. We can create a custom copper spray ring for your fountain using adjustable spray nozzles. Learn more about spray rings in this article. Large spray rings may require multiple water inlets and pumps to properly modulate the pressure in the ring.
Powering Your Fountain Pump
Fountain pumps can be powered by an underwater junction box or a traditional 120v power cord coupled to the pump with an underwater disconnect waterproof power cord coupler. Either option allows you to disconnect power to your fountain pump without having to drain your fountain beforehand. With the help of an electrician we can also hard wire your fountain to a breaker or on/off switch in your home or set up a timer for it.
Caring for Your Fountain Pump
Your fountain pump should remain submerged at all times. Check on your fountains periodically to make sure that you have an ample water supply for them. While most fountains and pump systems will allow for very little spillage or water loss if set up right, the main loss of water from your fountain is simply from evaporation. If you hear a whining or suctioning noise from your fountain then it’s time to add some more water! Fountain pumps can be run continuously without any issues, but should still not be left unattended for long periods of time. If you are planning on being away from your home for several days, shut down your fountain as a precaution. In order to safeguard your fountain from low water level problems, we can also install an Auto Fill Sensor Kit. The auto fill sensor will monitor the water level of your fountain. It automatically adds water to your fountain through water lines. This handy option alleviates the need to check your fountain water level regularly and fill it.
Fountain Winterization
As you can guess, it is not advised that you leave your fountain running in winter! Blockages from ice and freezing and thawing water in the pump can cause failure as well. Once the cold weather sets in, drain your fountain bowls and basin or surround, and remove the pump completely for the winter. We also recommend that you remove the pump cover and clean out.
Filtration
Most pump inlets will include a screen to prevent leaves, algae, and other debris from being sucked into the pump. We also offer a simple slip over sock style mesh cover for the inlet that is easy to maintain. Larger or more demanding applications may require a more advanced filtration system and we can help you source pumps for that as well. Hopefully this information gives you a better understanding of fountain pumps. The performance requirements that you will need to properly run your fountain with one.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding ordering a pump from Carved Stone Creations. Carved Stone Creations is located in Kaukauna, WI. We are a reasonable drive away from many Midwest metro areas including Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Traverse City, Davenport, Des Moines, St. Louis, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Columbus, etc. Visit our showroom to see first hand what we can design for you.
Our convenient centralized location also means we can bring all of the tools and heavy equipment. We need to tackle any installation job. CSC understands the affect our harsh Midwest winters can have on exterior stone work. We design and install architectural stonework like stone fountains, stone statues, exterior stone veneer, etc with those factors in mind. We’ll make sure the stone work we install for you stands up to the weather and the test of time! Outside of the Midwest? We can install there too. We have done work from New York to Florida to California as well.
