Fountains

Water fountains add a pleasant touch to indoor or outdoor settings. Simple desktop water fountains, wall fountains indoor self-standing fountains and outdoor garden feature water fountains each offer a different mood and appeal.

The fountain can be a stand-alone display item or a part of a major water feature as a pond fountain, even with live fish and plants. The options are endless.

Indoor Fountains

An indoor water fountain has three major components - a pump, a water reservoir and the waterfall surface. Extra caution must be taken to ensure that the electric pump and wires are properly protected to avoid shock or fire. Use pumps designed for the intended use and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation and maintenance.

Wall fountains and other indoor fountain configurations will create areas of condensation near the fountain. Check that moisture is not collecting in areas that will cause damage to furniture, walls or flooring materials. For fountains which do not contain live plants or fish, use appropriate amounts of algaecide to keep the water from building up an algae growth.

Outdoor Fountains

Outdoor fountains can be a simple bowl on a stand to elaborate multi-tiered and cascading levels of reservoirs. Larger the fountains require extra splash area around the fountain to allow for excess wind in all directions.

First decide whether the fountain will be decorative only or if it will be part of a plant and/or fish habitat. If the fountain will be decorative only, plan for the use of algaecide to keep the water fresh and free from algae. Some algaecides can leave a residue when dried so check that it will not stain the splash area.

Fountains with plants and fish should be less aggressive in the flow and splash. Always read the algaecide labels as most cannot be used in fountains that contain live plants or fish. Always construct pump and filter assemblies for easy access. They tend to take a fair amount of maintenance so make it easy on yourself to get at them. Plan these items to be located opposite the primary viewing direction.

For outdoor fountains that will be a part of a pond, see the water feature section of this website.

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Garden Fountains

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