Saturday, 21 September 2013

The Best Way To Install Disappearing Garden Fountains In Your Yard

By Dawn Williams


Adding your disappearing garden fountains to the yard is a wonderful way of adding that mystical relaxing sound of water movement to create a calmer relaxing place to meditate. Basically the fountain's water is stored inside a hidden reservoir hidden underground. From there it is pumped out through the fountain head where it drops to the ground and appears to vanish into the ground.

Almost all disappearing fountains are even safe for very young children and pets because there is no open standing water for them to get into. They can also be a safe source of water for wildlife that is around your home. Birds often love stopping by them just to get a little wet in the summer heat.

When constructing these the first time, most people will choose a premolded reservoir to use and fill it with gravel and small rock. Remember, however, that gravel generally holds around 2.2 cubic feet of water per cubic foot versus an empty container holding around 7.4 gallons per cubic foot. Generally any watertight sealable container having a lid or grate could be used for a water container.

The fountain itself can be constructed from almost anything. From flower pots to big clay pots or just rocks piled on top of each other. It does not matter what it is as long as it obstructs the view of the water line from the reservoir inside it.

The pumps are a little trickier because there are different types that can be used. Some people like using inexpensive pumps that just move the water. Other people go all out and use pumps that have built in filters to stop bacteria and algae from growing. Whatever you decide make sure it is plugged into a GFI outlet so there is no possible shock hazards.

Dig a hole that is a little bit bigger than what you need for the reservoir to sit in without being covered. Place the reservoir in and pack the soil tightly around it. Place your pump into the reservoir and block off a small area for it free from rock. If you are adding gravel, put it in filling it up to within 2 inches of the top of the container.

Put your grate on the tank and cover it up with rocks until it cannot be seen anymore. Pull the water supply line from the pump up and put it into the feature you plan to use. This could be a simple pot or rocks stacked up or whatever you like. Ensure the power cord stays free so you can plug it into a GFI outlet. Fill up the container with some water and turn on the pump.

Using a larger reservoir for your disappearing garden fountains means you will need to fill it less and can add on to it in the future. They also allow for greater flow. Do not forget to add a shut off valve from the pump so you can control the volume of water flowing.




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