Spring Project - Fountain Build

[Emptymag]

This is a fountain I built last Spring.

There are many pre-made fountain kits on the market, but I wanted to build one from scratch.



It's a recycling fountain. No water supply needed - simply add a little water as it evaporates. There's a catch basin hidden below ground level which contains the pump and is covered with a light fixture grid to allow the water that runs over the brim of the pot to run down into the basin and get pumped back up into the fountain.

Here's a few views as it was being built...
The bricks in the basin are needed to support the weight of the fountain.
The fiberglass screen over the grid keeps dirt from falling in.
One hole in the center of the pot would make things easier. The wife wanted this pot. Three holes... had to cover/seal the other two w/plumbing GOOP and get creative with the tubing to make it end up in the center!



And some crappy video... (not as exciting as full auto MG shoots, but what the heck)



Different effects can be created depending on the type of vessel used. We didn't want too much "splashing" noise as the bedroom window is a short distance away, so we chose a setup that provides a tranquil sound of water running and gently splashing.
Just thought this may inspire someone to do something creative in their own yard. It wasn't as simple as I thought it would be, and there was some creative problem solving involved, but it turned out well and we're quite happy with the results of our "blue garden".

If anyone wants more info, I'd be happy to provide it.
Also, if you click to see the video, you will open a Photobucket page that has more photos of the fountain as well as the retaining wall/flowerbed that I built as well. The page would take forever to load if I put 'em all on here.

If you don't have time to devote to such things, DO NOT SHOW THIS TO THE WIFE!!! It's best not to give her any ideas... you could spend your time SHOOTING instead!

[Frenchy]

When you comming to build mine, wife wants a bird bath, this would be perfect!!

[roland]

Looks good emptymag. We could use some of your skills up at the club.

[Lucas]

Looks good! I'd like to arrange something similar to that in front of my house, maybe I'll see what I can come up with this summer. Thanks for the re-inspiration.

[Emptymag]

Thanks guys!

It took more time than I thought it would,(isn't that always the case?)but I'm glad I didn't buy the pre-made "fountain-in-a-box". It's much more rewarding seeing something that you created from little more than an idea.
I wanted to do a pond, but with limited space, it just wasn't going to happen.

The most difficult part was getting the catch basin in the ground to the right depth and getting it level. I connected the pump to the fountain with clear tubing. A neighbor held the pot a few inches above the grid while I slipped it onto the fitting in the bottom of the pot before lowering it into place. The fountain/pot then needed to be adjusted a bit to make it perfectly level. I used plastic shims to position it so the water ran over the edge evenly all the way around. This was made difficult because the clay pot isn't perfectly even. With a fountain that pumps the water higher and splashes more, this wouldn't be as critical.

I'm considering some low voltage accent lighting to make the water feature stand out in the evening.

[vetter3006]

Looks great, I on the other hand try everything to get out of yard work!
Not always successful though.

[mauser]

Looks great, I on the other hand try everything to get out of yard work!
Not always successful though.

Not me, I love to do yard work. The problem is that I always do something wrong, or at least it isn't to my wife's liking. She keeps me pretty well limited to cutting the grass, she does the rest. In order to be outside to get fresh air & exercise I have to do something else, like go shooting or fishing or something.

[Emptymag]

Heh, you guys DEFINITELY don't want the wife seeing this post!

The kid down the street always says "Aww, man! NOW what are you doing? DO NOT let my mother see that!" (He gets stuck doing all the "projects" for her when he comes home to visit from out of town.)

[Emptymag]

Oooh boy! Three days of sunshine in the forecast!

Looks like I'll finally be staining that fence you see in the background.
It never ends...

8' tall by about 40' long, getting stained on both sides... if you don't hear from me for a while, you'll know why!

[arrrrgh15]

Looks really good. Nice retaining wall too.