How to Build an Indoor or Outdoor Water Fountain
- 1
Example of an indoor tabletop size fountain
Decide how much effort you want to put into designing your fountain. It can be great fun to find your own basin to use (a crock or copper bowl work well). If you do it all yourself you will also need to find some rocks or marbles to use (not only for aesthetics but this will also affect the sound your fountain makes as the water splashes), and you will need to research & purchase a pump etc. Alternative to that, you can also find many pre-made kits online or at garden centers where all the contents have been put together for you and all you do is the final assembly. - 2
Consider this as another example of a smaller type of fountain if you are limited on space. - 3
Outdoor artficial rock fountain
If you decide to build your fountain outside in your garden you will also likely build one that is a little larger than what you would put inside your home. Being larger will also provide more sound. The further the water falls the louder it will sound as it splashes & cascades down. This is an example of a larger in-ground fountain that uses a re-circulating catch basin that is buried underground and has the disappearing water effect. - 4
In-ground water basin
Shop for an inground basin if you decide to build a disappearing water type. This is the type of catch basin that is used beneath the in-ground type of water fountains like the artificial rock fountain pictured in step 3. - 5
The Oase Neptun 80 is a small pump good for small fountains
Next you will need a pump. If you decide to construct your fountain from scratch you will then need to consider purchasing the right pump for your fountain. Here are some guidelines on choosing a pump. Pumps are designed to move water and are rated according to the number of gallons per hour (GPH) that they move. The measurements indicated i.e. GPH @ 1 ft, GPH @ 3 ft, represent the vertical distance from the pump to the discharge point (i.e. waterfall or filter). This is an example of a pump that can move 80 GPH. The larger the pump capacity the more expensive it will be. - 6
Now we get to something referred to as the Vertical Lift. This is the vertical and/or horizontal distance from the pump to the discharge point. The vertical distance is the number of feet measured vertically from the pump to the discharge point (the bottom to the top of your fountain). Vertical lift rates should be listed in the details of all pumps. What this boils down to is the shorter your fountain the lower the GPH rating you will need for your pump. The pump needs to be able to "lift" the water from the bottom of your fountain to the top. If your fountain is 3' tall and there is no horizontal movement involved you will need a pump that has a vertical lift of 3'. This chart shows more about pump flow and GPH. - 7). Now you have all the basic information you need to build a beautiful fountain. Once you determine where you will put your fountain and establish a budget you are ready to shop for your supplies. It can be great fun to put it all together yourself or you can go with a kit. Either way, the end result will provide you with countless hours of enjoyment.
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