Popular Solar Outdoor Fountains
The soothing and relaxing atmosphere that solar outdoor fountains conjure up in the home and garden is unmistakable. Having a solar fountain is becoming an increasingly popular way to decorate any outdoor garden space. Just the mere sight and sound of running water incites a feeling of security and nourishment. Solar fountains can take the place of numerous and expensive relaxation CDs that only provide the sounds of water but offer no tangible aesthetics. The vision and the sound of water make your outdoor garden space very attractive and the place to be.
Ponds and waterfall styled fountains are often associated with being pricey and a hassle to install and maintain. On the other hand, free-standing solar fountains are much easier to install and have much lower maintenance costs. Solar outdoor fountains are much more functional and manageable in comparison to any other water fountain.
Solar fountains and regular fountains look identical from the outside. Some models of water fountains can operate either on electricity or solar power. The main difference between solar outdoor fountains and traditional fountains can be seen in the pump. Instead of being attached to an electrical outlet, the solar water pump is attached to the solar panel. The panel collects the sun’s energy and converts it into usable energy to power the pump. You will never need to place your fountain near an electrical power source since it runs purely on solar energy. As long as there is sunlight, your solar outdoor fountain will run.
Most popular solar fountain styles:
Pedestal
Pedestal solar fountains usually come in one or more tiers. The tiers sit atop each other and can come out to be a few feet high. The solar panel is discretely hidden away in the water basin. Water is pumped from the bottom and up towards the spout or the fountain head. You also have the option of changing the water pressure via the nozzle head to create a spraying or bubbling effect in the water at the spout. Pedestal fountains can easily serve as birdbath fountains as well.
Cascading
This style of solar outdoor fountain is new in design and becoming increasingly popular. Cascading fountains are typically shorter in stature than pedestal fountains but consist of more tiers. Each tier collects water and successively pours water from one tier to the next until it reaches the bottom-most basin. Here, the pump pumps water back to the top and repeats the process all over again. Cascading fountains are generally smaller than pedestal solar fountains, so they most likely will come with an external solar panel unit. The reason for this is because the design of the fountain does not allow for the panel to blend in without disrupting the flow of the water. However this allows you to place the solar outdoor fountain wherever you please as long as the solar panel is placed in an area with direct sunlight. Some models come with an AC adapter which enables you to switch between solar and plug-in use.
Single Bowl
Single bowl solar fountains are the most simple and basic model of outdoor fountains. They are generally no bigger than a foot tall and feature a variety of animals or human figures. Some classic figures include the peeing boy, dolphins, and lion head.
All three styles of solar outdoor fountains can fit appropriately in any garden setting or outdoor space in need of a unique centerpiece. Obviously, there are pros and cons to using solar fountains but for the most part, owners love their garden fountains.
Solar Powered Water Fountains
There is something unmistakably soothing and calming about solar powered water fountains that make them quite popular in homes and gardens. The sight of water, whether it is at a beach, stream, or spouting from a water fountain, speaks to our inner ancestral DNA when having a water supply provided security and nourishment. The sound of running water is a popular relaxation tool as evidenced by the number of relaxation CDs that also use nature sounds and white noise to calm the listener. A solar garden fountain today speaks to us at that same primal level and that’s why they are so attractive. While the need to secure water is mostly gone in current civilization, we still like to have the vision and sound of water around us. The problem with ponds and waterfalls is that they are often attributed to hefty price tags and high maintenance costs. They can also be quite a hassle to install in your home. Instead, a free-standing solar powered water fountain addresses these issues while providing that soothing water sound.
Solar water fountains can be differentiated from traditional water fountains only when you look at the water pump. Otherwise, from the surface, they look identical and often the same fountain design is offered in plug-in and solar forms. Solar powered water pumps are attached to a solar panel instead of an electrical outlet. The panel gathers energy from sunlight and converts it into the energy required to power the water pump. Solar fountains are truly free-standing since they need not be placed near an electrical source. If there is sunlight, then there is an ideal location for a solar powered water fountain.
The many styles of water fountains can be classified into three main groups:
Pedestal Solar Fountains
These are usually made from one or more tiers and sit atop a pedestal as the name suggests. Usually these are a few feet high depending on the pedestal height and collect water in a basin. The solar panel is usually located here to collect light. Water can be pumped from the lowest tier up to the fountain head or spout. There are spraying or bubbling pedestal fountains which can change by water pressure and nozzle head. Birdbath water fountains also fall into this category.
Cascading Solar Fountains
These are a very popular new design. These are generally shorter than pedestal fountains but use up many more tiers, from 5 to 7 or more. Each bowl is a tier which pours water from the top bowl down to the bowl below until the water collects in the bottom tier basin. The largest catch bowl is where water is pumped back up to the top tier. Since these types of fountains are smaller, the solar panel often ships external to the unit. This is because the panel cannot be built into a cascading fountain without it getting in the way of the design flow. This gives owners an added benefit of being able to place the solar panel in an area that gets maximum sunlight, even if it is a few feet away from the cascade fountain. There are also some that ship with A/C adapters to switch back from solar to plug-in use.
Single Bowl Solar Fountains
The most basic fountain, it is often the smallest class and is not complicated like the other two. It uses a single large basin, usually no taller than a foot, and may use some sort of figurine, animal, fish, bird, or some other type of figure to shoot the water down below. Undoubtedly you have seen many variations of this theme, with a boy “peeing” into the fountain below being a timeless classic. There are also lionheads and fish whose mouths spout water below as well.
All of these three main categories of solar water fountains have their unique looks to fit in with any garden setting.
There are many types of fountain types to choose from and each class offers solar powered variants in addition to the traditional electricity powered ones. These fountains start at a hundred dollars and can go up to the thousands depending on the size, uniqueness of design, and material. Most fountains are in the low hundreds of dollars. They are much easier to install than ponds, waterfalls, and other water fixtures. Simply place the unit where it is desired and connect the solar panel to the water pump. After that add water and set and forget. There is no electricity usage since it is self-powered and even turns off by itself at night when the sun has set.