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.