Decorative fountains are one of the common elements of landscape design of a summer residence, garden, and personal territory. With it, you can decorate almost any area. Making a fountain is easy on your own. The following describes the method of equipping it with a hand-made pump.
Types of fountain pumps
To organize a fountain in the garden, summer cottage, necessarily require specific equipment - a pump. This device is needed for cyclic water supply. The principle of its work is that it creates a positive pressure that pushes the liquid with a certain force. Such a device is bought ready-made in the store or made independently from improvised materials.
Water pumping units are of two types:
- submersible;
- superficial.
To install each of the types, you must familiarize yourself with the rules of installation and operation. The pump should be selected in accordance with the dimensions of the fountain bowl, as well as the desired height of the jet. Before you give preference to any of the species, it is worth familiarizing yourself with their advantages and disadvantages.
Important! Choosing a pump by power, it should be guided by the fact that the height of its stream should not exceed more than 3 times the width of the reservoir.
Submersible
Such a device is completely located under water. Only the sprinkler is visible. The principle of operation is as follows: water enters the filter, which cleans it of debris, then flows into the pump and is thrown out. As a rule, a submersible model is installed in small fountains, the height of which is no more than 2 m.
A - spotlight; B - lamp mount; C - fountain nozzle; D - valve; E - submersible pump; F - mounting platform; G - concrete base.
- The main advantages include:
- reasonable price;
- silent work;
- easy installation;
- profitability.
Among the disadvantages of such equipment is the difficulty in maintenance. Before winter, the device should be dismantled. It is also necessary to periodically clean the filter and the impeller.
Did you know? Ancient tombstones found by archaeologists contain images that confirm the fact that residents in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia equipped their courtyards with fountains. Sources of water were used to draw fluid, which was irrigated by agricultural and ornamental crops.
Surface
As is clear from the name of the type of pump, it is mounted on the surface in a special box. Multilevel fountains are equipped with such a device.
- Compared with a submersible device, the surface has several advantages:
- it is convenient and easy to maintain and repair;
- it is able to continuously work for a long time;
- he has less sensitivity to pollution;
- it can be connected to several water sources, for example, a fountain and a waterfall.
Among the minuses of installing surface equipment are noisy work, poor resistance to moisture, overheating when placed in the sun, high price. Such a pump must be protected from precipitation and sunlight.
Performance Requirements for Pumping Equipment
When choosing a fountain pump, it is necessary to take into account the parameters of a particular architectural form, as well as your desires regarding the appearance and height of the stream. For the correct selection, it is better to contact a specialist, providing him with complete information about the source of water. You can focus on such indicators: when choosing a submersible fountain with a capacity of 40 V and a capacity of 3000 l / h, the jet will rise by 3.2 m, surface equipment with a capacity of 800 l / h - 1 m, 2000 l / h - 1.5 m.
Power should be selected based on the fact that the desired jet height is achieved when the pump is operating at an average level. So the device will be more durable. If it constantly pumps water with minimum or maximum speed, then it will fail more quickly. Pumps with a capacity of up to 3000 l / h are suitable for small structures. For large structures, it should be more.
When purchasing equipment, in addition to power, productivity and maximum height of water rise, you should also familiarize yourself with such characteristics:
- life time;
- warranty obligations.
Important! The maximum performance of the fountain decreases in proportion to the height of the water.
DIY pump manufacturing
Of course, to make a powerful unit at home will not work. You can only make a simple pump for a modest structure installed in a room or a summerhouse. Home masters with a certain knowledge base and having experience working with electricity can also try to make the device out of the pump of an old washing machine. But it should be properly insulated to prevent contact with water.
Necessary materials and tools
For the manufacture of a fountain pump, you can use the means at hand.
The following materials will be required:
- camera from a car tire;
- electric motor;
- brake chamber;
- epoxy adhesive;
- copper nozzles;
- small metal balls;
- washers;
- threaded pin.
Important! Since water and electricity in contact pose a threat to human health and life, before connecting a homemade pump, you must invite an experienced electrician who will check whether the equipment is safe.
Step-by-step instructions for creating and installing
The basis for the pump will be a failed brake chamber. If she was not in the house, you can contact the car service.
To make a water jet supply device, the following steps must be taken:
- Wash and disassemble the brake chamber.
- Seal all holes except the top, which will be used under the stock.
- On the opposite side, drill 2 holes for installing valves.
- Make pipes with a wall thickness of 1 mm.
- Proceed to manufacture the intake valve by clamping the nozzles in a vice.
- Take a drill corresponding to the diameter of the metal ball.
- Drill the pipe halfway.
- Lay the ball in the nozzle.
- Solder a small section of wire onto the end.
- Proceed to the manufacture of the exhaust valve, making it by the principle of the inlet, only between the ball and the blocking pipe, to lay the spring.
- Secure the pipes in the holes of the brake chamber.
- Strengthen with glue.
- At the camera from the tire cut off a circle the size of the diameter of the brake chamber.
- Make a hole in the center.
- Glue 2 washers on both sides.
- Fit the nut on the thread of the pin.
- Insert the threaded metal rod into the hole with washers.
- Tighten the structure with a second nut.
- Glue the cut circle to the brake chamber.
For the pump to work continuously, it must be equipped with a motor. The unit can be taken from an unnecessary fan. It is necessary to remove the impellers from it. Then make the wheel a diameter that is equal to the stroke of the rod in the brake chamber. Fasten a small pin on the rim and connect it using the drawbar to the stem. After that, it is worth making a casing of metal sheets for the pump and mounting the motor. Seams should be sealed to prevent water from entering.
Video: How to make a water pump yourself
How to install
The main rule when installing such a unit is good insulation of the wires. They must be drowned in a rubber hose and buried in the ground. The hose should first be checked for damage. On the box from which voltage will be supplied, a difavtomat should be installed. To make the fountain look beautiful and spectacular, you can install different nozzles on it, which spray the jet in interesting ways.
How to make a pump for a garden fountain
For the manufacture of mini pumps do not need sophisticated tools. It is enough to use a drill, a metal cutter, a clerical knife, a soldering iron. But a lot of materials are needed.
You will need to stock up on such things:
- a fan for the computer;
- power supply 12 V, 350 mA;
- capacity made of plastic with a lid;
- a bowl of plastic;
- a hose for an aquarium;
- hairpins M3, M4;
- nuts and washers to studs;
- screw M3;
- gel pen;
- plexiglass 1.5 mm;
- 0.2 mm aluminum sheet;
- Syringe Janet 150 ml.
To make a pump, it is necessary to carry out such actions:
If all the parts are made and connected correctly, the height of the liquid will be about 50 cm.
Video: DIY fountain: mini water pump
Care and maintenance rules
A self-made pump should be cleaned periodically. You will also need to check its tightness to avoid contact with water. It should be understood that such a design will not be durable.
Did you know? The highest jet of water is the King Fahd Fountain, which can be seen on the Red Sea. Its height is 260 m, and on a fine calm day it can reach 318 m.
So, a decorative fountain can perform several functions at the dacha - decorate it, increase the level of air humidity and charge the residents with positive energy. Install such a design in the country is easy. You can do this even using your own pumping equipment. Only in this case, you can get only a small fountain with a stream rising several centimeters.
