Real Estate, Finance and Home Articles of Interest


Proper Care For Water Fountains

by Wyatt Fisk

A water fountain is always a great addition for homes and commercial spaces. Inside our homes, a wall fountain or even that little tabletop fountain on the corner profoundly affects the atmosphere around us, making a space more serene and relaxing. However, aside from adding water, fountains also have other needs that require special attention. There are other things that one has to do in order to keep these fountains up and running, and some of them are written below.

Routinely cleaning your water fountain is an important activity that would permit it to run efficiently. This is appropriate for all kinds of fountains, regardless of the avenue where they would be placed. When fountains are left dirty, it is more likely that their motors would accumulate algae and dirt that would cause them to run loudly, and water hitting the sides of the fountains are more likely to leave water spots that are hard to remove. Make sure to give your fountain the wiping it needs on a regular basis with the use of cleaning products, change its water periodically and use water treatment if possible.

Water is the primary feature of fountains; hence, it is necessary to add this element at regular intervals since evaporation could definitely cause water loss. If you're going to add water on your wall and tabletop fountains, use distilled water in place of regular tap water. Unlike tap water, distilled water has no mineral compositions and impurities that could build up on the surface of fountains, affecting their appearance. However, if distilled water is not available, use tap water that has been treated by certain water treatment products to improve its quality and consistency.

Always put in mind that water is a good breeding ground for bacteria to develop. You will know if bacteria are present in the water of your fountain if oily films begin to develop on the water surface. Other than changing the water regularly, using UV lighting could also help especially for wall mounted fountains. UV rays radiated by such light source prevent the growth of bacteria.

When in good condition, water from wall and tabletop fountains are suppose to cascade from the source to the basin with soothing sound that is resonant to the smooth flowing sound of streams. However, if the water level of your fountain is too low, it will sound more like water babbling from a large water pump. To avoid this from happening, always make sure that the water basin of your fountain is full at all times. Do this by filling it with water whenever you are going to water your plants, this way you would not forget doing this process.

Finally, keep the pump of your water fountain in tip-top shape by allowing it to run constantly. Frequently turning your fountain pump on and off could wear out its motor, thereby shortening the life span of your fountain. If you are concerned about your electric consumption, then the best thing to do is to turn it off at night and power it up in the morning. This way the motor would be able to rest for longer hours as well as the water pump.

The appeal of water fountain has never ceased to amaze homeowners and interior decorators. Water features such as wall mounted fountains and tabletop fountains are usually incorporated inside homes as well as on outdoor spaces to provide relaxation and decoration. Admit it or not though, maintaining a fountain could really be difficult at times as there are too many requirements to attend to. However, if one would understand the needs of fountains, it would be easier to have them around.

Published July 15th, 2010

Filed in Home