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Location
Bear in mind the practicality of power supply and maintenance as well as were best to view them.
Consider viewing the feature from inside the house: the use of simple outdoor spotlighting can make the feature even more impressive at night.
If you choose a position beneath a tree or over hanging shrubs, think of cleaning it. Trees can drip a sticky deposit, and all will drop leaves or needles.
The larger features may need two people to fit, but most can be installed by one person.
Wall Fountains
These are hung on the wall by a securely fixed screw or nail. The feature is then hooked into place by a picture hanger or an indent in feature itself. The pump is housed under the water and not usually visible. A small tube then feeds the water up behind the feature to cascade down again.
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Reservoirs
If the feature has a reservoir that requires sinking underground, then the ground can be marked out to the exact size using perhaps a stick, gravel or sand. Sit the reservoir in the hole and make sure it is level. If you have enough room sit the pump on a flat stone so that it is not on the bottom of the reservoir and so helping the pump stay clear.
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Step 7
Enjoy your new Water Feature! |
Water Supply and Power
None of our features need a water supply, just fill with water on installation, and the water circulates.
Most powered units come with a 10 metre electric cable without a plug, except solar powered features. Run the cable into an outdoor socket, or into a garage or shed. You can extend the cable if you need.
If you run the cable under ground, you should use armored trunking – to stop digging though it by accident.
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Solar Powered Features
Solar powered features are self contained and work in direct sunlight. To install plug the solar panel into the pump and put it in a sunny position. Solar water features do not store energy – the water flows only during direct sunlight.
Lighting
Use of lighting can make your water feature look stunning from dusk to dawn. One or two simple spotlights can highlight the feature so that you won’t want to close your curtains.
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Frost and freezing: will this affect my water feature?
The following is a guide to help you make an
informed decision. Please contact us for more information if you need
it.
When water freezes, it expands. This expansion is what causes frost
damage.
For example; outdoor pipes and taps often split because the water
inside the copper pipe freezes. This forces the copper to expand beyond
the limit of its flexibility, causing cracking. When the ambient
temperature rises and the ice inside melts, the tap or pipe starts to
leak. Insulation jackets are often purchased to protect outdoor pipes
and taps from freezing.
Two types of damage
1) when a body of standing water freezes.
2) to surfaces caused by water ingress
1) When a body of standing water freezes.
If you left a cup of water outside and the water
froze, the cup would almost certainly break.
Even if the cup were made of metal, it has the
potential to break - this is what happens with the outdoor taps.
Freezing water has the power to crack metal. It all comes down to the
flexibility of the material that surrounds the body of water.
Depending on the type of water feature, standing
water can occur in various places
- in an underground reservoir. If the underground
reservoir is made of plastic, this will may not be a problem because it
will be flexible. However, cracking can still occur in severe frosts.
- in the tubes that transport the water from the reservoir to the top
of the feature
- in any above-ground reservoir. This might be the main reservoir of a
self-contained feature, or it might be a small reservoir which has been
created for the design appearance - for example the bowls in a
terracotta cascade feature.
It is advisable to drain a water feature if
there is any chance of water inside it freezing.
2) Damage to the surface of a material caused by
water ingress.
Surface damage is dependent on the type of surface. For example, terracotta planters are notorious for frost damage.
(Terracotta is often porous, depending on the temperature at which it
was fired.) Small amounts of water seep into the surface of the
planter. When this water freezes, it cracks the surface, causing small
amounts of the terracotta to flake off.
Examine the surface of the feature - if it is even
slightly porous, there is a risk of surface damage caused by frost.
If there is a chance of surface damage, the
feature
should be brought inside or inside a garage, or covered to reduce the
chances of freezing.
Pumps can be damaged if they are left
in a body
of water that freezes, or if water is left inside the pump which then
consequently freezes.
To be confident, it is advisable to drain a water
feature if there is any chance of water inside it freezing.
If there is a chance of surface damage, the feature should be brought
inside or inside a garage, or covered to reduce the chances of freezing.
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