Water Feature

[Chris J Dixon]

I am contemplating a water feature, probably a drilled slate monolith about 600 mm high, surrounded by slate paddlestones.

This is clearly something that is best bought by seeing it in the flesh, but finding suitable places, even some distance away, is proving difficult.

There are only seem to be a few basic pool types: Finia 650 or

1000, or a circular tub with galvanised grid. I think the 1000 may be overkill, but the 650 might be too small.

It is hard to judge what water flow is needed, and running an oversize pump severely throttled doesn't sound good or efficient practice.

I have read that pumps should be removed in winter, yet some people apparently leave them in situ. If the supply cable is installed underground, how is the pump taken in for the winter?

Has anybody any useful comments?

Chris

[Tim Watts]

Chris J Dixon wibbled on Monday 19 April 2010 14:50

Option 1 - get a pump that is oversized but can be electronically throttled down

Option 2 - experiment with a hose pipe until it looks right, then measure the flow into a bucket, then buy pump - assuming the required flow is less than about 15-20l/min (what you *might* max out a short garden hose at, with reasonable water pressure).

Ponds don't usually have this issue as the water won;t freeze right down to the bottom for a decent depth pond. Taking the same logic, could you make a small sump buried 2-3 feet down in the ground (depending where your frost line is) and put a slab of insulation over the top?

[pete]

Yes, personally I wouldn't buy one online as you can't really get an impression of scale. So far as pnd pumps go. I leave mine in the pond all year. It's low enough that it *never* freezes - enen if the surface of the pond does. I don't run it in the winter, tho'. iOne thing to bear in mind is the amount of electricity a water feature will use. If you're running it (or any other electrical appliance)

24 * 7 * 365 then reckon on using about £1's worth of electricity for every Watt the device uses (n.b. not the Wattage it's rated at). This could well end up costing yo more than the feature does.

Since this is a DIY group I should also mention that it's not impossible to make your own water feature. You can find articles online about drilling through a boulder to make the sort of thing it sounds like you're after. So maybe doing the same to a slate block is possible, too?

[spamlet]

Yes I should think making one would be quite fun too - so long as you weren't trying to drill through something like quartzite or granite without a diamond core drill. Slates should be easy. Even some of those bricks that already have holes in might be tastefully arranged with some ferns etc in the holes not carrying the water. Presumably you just thread the pieces on a pipe rather than making them watertight.

Is this to be part of a fish pond or just standing on its own? I had to look after one that was a 'waterfall' into a fish pond for a while, and even though it had an ultraviolet sterilizer light in the filter unit, it still got blocked up every couple of days and cleaning the spongy filter was a very smelly job. On the other hand, if it's just free standing and pumping the same few litres round and round, there should be less goo, but you presumably have to have some ball valve or other device to keep it topped up.

In the fish pond case the supply was underground but ended in an outdoor double socket concealed by more stones, and handy for the lawn mower too. The motor and yucky hoses were just lifted out of the pond and unplugged.

S

[Chris J Dixon]

Just a stand-alone feature.

I don't think it is too hard to use an additive that kills the "goo". The idea is that there is not a lot of water loss, and you simply top up the reservoir from time to time, which is another reason not to skimp on its size.

I've already got outdoor sockets, but a patio to cross before reaching the intended location.

Chris

[Chris J Dixon]

I don't think the pump will be running when I'm not nearby to appreciate it, so that should give me quite a few years before I've spent the equivalent of the capital expenditure.

Chris

[Tim Watts]

Chris J Dixon wibbled on Tuesday 20 April 2010 10:04

If there's no wildlife like fish involved, a drop of bleach from would do wonders, or some of whatever they use in swimming pools.

Is there a continuous wall along the edge that you could clip a suitable cable to?

[Chris J Dixon]

No. I was planning to inch some of the paving stones sideways, to create one a wider gap into which I can drop and bury a protected cable. This would be fine if it was there to stay, but a bit of a bind if it has to be regularly disturbed.

Chris

[Adam Aglionby]

Seen a nice one in a garden centre, spiral of old roofing slates drilled and threaded on to a stainless pipe, slate is a nice texture wet.

Its worthy of experimentation, part of a water feature is its sound, which can take some experimentation, the copper leafed free standing features make a great sound, a small waterfall into a plastic container sounds like a slow flowing sewage outlet.

Personally have slate waterfall for looks and small fountain for the sound, fountain gives the pleasant tinkle like a flowing stream thats difficult to replicate with a small waterfall.

As long as pump is below ice level in reservoir should be fine, sitting water freezing in exposed pipework more of a hazard.

Got to account for evaporation and how much water is in the system when actually running, dont want to empty reservoir as soon as thing starts up.

Small children are fascinated by such things, depending on view either ensure security or put shiny objects at bottom of deepest end ;-)

Cheers Adam

[Andrew May]

Talking of water features does anyone know where to get hold of the jets for fountains?

When I get around to laying the patio I want to put a sump under some of the slabs and a series of jets sticking through holes in the slabs. A bit like a smaller version of the one in the courtyard of Somerset House if anyone knows that. I am sure that there are others around the country as well.

Ideally I also want some kind of electrically controlled valve so that I can turn some jets on to a higher power when someone triggers a nearby PIR sensor.

Andrew

[pcb1962]

Your local tropical fish / aquarium shop usually sells fountain parts, or probably any decent sized garden centre.