Should you purchase a solar garden fountain or a wired fountain? Both have their pros and cons but we have discovered that solar fountains are safer and easier to maintain than mains powered fountains even though they do have the shortcoming of not working well through the winter months.The panels on solar fountains use photovoltaic cells to gather sunlight throughout the day which is used to operate the pump. Since they need sunshine the pump will reduce speed and the water will cease during the hours of darkness or if the sky is cloudy.
Installing a Solar Garden Fountain
Solar fountains are effortless to set up and most will necessitate no difficult installation. Solar fountains may either have solar panels built into the pedestal or remote panels that may be located at a distance. This allows the fountain to be placed in a shady position while the panels are situated where they can gather the sunlight. The remote solar panels can be located on a hard surface, attached to a fence or tree or on a wood pole planted firmly in the earth.
Energy Storage
The majority solar panels are not capable of storing energy so they can’t be used by night. They will work most efficiently on sunlit days and on cloudy days they will only pump water slowly or not at all. For the duration of the winter it is a good idea to disengage the panels as during frosty or freezing weather the pump may work intermittently if it is sunny and some damage could happen. A few solar fountains may have backup batteries to compensate for short periods but most are in reality only intended to be used on sunlit days.
Convenience
Solar garden fountains are convenient as they require no cables from the mains and can be located some distance from the house. With remote panels they could even be positioned in out of the sun or in summerhouses.
Solar Pond Fountains
Additionally some solar fountains are specifically made for ponds and are also handy as they don’t necessitate power cords from the house. You could set them to float on the pond or fix them in place with rocks or fixed to secure them.
Solar Garden Fountain Safety
Solar powered fountains are environmentally friendly without poisonous emissions, hardly any noise and no substances that can seep out and be a hazard. Since there aren’t any cords they are harmless to pets and children.
In Conclusion
Fountains powered by the sun are cheap to run, easy to look after and safer than wired fountains. Although they have the disadvantage of working disappointingly through the winter months they will be, however, excellent additions to your garden.
