Fountain Installation Tools

Fountains and Safety­
  • You may have noticed that a fountain combines two potentially dangerous elements: electricity and water.
  • As you’re installing the fountain, make sure that you have a towel handy. Dry your hands thoroughly before touching any of the electrical elements.
  • Children and pets can be fascinated with fountains. Many cats, in particular, love to watch running water.
  • Be aware of drowning hazards. If you have a toddler in the house, you may need to set up a baby gate around the fountain until the child is older. ­

The tools you need to install a fountain depend on what kind of fountain you're installing. With a kit tabletop fountain, you may need no more than a box cutter to open the package and a pitcher to fill the reservoir.

With the other kinds of fountains, though, you'll want to have a bit more equipment on hand:

  • Felt or cork pad to protect wooden ta­bles or floors
  • Saw (not necessary for every fountain, but with a solar-powered fountain you may need to construct a simple post for the panel)
  • Crimp, for connecting wires
  • Stud finder, for wall-mounted or wall-supported fountains
  • standard and Philips-head screwdrivers
  • Power drill
  • Socket wrench
  • Level (especially for wall-mounted fountains)
  • Tape measure
  • Hammer (some wall-mounted fountains are hung more or less like pictures)
  • Shovel, for excavating outdoor fountains and covering their pipelines
  • Gardening gloves
  • A strong friend to help you lift the heavy components

You may also want to have a few other things handy:

  • Various screws, nuts and bolts (these may come with the fountain, but if you're deviating at all from the manufacturer's setup you may need extra)
  • Wire nuts and other connectors
  • Gravel, stone or cement cinderblocks to stabilize an outdoor fountain
  • Water-growing plants to add to the basin (each plant should be in its own submersible dish -- you don't want the roots tangled in the pump)
  • Rubber, PVC or bamboo tubing
  • Ornamental rocks to line the reservoir basin (wash these before putting them in, or you'll gunk up the pump)
  • An ornament (those little stone cherubs and bathing goddesses don't just make the garden more attractive, they can also conceal the pump)
  • Stone plinth to raise the ornament to water level
  • Electrical silicon (make sure you've chosen interior or exterior silicon, as appropriate)
  • A wooden post, if you want to elevate the solar panel to increase sun exposure
  • Epoxy or sealer to waterproof the basin

Toss a coin and make a wish: You've just installed a lasting source of tranquility.

To learn more, visit the links on the next page.