How Wall Fountains Work

If you're the sort of person who revels in relaxation, a wall fountain could be the perfect addition to your home or office. The naturally soothing sound of running water induces a relaxed feeling, much like the feeling you get if you sit by a babbling brook or listen to the distant echo of a waterfall. For this reason, fountains -- including wall fountains -- often figure in feng shui designs, which aim to place items in a way that promote positive energy in a room. And for people who have trouble drifting off or staying asleep at night, wall fountains can even act as a natural sleeping aid.

But the benefits don't stop with the soothing sound. Wall fountains actually help humidify the air around them, which is good for your skin and your breathing. It's a particularly nice feature in dry climates or during the cold winter months, when indoor heating sucks the natural humidity from the air. Also, the process of water molecules cascading down the fountain is believed to release negative ions into the air, and some studies claim significant health benefits from negative ionization. For example, an increase in negative ions is believed to help boost energy, reduce stress and improve moods [sources: Kinetic Fountains, American Psychological Association]. Of course, if nothing else, wall fountains can also be appreciated simply as an aesthetic part of a room's décor.

The potential disadvantages of wall fountains can generally be avoided by proper maintenance and care -- assuming you don't view the maintenance required as a disadvantage. However, if you still find yourself worrying that your wall fountain might come crashing down off its brackets or it might somehow leave a lingering damp spot on your wall, you have other options. Floor and tabletop fountains operate on the same principle of re-circulating water, but they don't require quite as much effort in terms of installation. You can even get creative and make your own tabletop fountain using a submersible pump, a decorative bowl and shells or smooth stones.

Of course, you could always pass on the fountain completely and just get a humidifier and a noise machine with a water setting. But the hum of the humidifier might drown out the noise machine and, after all, who has ever heard of a humidifier that was also a piece of art?

Learn more about wall fountains and other indoor decorating ideas by visiting the links below.

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