Fountain Set-up Procedure

D0101 Sepergia Tabletop

A. Materials Needed

1. Supplied with fountain: D101: 3 concrete pieces, clear plastic hose, black rubber plug (only for fountains where pump cord goes through the middle of the bowl); pump and Kryton sealer (if you purchased these with the fountain)
2. To be purchased: plumber's putty (building supply), household Vaseline (drugstore, pharmacy), pump and Kryton sealer (if not purchased with fountain), heavy felt "feet" that are used for chair legs (hardware, building supply)
   
   

B. Procedure

1. Test the pump to make sure it is operational. A kitchen sink filled with six inches of water is sufficient. Only plug the pump into the electrical socket after the pump is submerged. Running a pump dry will destroy it. Also, examine any control on the pump so that once the pump is installed, you will know how to increase/decrease the water flow. Removing a faulty pump is time-consuming.
2. Touch up any scratches on the fountain pieces with touch up stain. Let dry.
3. After ensuring that every piece of the fountain is absolutely dry, water seal every piece with Kryton sealer. Using a paintbrush be sure to cover ALL sides of every part, working methodically to ensure complete coverage. Note: for INDOOR use of D0101 Sepergia Tabletop Fountain, it is recommended you do NOT water seal the finial (the centre piece); less splashing occurs when the water "sticks" to the concrete and runs down in sheets.
4. Prepare the area on which the fountain will stand. Adhere the heavy felt "feet" (that have a sticky tape on one side) to the bottom of the concrete ring (not pictured above.) Concrete will scratch furniture unless precautions are taken.
5. Place the bowl onto the ring.
6. Install the pump (P-80). Feed the pump cord down through the bowl and ring, ensuring that the cord lies in the channel in the bottom of the ring (otherwise, the fountain cannot be properly leveled.) When pulling the cord through, leave about three inches between the pump and the inside of the bowl.
7. Make sure the walls of the white plastic pipe in the centre of the bowl (through which the pump cord passes) are clean. The black rubber plug needs to seat well into this pipe to prevent leakage.
8. With some household Vaseline lightly coat all surfaces of the black rubber plug. Open the slit in the side of the plug and place the pump cord into the centre of the plug. Place the plug into the hole in the fountain bowl, thus making a watertight seal around the pump cord. Make sure the top of the plug is level with the top of the white plastic pipe and that the slit in the plug is completely closed. Add Vaseline to the top of the plug.
9. Run the clear plastic tubing through the D101 finial. Connect the bottom of the tubing to the nipple on top of the pump and then set the finial down over the pump. Make sure you do not kink or crimp the tubing in the process, unless you desire a smaller flow of water.
10. Place the D100 finial over the pump. When sure that the plastic tubing is not kinked and the pump is firmly seated in the bottom of the bowl, gently lift the tubing (with pump attached below) about 1/8th inch and cut off the excess tubing. The goal is to have the top of the tubing a fraction below the top of the concrete finial. With plumber's putty seal the space between the tubing and the finial (so water does not run back down the centre.)
11. Fill the fountain with room-temperature water. Cold water poured into a warm fountain can cause the bowls to crack. The reverse is true also.
12. Plug the pump into your source of electricity. Always use properly grounded circuits and extension cords.
13. Adjust placement of the finial to gain uniform water distribution and adjust pump for desired water flow.
    
14. Reminder: Fountain bowls and pumps CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO FREEZE WITH WATER IN THEM. Disassemble and store bowls, pumps and finials in winter. See manufacturer's bulletin on "Care and Maintenance" for more information.

C. Adjustments Commonly Needed

1. Water does not flow out the top at all.
   a. Make sure the plastic hose is not kinked at some point and that water can flow freely from pump to finial.
   b. Check to see if pump is correct size. Pumps are rated by the height they will raise a column of water. Under 24" need P-60 to P-80; 24" to 48" need P-140 to P-210; over 48" needs P-280 to P-380 or higher. Contact your pump supplier for accurate sizes. Remember, it is not the height of the fountain, but the height from the pump to the point where the water exits that must be measured.
   c. The ID (inside diameter) of the plastic hose also affects the height the water will rise. Any pump will push water higher in a 3/8" hose than in a ½" hose, but more volume flows from a ½" hose.
2. Water flow is too heavy or fountain splashes too much.
   a. Decrease the flow control on the pump.
   b. Restrict the flow through the plastic hose. Many make-shift items will work, e.g., a nail bent into a "U" shape with the hose pressed inside it, a small hose clamp tightened around the hose, etc.
3. Bowl leaks at plug.
   a. Make sure black rubber plug is pushed firmly into white plastic pipe in the bowl, so that the top of the plug is level with the top of the pipe.
   b. If necessary, remove the water from the bowl, remove the black rubber plug and check with your finger to ensure the walls of the white plastic pipe are clean and free of cement. Clean the pipe (your fingernail is often enough), re-Vaseline the plug with cord and insert the plug into the pipe. When plug is seated properly (top of plug even with top of white pipe and slit in plug completely closed,) apply extra Vaseline to the top of the plug and the surrounding ¼" of white plastic and concrete. Ensure the pump cord is snuggly fitted and that the slit in the plug is tightly closed once seated in the pipe.
4. The plastic hose that came with the fountain does not fit onto the pump purchased elsewhere.
   a. Plastic hose is manufactured in sizes that allow one size to fit snuggly inside the next larger size.
   b. Measure the nipple on the top of your pump. That measurement is the ID (inside diameter) of the plastic hose you need.
   c. Usually ½" hose is supplied with the fountain. If the pump needed 5/8", all you need is a short length (4") of 5/8" hose from your building supply store. Insert that onto your pump, then place the ½" hose down inside the top of the 5/8" hose to complete the assembly.
   d. This process can also work in reverse with 3/8" hose.
5. The flow is uneven around the finial.
   a. Adjust the placement of the finial in the bowl.
   b. Increase the flow of the pump.
   c. Make sure the tubing is centered in the opening of the finial.