Fountain Set-up Procedure

D0171 Atlantis
D0172 Tuscany
D0173 Simplicity

 

A. Materials Needed

1. Supplied with fountain: clear plastic hose, black rubber plug; pump and Kryton "Krystol Hydrostop" sealer (if you purchased these with the fountain)
2. To be purchased: pump and Kryton sealer (if not purchased with fountain), two (2) 3/8" x 2" long carriage bolts with washers and nuts, and nine (9) #12 wood screws, 3" long, for hanging the fountain plate (if required for installation in drywall), one four-foot long 1"x 4" hardwood plate (if required for installation in drywall); metal anchors for the carriage bolts (if required for installation in stone, brick, concrete, etc.)
   

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 flow of water. Removing a faulty pump from an installed fountain is time-consuming.
2. Touch up any scratches on the fountain pieces with touch-up stain (available from your Classic Rock statuary retailer.) Let dry.
3. After ensuring that every piece of the fountain is absolutely dry (not in contact with rain/wet ground for several days,) water seal the entire piece (front and back) with Kryton "Krystol Hydrostop." Be sure to cover ALL sides of every part, working methodically to ensure complete coverage.
4. Prepare the area where the fountain will hang.
   a. Concrete wall fountains MUST be hung from heavy bolts secured into a strong material. Light screws will bend under the weight when the fountain is filled with water.
   b. In interior and exterior applications the fountain can be hung from bolts secured into a hard surface: stone, brick, wood, etc. Pre-drill two holes and install heavy-duty metal anchors that will accept the 3/8" carriage bolts.
   c. A concrete fountain can NEVER be hung directly on a drywall surface without adequate reinforcement. When hanging is desired on a drywalled/gyprocked surface, a steel or hardwood plate must be installed over the drywall/gyprock and fastened securely to the wooden studs behind the wall. Often a 1"x 4" piece of hardwood, about 4 ft. long, is sufficient.
   (1). Locate and mark the position of the studs behind the drywall.
   (2). Place the centre of the hardwood plate on the wall at the point where the centre of the fountain hanger is to be located. Using pre-drilled holes lightly tack the hardwood plate to the studs (spanning three studs is best; two is sufficient.)
   (3). Locate and mark the desired position of the fountain on the plate. Mark the location of the edges of the fountain to the left and right of the hanger. Try to adjust the fountain placement so that it will completely cover the plate.
   (4). While the fountain is being held temporarily in place, have someone draw a light pencil line giving the exact location of the fountain hanger on the plate. Note that this hanger is NOT LEVEL and the bolts must be installed in the plate accordingly.
   (5). Remove the plate from the wall.
   (6). Using the line drawn to locate the hanger, drill two holes for two bolts, one toward each end of the hanger.
   (7). Using two 3/8" carriage bolts, each 2" long, mount the bolts into the plate. Leave a space of about ½ inch between the head of the bolt and the plate. Secure the bolt with a washer and nut on the back of the plate.
   (8). Replace the plate assembly on the wall using only a couple of screws. An indentation will have to be cut or punched into the drywall to accommodate the backs of these bolt assemblies, thus allowing the plate to sit flush on the wall.
   (9). If the plate is not covered by the fountain, two options are available:
   a. Use a longer plate allowing equal amounts of the plate to extend beyond each edge of the fountain (so that the fountain appears centred on the plate.) Noting the location of the studs, cut the plate to the desired lenth. Then paint, stain or wallpaper the plate.
   b. Alternatively, cut out a portion of the drywall and install the plate with bolts directly onto the studs. Put new drywall over the plate leaving the bolt heads protruding about ½ inch. Repaint the drywall.
   (10) Remove the fountain and completely install the plate using three screws (each a #12 wood screw, 3" long) per stud.
5. Install the pump. Clean the fountain bowl of any debris. Place the pump in the fountain bowl running the electrical plug through the white plastic pipe. When pulling the cord through, leave about eight inches between the pump and the fountain wall.
6. Make sure the walls of the white plastic pipe in the fountain (through which the pump cord passes) are clean. The black rubber plug needs to seat well into this pipe to prevent leakage.
7. Open the slit in the side of the black rubber plug and place the pump cord into the centre of the plug. Place the black rubber plug into the white plastic pipe in the fountain back, thus making a watertight seal around the pump cord. Make sure the top of the plug is pushed in tightly and the slit in the plug is completely closed.
8. Check both the top and bottom of the copper tubing inside the bowl and where the water exits to make sure they are not blocked.
9. Take the ½ inch plastic hose and connect the copper tube in the bowl to the pump. The hose should slide easily onto the nipple on the top of the pump.
10. Fill the fountain with room-temperature water. Cold water poured into a warm fountain can cause the bowl to crack. The reverse is also true.
11. Plug the pump into your source of electricity. Always use properly grounded circuits and extension cords.
12. Adjust pump for desired water flow.
13. Reminder: Fountain bowls and pumps CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO FREEZE WITH WATER IN THEM. If used in an unheated environment (outdoors or unheated house), disassemble and store 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 the pump.
   b. Adjust the flow-control on the pump for higher volume.
   c. 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.
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.
   c. Sometimes plastic or aluminum window screen can be used just below the surface of the water in the bowl to deflect water and greatly diminish splash.
   
3. Fountain bowl leaks at plug.
   a. Make sure black rubber plug is pushed firmly into white plastic pipe in the large bowl, so that the top of the plug is level with the top of the pipe.
   b. If necessary, remove the water from the large fountain bowl (a wet/dry vacuum makes short work of this task), 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 tool enough), place household Vaseline onto 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.