Basic Fountain Installation Phase ll

​This phase of the project is about enhancements. We’re taking the fountain at its basic level and amping it up to increase the water flow and the aesthetic appeal. To achieve this, we’ve added accent boulders, driftwood, custom lighting, and greenery for overall appeal. This phase will also explain why the same fountain can be at different price points. Think in terms of a car you have the basic model and then you have the model that has all the extras, in short, all the bells and whistles.

Let’s Get Started!

Upgrade The Pump:
First and foremost, we begin by upgrading the pump to the Aquasurge 2000 pond pump. This upgrade takes you from double flow 1000 GPH to 2000 GPH.  This pump is our go-to-pump for fountain installations.  

Upgrade The Intake:
Upgrade to the Auquasurge Low Suction Intake Attachment. This attachment allows the pump to run in low-water conditions and go longer without fill-ups.

Switch Out The Plumbing:
Replace the basic plumbing that came with the fountain, which is about ¾ of an inch to 1 ½ inch PVC pipe. More water can flow through bigger plumbing. The change to the PVC pipe will require you to take the bulkhead and drill a bigger hole in the top of the urn. When drilling the hole make sure you use the right size saw.

Accent Lighting:
Once you’ve drilled a bigger hole to accommodate the bulkhead now you’ll need to drill holes in the side to recess the lighting at the top. The recessed lighting will cause the water bubbling at the top to glow. The current lights at the bottom of the urn give a nice glow to the outside but leave the top dark. The recessed lighting at the top will help to tie the whole look together.

Plumbing The Urn:
To install the plumbing and ensure a tight fit you glue these parts together, both the plumbing inside the urn and the PVC pipe your connecting. It’s important to cut the PVC pipe the right length to make sure that the bottom and the top of the urn slide together and lock in place. Important kids! This connection is a compression fitting only DO NOT GLUE. Otherwise, you’ll never get it apart again. Also, a single lighting wire was run in so that when gravel is added for stability, you won't have to borrow it out later.

Time For Enhancements:
​ After making the rest of the connects you’re ready to fire it up. Now that you have higher water flow and top lights installed it’s time to make the fountain more decorative. Accent Boulders are places; we’re using Missouri weathered limestone.  The largest stone placed was so for stability — something to consider if you have small children or grandkids. Add driftwood at different lengths and contours. For the plant layout evergreens were used to surround and flowers for the front.
 
The video of the transformation from the basic fountain to the enhanced fountain gives you a better understanding of the amount of work involved and why the price can vary. Let the team at Modern Design Aquascaping take your fountain from the basic model to the enhanced model. If you like the content, subscribe to the YouTube channel and like us on Facebook for more content and live videos of projects and builds.